la comida peruana

The food available in Perú isn't that much different from that available in the EEUU. There are Starbucks on every corner in Lima, as well as Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, and Burger King. However, there is Peruvian fast food restaurant that is considerable better than the rest - BEMBOS! It's a mezcla of staple fast food items and traditional Peruvian food. Featured items include: Bembos Criolla, Bembos A lo pobre y Taco Original.

When I have a craving for Chinese food, I can now turn to CHIFA! Chifa is a combination of Chinese and Peruvian dishes. There are tons of chifa restaurantes on every street. Let me just emphasize the obvious... CHIFA IS EVERYWHERE. It's also pretty good, but it's not like P.F. Chang's or Orient Palace back in SoFlo.

Now... what about the actual Peruvian foods? Don't worry, there are plenty! Most notably there is Anticucho. On our way to Colegio Mayor Secundario Presidente del Perú the other day, we stopped at Azul Pollo for lunch. We were really excited when the waiters served us steak kebobs... little to our knowledge, it was actually anticucho. The steak tasted a bit odd and tender, but nonetheless, it tasted like steak. Yes, it was steak.. but more specifically, it was vaca heart. And, it wasn't too bad, but it was a little hard to digest after discovering the organ of origin.

Possibly the coolest fruit - besides the starfruit - is the granadilla. It looks like a tangerine, but tastes unlike anything else. Don't like the looks of the inside fool you... it's very sweet and crunchy! Also, cherimoya is very intersting and is a must try fruta del Perú.