Here in Lima, lunch is the biggest meal of the day. My host dad likes to say that the Peruvian lunch is the American dinner, and he proudly boasts that many American students can’t finish a Peruvian almuerzo. Lunch includes an appetizer (soup or a mixed salad) and an entree (some sort of carbs and meat). At dinnertime we have a lonche, which generally consists of fruit and some sort of bread or pastry. Breakfast is much the same, normally bread and fruit, or bread with cheese or lunch meat. My family here hosts eleven students this semester, so we operate on a fairly loose schedule. Breakfast is from 6:00 am to whenever we meander our way downstairs. Lunch is served around 1:00 pm, but almost no one eats then due to classes. My host mom leaves everyone’s plate on the counter, labelled with our names. I like to eat lunch at school, and save the food at home for dinner. At school, there’s a lot of places to eat just off campus for S./ 8 – 9 (or $2.50-$3.00, depending on the exchange rate). All the restaurants have a daily menu that includes an appetizer and an entree, and the portion sizes are really generous (especially considering the price!). I’m always impressed at how Peruvians can eat in the middle of the day and not get a food coma. After lunch, I’m always so drowsy in my classes. My host mom thinks it’s hilarious that I eat a full lunch at school, and come home and eat her lunch for my dinner. I’m pretty sure that I’m just confirming her perception of Americans as the fattest, most insatiable people ever. On the plus side, she always saves the leftovers for me.
Peruvian food has different flavors from what I’m used to, and I love it. They use a lot of lime, and it brings out all the rich flavors. I have liked literally everything that I have eaten here, except for one highly questionable soup, whose contents I am still unsure of. Lomo saltado (sautéed steak with onions, potatoes, and more), aji de gallina (chicken with a cilantro-based sauce), and chaufa (fried rice) are really popular meals I eat a lot for lunch. My absolute favorite dish though is ceviche. Ceviche is raw fish with red onions and tomato, drenched in lime. It’s out of this world good. They soak the onion in water so that it’s less bitter when eaten raw. It’s divine. Absolutely divine. I’m also a huge fan of yuca fries (kind of like French fries) with chicha morada (a juice made from purple corn). To anyone reading this blog, I highly recommend you find an authentic Peruvian restaurant and try a lot of dishes! Lima is known as the culinary capital of South America, and it is a well-earned title.
