The liquid looks innocuous, but in fact has a sharp, fiery zing to it that caught me unaware the first time I tried it. The citrus marinade is called leche de tigre - literally, “tiger’s milk”, for its milky colour when mixed in with the fish. The fish chunks in the best ceviches I’ve tried are almost crisp on the outside and tender on the inside without being chewy, so you can bite right into each morsel. It’s “cooked”, so to speak, by the acidic marinade of lime juice, onion, salt, pepper and ají (chilli), so the flesh has a slight firmness and takes on an opaque colour. You might mistake the fish to be raw, but it’s not strictly so. “Ceviche” most commonly refers to ceviche de pescado: basically a cold fish “salad” served with onions, boiled choclo (a white-coloured corn that is larger, chewier and starchier compared to sweet corn), lettuce and sweet potato (sometimes substituted with yucca or plantain). This is the most refreshing thing on the Peruvian menu. Ceviche de pescadoĬeviche is usually served with white fish like sole or seabass, but the ceviche I had at Detras de la Catedral in the city of Huancayo came with trout from the breeding farms in the surrounding Junín region. But if you’re just in Lima for a couple of days and want to sample the “new” Peruvian cuisine, try Gaston Acurio’s Astrid y Gaston (Peru’s most famous chef’s flagship) or Virgilio Martinez’s Central, and the Japanese-infused Maido - and make advanced reservations. A note, however: I enjoy the fancy versions of Peruvian food in London as much as the next person, but in Peru I mostly went for unvarnished, hearty fare. If you’re one of the as yet uninitiated, I think this is a good way in, and the best place to try everything is in Lima, so don’t rush through in your haste to get to Machu Picchu. For all the emphasis on ceviche, though, there’s so much more to Peruvian food, considering the Chinese, Japanese, African and indigenous influences that have made it what it is, and this list of just ten staples barely scrapes the surface. There aren’t just more Peruvian restaurants opening up, but ceviche has also become a fixture in many upscale international restaurants, making it the undisputed ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. Peruvian food has been gathering something of a following around the world, especially in London and New York. So here are some suggestions - including, I’m afraid, guinea pig. Traditional Peruvian flavours are paired with Japanese influences, bringing fresh and zesty aromas to each dish.I’m not a foodie-litist, but it baffles me when anyone tells me they don’t enjoy Peruvian food, and I wonder if it’s because of the sheer variety on offer that they don’t know where to start. Much like the Incan civilisation, Ayllu is about the coming together of friends and families and taking time to share an experience of great food and innovative cocktails with loved ones.ĭrawing on the inspiration of the Ayllu community, the menu consists of innovative small plates, designed for the whole table to share. The Ayllu was a group of families that lived together, worked the land together and shared their belongings and mealtimes, just like a large family. The restaurant was built around the traditions of the Ayllu community of the Inca Empire. Escape the chaos of city life and enter a social haven of comfort and warmth. The restaurant serves contemporary sharing plates, freshly made sushi, and innovative cocktails, in a cosy setting featuring rich dark green walls, elaborate décor, and plush banquette seating. Ayllu offers a unique fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines.
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