Pollo A La Brasa Misti

A classic component of Andean style Peruvian cooking involves the use of an underground "cooking pit," lined with hot stones and covered with leaves and topsoil. This slow cooking method produces pork, beef and lamb that is "fall off the bone" tender.

Though first grown in ancient Mexico, the Incan people of modern day Peru would bring over and use tomato in Peruvian cuisine. In fact, the tomato is a close relative to the potato, arguably one of the biggest staples in Peruvian cuisine.

A good balance of spicy and creamy, aji de gallina is a very popular dish in Peruvian cuisine. You may not guess, but one of the ingredients found in the hot and hearty dish is ground walnut.

Ancient Peruvian cuisine included such foods as duck, guanaco, Alpaca, and llama. Guinea pig was eaten as well (though mainly consumed by the middle and lower middle class). Even guinea pig skin was eaten, called charqui.

While ceviche is widely considered the national dish of Peru, some variations of the raw fish reflect influences from Japan. Tiradito, a marriage of Peruvian and Japanese techniques, has sashimi cut fish marinated in citrus juices without onion.

If you’re a fan of cheese fries, you will probably love the famous Peruvian side dish, papas a la huancaina. Thinly sliced potatoes are served on a leaf of lettuce and topped with spicy cheese and hard-boiled eggs.

There is a dish that is quite popular in the northern coastal areas of Peru called "ceviche." Ceviche is made of fresh seafood that has been marinated in lemon or lime juices and then combined with salt, onions, or chili pepper.

Shrimp Cioppino (chowder), often called "Chupe de Camarones" in Peru, is a traditional Peruvian stock soup that includes potatoes, crayfish, chili pepper, and milk. The great thing about this soup is that it is hearty enough to be called a meal in itself.

Annatto is a common seasoning in Peruvian cuisine. The ground seed of the achiote tree, annato is a popular spice as well as a common food dye. It tastes somewhat sweet and musky and is sometimes also called achiote, urucum or roucou.

Aji de Gallina is made of yellow aji peppers and consists of a thick, rich, hearty stew that includes chicken and condensed milk and has been thickened with crustless white bread. Papa a la Huancaina is the vegetarian version of this traditional meal, which uses boiled potatoes and yellow sauce instead of chicken.

Did you know that Peruvian cuisine has been largely influenced by the Chinese? This is because, between the years 1849 and 1874, more than 100,000 Chinese immigrants moved to the country. Today, almost every Peruvian market has a section dedicated to Chinese ingredients.

Arroz tapado is a smothered (or covered) rice dish popular throughout Peru. It's a blend of meat, olives, onion, potato, egg and spices served over rice. This entree relies on a rich, thick sauce to infuse the rice with lots of flavor.

Peruvian cuisine has its own version of shish-kebabs called anticuchos. These skewers of meat are usually made from beef, and then seasoned with vinegar, cumin, pepper, and garlic. In Peru they're sold on street-carts and from street food stalls.