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Chef and Feast contributor Erik Jacobs takes you on a journey through Lima's culinary landscape.
Photos
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P1000821Arriving in Lima, my wife and I and stayed at a wonderful little place in the Miraflores district called Hostal el Patio (hostalelpatio.net) Basic, comfortable rooms, all with little patios off the side. Central location to Parque Kennedy and abundant night life made this little hostel a great value. Continental breakfast included. -
P1000830Our first morning in Lima, and what do we find? The central food market. Heaven! The array of fruits seen here smelled amazing! The peak of sweetness, freshness and color. -
P1010128Special mention must be given to the Passionfruit and its cousin the Maracuja. Outrageously cheap and delicious. We snacked on these throughout the trip, and had them in cocktail form with Pisco, crushed ice, and simple syrup. -
P1000843Peruvian cuisine is known for its use of many types of chiles. Here in the market, one could find hundreds of different types, dried or fresh. The yellow chiles are known as “Aji Amarillo” and in fresh form is used to make one of Peru’s national dishes, Aji di Gallina (braised chicken smothered in a yellow pepper and bread sauce). -
P1000836This booth at the market was so bittersweet. To be confronted with an amazing array of earthenware cooking vessels, yet having so little room to bring them home. Solution? Make a point of returning to the market year after year until I’ve amassed all the pieces I want. -
P1000846The freshest scallops I have ever experienced. Seen here with the coral still attached, these extraordinary bi-valves were as sweet as candy. With an aroma like salty sea spray, it was obvious these scallops were harvested and shucked that morning. -
P1000833The Butcher Stall. I’ve always been fascinated with “offal,” the internal organs of livestock. This open air butcher displayed these, kidneys, tripe, liver, tongues and pigs’ feet with pride. -
P1000849Fresh hens ready for roasting. -
P1000842El Choclo. This chewy, nutty Peruvian corn holds little similarity to the sugary sweet corn we prefer here in the States. We had it served to us fried and salted as a bar snack and as a traditional accompaniment to ceviche. -
P1000905Did someone say ceviche? Highly recommended by a Peruvian friend, we dined at a restaurant called Pescados Capitales for lunch our first day in Lima. One of Peru’s most famous national dishes, this amazing traditional ceviche features fresh sea bass marinated in citrus juice, razor thin red onions and Peruvian chiles. This dish demands the freshest seafood, and we were not disappointed. Exquisite! -
P1000875After gorging on fresh ceviche and Pisco Sours (Peru’s signature cocktail) for lunch, we were a little unnerved when confronted with these Peruvian Hairless Dogs on a tour of Pre-Incan ruins. Apparently these ugly mutts have a higher than normal body temperature because of their lack of fur. We were told that because of this, they are often used by Peruvians as bed warmers in the winter. -
P1010188Being an unabashed lover of street food, I was thrilled to come across this cart in the Parque Kennedy in Lima. Serving “Butifarras” (Peruvian sandwich with salsa criollo) and “Champus” (fruit drink thickened with corn, flavored with cinnamon, cloves and orange) this cart was amazingly popular and efficient at cranking out one amazing sandwich after another. -
P1010187I chose “Lechon” (suckling pig ) for my Butifarra, although I could have had turkey. Here the sandwich maestro sears the meat as he toasts the bun. In the right corner you can see the onion relish ready to add to the pork and some wonderfully spicy sauce to top it all off. -
P1010184Best. Midnight. Snack…Ever!
The fruit essence of olive oil pairs well with the blood oranges
used in this coulis recipe, as blood oranges are grown in the
Mediterranean.
get the recipe