Discovering Vegetarian Food in The Land of the Peruvian

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From being extremely vegetarian friendly to competing with Bengalis’ or Kashmiris’ love for rice: Peruvian food is uncannily similar to Indian food.

For the last decade or so Peruvian cuisine has been taking the world by storm, thanks to local chefs bringing delectable discoveries to Lima’s tables from Peru’s varied regions. So last year when my partner and I scored an invite to a Peruvian Food Trail, instantaneously we said yes! With images of hard-boiled quail eggs doused in hot sauce, cebiche (the most popular seafood dish), and pork crackling sandwiches crossing our minds to ensure our taste buds are tempted at every crossroads, we landed in Lima. The first evening, as we set out to explore Lima’s world-famous street food, while my partner feasted on non-vegetarian delights, I was drawn to a colorful food cart selling doughnut-like fried rings. A staple of Peruvian street food known as Picarones – is made from sweet potatoes and a large green squash called zapallo macre. They are also spiced with aniseed and cinnamon then drizzled with fig, passion fruit, or sugar cane syrup – a deliciously exotic combination to satisfy your sweet cravings. But that was just the beginning.

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Here are some other dishes we sampled that evening:

Yucca Sticks – A Peruvian snack made with sliced yucca, a root that is rich in fiber and carbohydrates, fried in hot oil until pale golden, then seasoned with chili powder, cayenne, and salt.

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Tamalitos Verdes: Fresh corn and cilantro leaves are the base of the comforting and delicious dish wrapped in corn leaves before being tied with a string and steamed in a pot.

Photo: Shutterstock

Papa a la Huancaína – an authentic and unique Peruvian salad dish consisting of a spicy, creamy, and rich cheese sauce that is drizzled over boiled yellow or white potatoes.

Photo: Shutterstock

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