When Peru is mentioned among travelers the words “Machu Picchu” and “Incas” are the first to be heard. What far fewer travelers know is that Peru has one of the finest cuisines anywhere in the world.

The flavors, aromas, colors and textures of Peruvian food have placed the nation’s cooking among the top ten of the world’s very finest culinary traditions.

Peru’s gastronomy is the product of several cultural influences, beginning with the ancestral civilizations of the pre-Hispanic period and moving on to the cuisine of the invading Spanish, which was gradually fused with local ingredients and traditions. The product of this fusion was then combined with the cookery of the waves of immigrants who came to settle in Peru, including Chinese, Italians and Japanese.

And what makes Peruvian food in all its manifestations absolutely unique is the huge variety of local ingredients produced throughout its territory, ranging from chili peppers, to corn, capsicums, limes and aromatic herbs.

Great chefs, food experts and those with a fine palate have chosen Peruvian gastronomy as one of the most exquisite on the planet and Peru has become an essential destination for those wanted to experience good food.

One of the most gratifying and enjoyable ways to learn about a country is, without any doubt, through its food. So, come visit us and delight in the flavors of Peru!

Peru -particularly in the capital, Lima is experiencing a culinary boom at present, as it enjoys unprecedented attention in the world of fine cuisine. The city boasts some of the best chefs, and they seem to compete among themselves to delight connoisseurs –whether they are Peruvian or from overseas- with their many creations.

While visiting Peru you can choose to spend a day –or a few days- discovering and learning about the flavors of Peru in the company of a specialist guide who will help you to interpret the aromas, colors and flavors of Peruvian cookery. As an introduction, you will be encouraged to sample the menus of some of the best restaurants in Lima.

And if you prefer a more individual and hands-on experience then join us to visit the local markets of Peru, where you will find all the ingredients used to prepare the finest gourmet dishes while enjoying the opportunity to witness at first hand the lives of local people. And, of course, we can offer you cookery classes with one of Peru’s most renowned chefs.

And if you want more, then we can add more flavor to your trip by taking you to some of the best restaurants in other Peruvian cities.
Below we list some of the most recommended of these eating establishments:

Book your tasty trip

Cusco´s Gourmet Cuisine
Restaurants - Imperial Delicacies
Peruvian cuisine begins with the fortunate encounter of two great culinary schools of the sixteenth century: The Spanish and the Andean, to which have been added generous Negro (African) and Asian (Chinese and Japanese) components, with marked touches of Italian and French Cuisine. In the opinion of specialist, Peru has the best food in American Continent. The gastronomic connoisseur will no doubt soon recognize a continuous mixture of Creole, Indian, Negro and foreign elements in meals and that Peruvian cooks are extremely creative in trying the most incredible dishes. This prompts many to refer to it as a “novo Andean cuisine” or a “new Peruvian cuisine”.
We are a sophisticated destination. For instance Cusco attracts cultured people who are accustomed to the very best culinary fare and happily, we are now able to offer an authentic gourmet circuit, here you have some of the best culinary expressions:

1. Incanto is an absolute delight and has attracted to its tables, the most demanding tourists that seek out first class fare.
2. Inka Grill is located on the main square itself, where is served the bets Novo Andean and fusion cuisine.
3. Macondo, located in the San Blas hill, it offers us a divine cuisine from the Andes, jungle and also pop art.
4. MAP Café, gastronomic experience inextricably interwoven with the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, and its brief menu encapsulates the very best of haute cuisine.
5. Cicciolina offers the city´s most complete cellar and a variety of Tapas, Mediterranean food and an eclectic range of music.
6. Tango Beef, if it is the antithesis of Novo Andean that you are looking for, then a generously served meat, waits for you.

It is not only the natural beauty of the Urubamba Valley which delights visitors. Proof of this is there for all to see in the menus of the private Hacienda Huayoccari that receives guests to private luncheons by appointment only, it admist beautiful surroundings, breath-taking garden views over the Sacred Valley and an impressive collection of Inca and Colonial art and artifacts. Huacatay restaurant, 3 Keros (where is offered pork ribs which should not be missed) and Crepes y extras (a good place for Canapés, with its art gallery this is retreat of those bohemians who make it to Urubamba)

Hidden places of Peru
Restaurante Malabar
Designer cooking, restaurant that experiments with Peruvian ingredients and claim the traditions and gastronomy of a country.
http://www.malabar.com.pe/restaurante.htm

Restaurante Royal
Chifa Peruvian-Chinese Food, specialties: Chinese cebiche, crunchy porklet with small sand wiches, spicy hot chicken wings, shrimp sauté, Royal Cantonese rice, Tausi seafood, chita fish in soy sauce and more.

Costanera 700
Nikei Peruvian-Japanese Cuisine, bring us the joy of Peruvian tiradito carpaccio, cebiche, Costanera shrimp, tempura, Chaufa (“Cantonesse” rice, Peruvian style), Chinese noodles, again in a typical Peruvian version, and chita fish in a salt crust. You can´t miss it.

La Red
Holes in the wall. Peruvian Bistros. A family restaurant serving well made budget homely dishes. It´s all granny´s cooking. Good tacu-tacu but even better Peruavian mestizo food.

Toshiro
The first Japanese restaurant in the Americas that give us the gift of some of the world´s best Japanese cooking with a Peruvian touch.

Classic Peruvian dishes
Whether from the coast, the highlands or the jungle, Peruvian dishes have some things in common: their generosity, wealth and variety.

In the Coast:

• El ceviche (fish cut into neat cubes marinated in green lemon juice and hot ground peppers either some hours or only 20 to 30 minutes, and to which red onions cut into stipes, salt, pepper and slices of limo hot peppers, served with corn cob and sweet potatoes),
• La sangrecita
• Ají de gallina (Yellow potatoes and ground dried yellow hot peppers are added to a sauce  made of bread crumbs soaked in milk, powdered groundnuts and finely shredded pieces of chicken. This sauce is topped with abundant parmesan cheese and slices of hard-boiled eggs and black olives. Finally, this creamy golden mantle is spread over the potatoes),
• La causa limeña (Meshed potatoes, with onions, lemon, ground hot peppers, hard boils eggs, mayonnaise and either chicken),
• Carapulcra (dried potatoes and diced pork dressed with red chilli and peanuts),
• Cabrito al horno, Cau-cau (tripe and potatoes, dressed with chilli pepper)
• Tamales limeños (solid ground corn spiced mass wrapped with banana leaves and steamed)
• Anticuchos (Marinated beef heart cut into cubes and boiled over charcoal fire)
• Mazamorra morada (unique pudding-like mixture made from purple corn and diced fruit),
• Picaron (like a doughnut or cruller made with sweet potato flour, pumpkin and yeast, and served with sweet syrup).
• Pisco sauer (national drink made from pisco, lemon, ice cubes, egg), chicha morada and wine, etc.

In the Sierra:

• El cuy chactado, el lechón.
• Pachamanca or earth pot (it is a ritual feast consisting of marinated meats: beef, lamb, pork, poultry; potatoes, bean sweet potatoes and corn. It is cooked in the ground in a hole previously lined with red-hot stones and covered with aromatic herbs, banana leaves and topped with grass and earth),
• Papa a la Huancaina (Huancayo style steamed, potatoes covered with a yellow sauce made with cheese and hot peppers).
• Sopa de chairo, laguas de maíz y morralla (potato soup), picantes, adobos (marinated dishes).
• Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder; a fish and shrimp soup with milk, eggs, oregano)
• Rocoto relleno (stuffed red hot peppers), chiriuchu, la chicha de jora (a pre-Inka alcoholic corn beverage), frutillada, la patasca, etc.

In the Jungle:
It is a World of exotic cuisine varying from palm cabbages to fish from the big Amazon River:

• El tacacho, los juanes, la cecina, palmito, el chuchuhuasi, el masato, el rompe calzón, etc.

We should point out that the Peruvian government regulations designed to protect the 32,592 hectare Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, through which the network of Inca Trails passes, mean that the days when individual travellers could hire a tent and a sleeping bag and walk the route independently, are over.

 In 1999 a series of academic studies established the carrying capacity of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and the resulting regulations regarding visitor numbers and prices were designed to protect this unique experience for future generations.

Today, a maximum of 500 persons (including guides, porters, auxiliaries and approximately 150 tourists) are permitted to enter the Inca Trail each day, which is why we recommend you make your reservation as early as possible.

In addition, guidelines were established to protect the rights of the indigenous porters used by travel companies on the Inca Trail, including a minimum wage and limits on the amount that a single porter is permitted to carry.

 As a company, we are committed to the regulations governing the Inca Trail and the protection of the rights of porters, and we are one of the travel companies authorized to operate in this World Heritage Site.

 Under the new regulations, trekking permits for the Inca Trail are issued by Peru’s National Institute of Culture on a first come, first serve basis, commencing in January of each year. This means that spaces fill up months in advance and last-minute booking is virtually impossible.

 Advance booking is essential and in order to avoid disappointment we recommend that you book the Inca Trail FIVE MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
 In order to guarantee your place on the Inca Trail we will require AT TIME OF BOOKING the full name, nationality, passport details and date of birth of each participant.
 In the event of there being no space available on the Inca Trail at the time you wish to travel (remember that the Trail is closed in February and that the high season is from May to September), or if you are simply looking for a less well-travelled alternative, then you can choose from many of the other Andean trekking options that we offer, which include spectacular scenery, traditional communities, Inca ruins and a wealth of flora and fauna, with some of the routes combining with the train service to Machu Picchu itself.

Peru, a multicultural country with a unique diversity of fauna and flora, several languages, mining reserves with great potential and exceptional cuisine, has much to offer its visitors. Although Peru has experienced economic growth and stability in recent years, millions of Peruvians still live either in poverty or extreme poverty. Around fifty percent of the country’s population is living under the poverty line and of that number 20% find themselves living in extreme poverty. This is an opportunity for you to make a difference and to be part of the solution. Our programs enable you to work to serve the community as you get to know the people, places, sounds and flavors of Peru. For those who would like to work as a volunteer in South America, we offer programs developed to suit your availability or ability to lend a helping hand and/or work with the community.
We develop each of our programs by taking into account your preferences and abilities. Whether you are traveling alone, with your family, on vacation or on a medical mission, we can organize a rewarding experience for you as a volunteer.
We offer the following volunteer opportunities:

• Taking care of children / Orphanage and health clinic projects

Be a volunteer working with children at an orphanage, health clinic and with street children. As a volunteer you will assist in the daily care of the children, and your tasks will include: helping to feed the children, teaching them in language classes, playing, reading with them, singing, art classes and sharing your love and attention with these very young people who are waiting to meet you.

• Educational and vocational projects

Be a volunteer working with children in kindergarten, primary schools and high schools. You will teach them English, math, science, geography and your culture and traditions, as well as technical skills such as carpentry, electronics and computer skills.

• Medical and dental projects

Be a volunteer in rural clinics and hospitals in remote communities far from the cities. These medical projects are available to doctors, dentists, nurses, nursing technicians and all those who would like to help. This project is also open to medical students and nursing students. All volunteers should send a copy of their credentials or diplomas relevant to their profession and/or vocation. 

• Development, construction and community projects

Be a volunteer and help women in construction projects within the community. Volunteers are needed for heavy labor, fieldwork, etc.

• Environmental conservation projects

Be a volunteer in a national park or reserve, studying, carrying out research or helping in the protection and conservation of species in danger of extinction, with the principal objectives being research, recovery and the reintroduction of native species into their natural habitat.

• Learn the language and culture

We give you the opportunity to be part of the culture and to learn the Spanish language. You will be given classes by native speaking teachers and, best of all, you will be living with families in local guesthouses

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