Food is one of the best ways to understand and connect with a culture

I feel like food is one of the best ways to understand and connect with a culture. And food here in Peru is central to their way of life. I have tried so many new and great things here, it is hard to sum up in just a few paragraphs.

I was actually a little surprised about the difference in food here from the US. I had assumed that every country besides the US has healthier food than us, but there is actually lots of fast food here, and the portions are enormous. My host family always gives me a ton of food, and it is delicious but I get so full! I have also noticed that they tend to eat dinner much later than I would at home. I usually eat dinner at 5:30 at home, and here we eat at 8 at the earliest.

I usually eat with my host family because the food is delicious and free. I noticed that either my host mom or the housekeeper will always completely set the table and put the food on nice plates, even when I’m just eating breakfast. I’m used to eating eggs straight out of the pan at home, so it is a definite change.

The fruit here is otherworldly. Every week at school, our conversation teacher will bring in a new fruit for us to try. I have never seen or heard of any of it before, and I love getting to try them all. Most of them are very odd and not necessarily something that I would try again, but there are also some delicious ones. He brought in one called a pacae for us to all try. It was a long green bean looking thing, and the white meat in the middle had such a strange texture because it was a little cotton-y, but also kind of juicy. It’s hard to explain, but it was pretty tasty,

The meat here is also very good. Almost every meal here includes some type of meat and rice, and I am still enjoying it so far. It is a bit harder for the vegetarians on the trip, but I am still enjoying it. I have also eaten my fair share of dulce de leche churros and empanadas, which is keeping me very happy.