Our best foodie experiences in peru
Peru is one of the world’s leading food destinations. With the Andean highlands, the lush Amazon rainforest and a nutrient-rich Pacific coastline, it’s no wonder the country offers such an extraordinary variety of native ingredients. Combine that with Peru’s ancient heritage and diverse foreign influences, and the result is an exploding, ever-evolving cuisine of bold flavours.
This guide covers the best gastronomic experiences in Peru, from cooking ceviche with a chef in Lima to a farm-to-table lunch in the Sacred Valley and an Amazon cruise where the menu draws on the rainforest. They all fit into a tailor-made foodie holiday in Peru.
Written by Scarlett, Travel Differently’s Peru expert
Last updated 27th October 2026
Peru Food Experiences at a Glance
| Experience | Where | On our holiday |
| Cook ceviche with a chef after a market visit | Lima | Slow Travel: Peru In-Depth |
| Try lomo saltado at our favourite restaurants | Across Peru | Peru holidays |
| Farm-to-table lunch with Giant White Corn | Sacred Valley | Peru, Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure |
| Amazon cruise with rainforest cuisine | The Amazon | Luxury Peru Adventure |
Why is peru so renowned for its food?
A popular Spanish saying goes “Barriga llena, corazón contento”, which translates as “a full belly, a happy heart”, and nowhere does it ring truer than in Peru. Food is deeply revered, from the way ingredients are cultivated to how meals are prepared and shared with family and friends. Behind every dish is a story that reflects the country’s landscapes, cultural diversity and generous spirit.
If you’re planning a holiday to Peru, exploring its cuisine isn’t just a highlight, it’s an essential part of the journey. Below we explore some of the best food experiences in Peru, and the history, traditions and cultural influences that make them so special.
Ceviche: Peru’s National Dish
Ceviche is the most iconic dish in Peruvian cuisine and a symbol of national identity, with origins that stretch back centuries. It’s traditionally made with raw fish marinated in citrus juice and seasoned with chilli, onion and coriander, a simple dish that celebrates the freshness of ingredients from the sea and the land.
Thanks to its coastal position, Lima is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to enjoy ceviche. Whether you eat it at a traditional cevichería or one of the capital’s many world-class restaurants, it’s a must-try while you’re in the city. For the best experience, eat it in the morning or early afternoon, when the fish is at its freshest.
To master the art of ceviche, join our Introduction to Peru Gastronomy tour in Lima. You’ll wander through a local market, navigating the colourful stalls, before stepping into the kitchen with an expert local chef to prepare your own fresh ceviche.
Our Slow Travel: Peru In-Depth itinerary includes this, and is a great way to get under the skin of local Peru, (21 days from £4,550pp).
Lomo Saltado: Peru’s Fusion of Cultures
Lomo saltado is often dated to the late 19th century, when Chinese immigrant cooks began adapting traditional Cantonese stir-fry techniques to local ingredients. The result was the beginning of Chifa cuisine, a uniquely Peruvian interpretation of Chinese cooking. Cooked over intense heat in a wok, tender strips of beef are combined with soy sauce, vinegar, red onion, tomato and aji amarillo, and served with rice and French fries.
On one plate you’ll find Spanish-introduced beef, Indigenous Peruvian ingredients and traditional Chinese cooking, which says a lot about Peru’s layered culinary history. It’s a hearty dish that’s popular among locals and worth trying at least once during your holiday.
Speak to one of our travel experts and we’ll recommend some of our favourite restaurants for lomo saltado across the country.
Giant White Corn: A Sacred Valley Farm Experience
Set deep in the Sacred Valley, Hacienda Sarapampa is a third-generation, family-run working farm dedicated to growing Cusco’s Giant White Corn. The crop has been grown here since pre-Columbian and colonial times and is an integral part of the region’s agricultural heritage. A visit offers an insight into the traditional farming techniques still used today, and a unique cultural experience.
Enjoy a farm-to-table meal that celebrates the flavours of the Sacred Valley, with recipes from the family grandmother’s cookbook made with ingredients from the farm’s own vegetable garden.
You can combine a visit to the hacienda with Pisac Market and ruins for a fully immersive day exploring Andean cuisine and culture, learning about local traditions and cooking in a rural setting.
Try Giant White Corn and other Peruvian classics in the Sacred Valley on our Peru, Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure (22 days from £5,950pp).
Flavours of The Rainforest
The Amazon rainforest is home to a wide range of exotic ingredients. Staples such as cassava and green plantain form the base of many traditional dishes, while Amazonian fruits such as camu camu, acai and passion fruit are enjoyed in juices, desserts and snacks. Fresh river fish also plays a vital role in the region’s vibrant cuisine.
For an immersive experience, board the luxury Delfin III Amazon cruise, where wildlife, lush landscapes, local communities and rainforest cuisine come together. Menus draw on Amazonian produce, much of it from Delfin’s own garden or sourced directly from local communities.
During your itinerary you’ll visit villages to gain insight into local life, learn ancestral fishing techniques, sample jungle fruits you may never have encountered before and even try your hand at preparing a traditional local dish.
Take a look at our Luxury Peru Adventure to see how an Amazon cruise fits into a wider Peru itinerary, (14 days from £9,300pp).
More Peruvian Dishes Worth Seeking Out
Beyond ceviche and lomo saltado, ask your guide about:
- Ají de gallina: shredded chicken in a creamy, mildly spicy yellow chilli sauce
- Causa: a chilled, layered yellow potato dish with a chicken or seafood filling
- Anticuchos: marinated grilled skewers, traditionally made with beef heart
- Papa a la huancaína: boiled potatoes in a creamy cheese and ají amarillo sauce
- Pachamanca: meat and vegetables cooked in an earth oven with hot stones, an Andean tradition
- Cuy: guinea pig, a traditional Andean dish for the adventurous
- Pisco sour: Peru’s national cocktail, made with pisco, lime juice, egg white and bitters
- Chicha morada: a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Peru is considered one of the world’s leading food destinations, thanks to the variety of native ingredients from the Andes, the Amazon and the Pacific coast, and to the Indigenous, Spanish and Chinese influences that shape its cooking.
Classic dishes include ceviche, lomo saltado, ají de gallina, causa and anticuchos, alongside Andean staples such as Giant White Corn and Amazonian ingredients like cassava, plantain and river fish.
That’s a matter of taste, but Peru is regularly named among the world’s most exciting food destinations.
Eating ceviche at a traditional cevichería or one of the city’s restaurants is a must, and our Introduction to Peru Gastronomy tour takes you through a local market and into the kitchen with a chef to cook your own.
Yes. Our Introduction to Peru Gastronomy tour in Lima combines a market visit with a hands-on ceviche class with an expert local chef, and it’s included in our Slow Travel: Peru In-Depth itinerary.
In the morning or early afternoon, when the fish is at its freshest.
Planning a Foodie Holiday in Peru
Food in Peru is a core part of the journey and one of the best ways to get to know the destination, its history, its Indigenous traditions and its rich biodiversity. From a market tour and ceviche class in Lima to a farm-to-table meal in the Sacred Valley and a cruise on the Amazon, these are the experiences we suggest to make the most of Peru.
You can combine Peru with other countries too. See our Peru, Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure (22 days from £5,950pp) or our Peru, Bolivia and Chile holiday (22 days from £6,990pp), or compare more routes in our guide to the best South America multi-country holidays.
You can also browse all our Peru holidays.
Start planning your tailor-made foodie holiday in Peru with our travel experts today. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, a family or solo, Peru has something for everyone.
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