Top 9 Peruvian dishes you absolutely must try on your next trip

Peru's culinary legacy has shaped global food culture for centuries, and now it's finally gaining the recognition it deserves.

For food lovers, Peru is an essential destination to explore.

Dating back to pre-Columbian times, Peru's diverse ingredients are sourced from the high Andes, the Pacific coast, and the rich Amazon region.

In addition to Incan roots, Peru's contemporary cuisine blends influences from Japan, China, Italy, and Spain.

Lima’s top dining spots like Central and Maido offer world-class dishes, but you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy incredible meals bursting with flavor and texture.

Peru’s street food scene is also a major highlight, with street vendors offering everything from spicy quail eggs and cebiche to crispy pork sandwiches and skewered beef hearts that tempt your taste buds at every corner.

Not sure where to start? Here are nine iconic Peruvian dishes to kick off your culinary adventure.

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1. Cebiche

Undoubtedly Peru’s signature dish, cebiche is a must-try and can be found all over the country, from casual street stalls to high-end restaurants.

With a 1,500-mile coastline to draw from, chefs marinate fresh seafood such as sand smelt, sea bass, tuna, octopus, sole, black clams, or sea urchin in lime juice, adding a fiery touch with limo or rocoto chilies.

The seafood soaks in a spicy yet creamy blend known as leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), which is said to work wonders, even curing hangovers.

Slivers of red onion, sweet potato, crunchy cancha corn, and fresh cilantro complement the dish’s tangy flavors, making it a truly refreshing and delicious experience.

Where to try it: Watch a culinary performance before diving into your cebiche at Chez Wong, where chef Javier Wong expertly fillets fish with a large blade, slicing through it as smoothly as butter.

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2. Anticuchos

The ultimate street food of Peru.

Beef heart is marinated in a flavorful mix of garlic, cumin, panca chili, and vinegar, then grilled on a skewer, much like a shish kebab.

Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, when Peruvians discover their favorite anticucho vendor, they’re willing to wait in line for as long as it takes to enjoy this satisfying, savory treat.

Anticuchos are typically paired with boiled potatoes and corn on the cob.

Don’t miss out on mollejas de pollo (chicken sweetbreads) and chinchulines (tripe) as alternatives for anticuchos.

Where to try it: Head to La Tía Grimanesa in Miraflores, a popular spot that began as a food cart and has since become a Lima institution for traditional anticuchos.

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3. Nikkei cuisine

When two food-loving cultures like Peru and Japan merge, the result is a culinary explosion of remarkable flavors and innovation.

Nikkei cuisine emerged from the significant Japanese migration to Peru in the early 1900s, combining Japanese cooking techniques with local Peruvian ingredients to create a beautiful fusion of the two cultures.

A dynamic and refreshing cuisine full of hybrid creations, highlights include tiradito, a fusion of sashimi and cebiche, and pulpo al olivo, octopus smothered in a bold olive sauce.

Where to try it: Peru-born chef Mitsuharu Tsumura has elevated Nikkei cuisine to fine dining at Maido, where his exquisite 15-course tasting menu earned a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2015.

4. Quinua

A key element of Peru's diet since pre-Hispanic times, this ancient grain is so valued that the United Nations declared 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa.

Extremely versatile and a popular gluten-free option, quinoa is a superfood grown in the Puna and Andean regions. It’s used in everything from tamales and soups to picante de quinua stew and solterito salad.

Where to try it: For a taste of the Andes in Lima, San Ceferino serves paiche fish skewers with tacu-tacu, substituting rice with quinoa for a true Andean twist.

Central’s Virgilio Martínez incorporates it into his acclaimed Mater Elevation tasting menu.

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5. Sanguche de chicharron

A beloved fast-food classic in Peru, the perfect pork crackling sandwich delivers both a juicy and crunchy experience in every bite.

Every sangucheria has its own secret technique, starting with the meat—some may boil the ribs before frying to lock in the flavors, for example.

The bread plays a crucial role too: some prefer a soft bun, while others opt for a crispy baguette.

It’s typically topped with homemade salsa criolla, a vibrant mix of lime juice, yellow chilies, red onions, white vinegar, and cilantro, all staples of Peruvian cuisine.

Other delicious sandwich variations include sanguche de pavo (turkey) and butifarra, a Peruvian classic made with jamon del pais (local ham).

Where to try it: El Chinito, a family-owned sangucheria, has been serving up delectable sandwiches for over 55 years.

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6. Cuy chactado (crispy fried guinea pig)

While chicken or beef may be common in the northern hemisphere, guinea pig (cuy) has long been a traditional delicacy in Peru’s Andean region.

Consumed since the Inca era, guinea pig is a low-fat, nutritious meat that might just surprise you with how tasty it is.

A single guinea pig may not be enough to feed a family of four at a Sunday feast, but it provides a generous portion for a tasty appetizer.

Typically served deep-fried whole – cuy chactado – this dish is a favorite, with guinea pig meat tasting similar to rabbit. It’s eaten with your hands, much like biting into a chicken drumstick.

Where to try it: If you can’t make it to the Cuzco region, book a table early at Gaston Acurio’s Tanta restaurant, as cuy sells out quickly. Maido also brings Andean flavors to the table, offering cuy confit.

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7. Causa rellena con pollo

With over 4,000 varieties of tubers at its disposal, Peru uses this diversity to create causas, a beloved side dish that pairs perfectly with cebiche.

A dish with roots stretching back to pre-Columbian times, causa was originally made by mashing yellow potatoes with chili peppers.

Today, lime juice is added to the mash for an extra tangy kick.

Similar to a sandwich, where mashed potato replaces bread, causas are typically filled with chicken or tuna salad and topped with a layer of mayonnaise.

Chilled and vibrant in color, this starchy tower of goodness is the ideal companion for soaking up leche de tigre juice.

Where to try it: The causa limena at La Mar Cebicheria in the Miraflores neighborhood is made with a fresh combination of avocado, chicken, boiled egg, and tomato.

8. Picarones

Craving something sweet? These doughnut-shaped rings are fried to order at huarique food carts and served piping hot, perfect for a sugary pick-me-up.

But picarones aren’t your average doughnuts.

Made from sweet potatoes and a unique green squash called zapallo macre, these treats are spiced with aniseed and cinnamon, then topped with a choice of fig, passion fruit, or sugar cane syrup – a wonderfully exotic flavor combination that outshines typical fried dough.

Where to try it: In Lima’s Barranco neighborhood, you’ll find huariques under the Bridge of Sighs (Puente de los Suspiros) that specialize in these delicious picarones.

9. Suspiro de limena

This dessert’s name means “the sigh of the lady from Lima.”

A decadent double-layered delight, suspiro a la limena is so rich in sugar that you’ll probably want to share it. The indulgent base is made from manjar blanco (caramelized milk or dulce de leche), topped with port-infused meringue and a dash of cinnamon.

For a fruity twist, some versions include chirimoya (custard apple) and lucuma, a native Andean egg fruit.

Where to try it: If you dare, your first bite at Dolce Capriccio in Miraflores, Lima, will leave you either delighted or reeling from its sugar rush, depending on your tolerance.

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