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Cuy al horno is a traditional preparation of baked guinea pigs originating from Peru. This dish is popular in the region of Cusco, but it can be found in most tourist-oriented restaurants in the country. The guinea pigs are marinated in a combination of garlic, aji amarillo, cumin, oil, chicha de jora, huacatay, black pepper, and salt for at least one hour.
It's then placed into a pan with potatoes and baked for an hour. Once done, the guinea pigs are served with the baked potatoes and a salsa consisting of tomatoes, onions, coriander, lemon juice, and salt. One guinea pig is usually served for more than one person because the dish is accompanied by various side dishes.
MOST ICONIC Cuy al horno
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Picante de cuy is a traditional dish originating from Peru. It's usually made with a combination of cuy (guinea pigs), potatoes, garlic, ají peppers, oil, and salt. The guinea pigs are cut into pieces and seasoned with salt and garlic. They're fried on both sides in hot oil, and once fried, the boiled potatoes, ground ají peppers, and minced garlic are added to the pan and everything is lightly roasted.
Picante de cuy is traditionally served with white rice and salsa criolla on the side.
MOST ICONIC Picante de cuy
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Pepián de cuy is a traditional stew originating from Peru. The stew is made with a combination of guinea pig meat, potatoes, corn, onions, peanuts, salt, pepper, garlic, and oil. The guinea pig is cut into quarters, lightly fried in oil, then placed into a pot with onions, garlic, potatoes, corn, salt, and pepper.
Before the pot is removed from the fire and near the end of cooking, roasted and ground peanuts are added for extra flavor. Once done, the stew is traditionally served with white rice on the side.
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Cuy frito or cuy chactado is one of the oldest traditional Peruvian dishes that has been consumed since Incan times. It is made with guinea pigs, which are obviously not kept as pets in Peru – instead, they are fried to crispy perfection.
The fried guinea pigs are said to taste similar to chicken (or as a cross between rabbit a chicken), but with a fattier flavor. The head is also edible, and that's the favorite part for many people. Cuy frito is usually eaten with your hands, and it's recommended to keep some napkins on hand as things can get a bit messy while eating it.
This dish is typically served in cuyerías with corn on the cob, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, salsas, and salads.
MOST ICONIC Cuy frito
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Apanado de alpaca is a traditional meat dish originating from Peru. The dish is made with a combination of alpaca meat, flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Once seasoned and breaded, the alpaca meat is fried in oil until golden brown and fully cooked, and the dish is then ready to be enjoyed.
Apanado de alpaca is traditionally accompanied by rice, potatoes, and often a tomato-cucumber-lettuce salad on the side.
MOST ICONIC Apanado de alpaca
Arroz con pato a la chiclayana (also known as arroz con pato de lambayeque) is a traditional dish originating from the city of Chiclayo. It's usually made with a combination of duck meat, oil, garlic, onions, rice, peas, pumpkin (squash), red peppers, scallions, aji limo peppers, lime juice, and salt.
The garlic, onions, and squash are cooked in oil, then combined with the browned duck meat and water. Once the duck becomes tender it's taken out and the rice, peas, pepper, and coriander are simmered in the cooking liquid. Once cooked, the rice mixture is seasoned with lime juice and served alongside duck meat.
MOST ICONIC Arroz con pato a la chiclayana
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Arroz con pato is a classic Peruvian duck and rice dish, particularly popular in northern cities like Trujillo and Chiclayo. This dish combines seasoned duck meat cooked with rice, which absorbs the rich and flavorful juices from the duck and various seasonings.
To prepare it, the duck is first marinated with a mix of garlic, pepper, cumin, and often beer or chicha de jora. After marinating, the duck pieces are browned in a pan. In another pan, a base or "sofrito" of garlic, onion, aji amarillo (yellow Peruvian chili pepper), and bell peppers is prepared.
MOST ICONIC Arroz con pato
View moreJuane is a traditional meal originating from the Peruvian jungles, consisting of chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and rice seasoned with spices that might include turmeric, oregano, and cumin. The combination of these ingredients is wrapped in waxy bijao leaves (which look like banana leaves) and cooked.
It is common to pair the dish with cassava or boiled bananas. Juanes can be found in traditional restaurants, in markets, or at street vendors. The name juane refers to St. John the Baptist, because the dish is traditionally eaten on the 24th of June, during the feast of San Juan (patron saint of the Amazon).
MOST ICONIC Juane
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Escabeche de pollo is a Peruvian dish consisting of browned chicken pieces covered in pickling sauce. In Peru, escabeche is prepared as a pickled combination of onions, vinegar, honey, and aji peppers. Although fish escabeche is more popular, this dish is made with chicken, and when prepared, it is usually served with rice which soaks up the flavorful acidic sauce.
Before serving, escabeche de pollo can be additionally garnished with olives and pieces of hard-boiled eggs, and it is often served on a bed of lettuce, which results in a very visually-appealing poultry dish.
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Cau cau de pollo is a variation on the typical Peruvian stew cau cau. It's usually made with a combination of chicken, chicken stock, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, garlic, hot peppers, mint, oil, salt, and pepper. The onions, garlic, and hot peppers are sautéed in oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and covered with chicken stock.
The mint, carrots, potatoes, peas, and chicken pieces are added to the pot and simmered until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked. The dish is traditionally served with Peruvian-style white rice on the side.
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