Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
What is Peruvian cuisine?
Peruvian cuisine (Cocina peruana) grew from chicha / aji / nixtamal-adjacent corn and potato / corn / rice. Ceviche is the postcard, not the whole map.
Is it always spicy?
Peruvian cuisine sits at spice 70 in this atlas. Ceviche and Lomo saltado show the range better than a single heat number.
What should a first meal include?
Ceviche plus one regional plate — not only the export icon.
What is Leche de tigre?
Ceviche marinade, drunk as a tonic.
How do people eat at home?
Lima, Cusco and Arequipa do not cook the same dinner. Regional stubbornness is the cuisine, not a footnote.
What travels poorly?
The home pantry around Leche de tigre and the labour behind Lomo saltado rarely fit a takeaway box.
Peruvian cuisine changes by valley, coast and capital. Lima is one node, not the whole map.
The meters treat heat, ferment, street density and sharing as the axes that actually organise meals.
Systems
Lima metro
A regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine centred on Lima and Ceviche.
Cusco table
A regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine centred on Cusco and Lomo saltado.
Arequipa table
A regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine centred on Arequipa and Aji de gallina.
Trujillo table
A regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine centred on Trujillo and Anticuchos.
Iquitos table
A regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine centred on Iquitos and Causa.
Region 5
Another regional kitchen of Peruvian cuisine.
Flavour meters
Cities & regions
Lima
A hotspot for Ceviche and the local pantry of Peruvian cuisine.
Cusco
A hotspot for Ceviche and the local pantry of Peruvian cuisine.
Arequipa
A hotspot for Ceviche and the local pantry of Peruvian cuisine.
Trujillo
A hotspot for Ceviche and the local pantry of Peruvian cuisine.
Iquitos
A hotspot for Ceviche and the local pantry of Peruvian cuisine.
Materials
chicha / aji / nixtamal-adjacent corn
The savoury bass.
potato / corn / rice
The meal starch.
Ceviche staples
The icon pantry.
Market produce
The daily vegetable and protein.
Regional pride in this cuisine is argued through Ceviche and Lomo saltado more than through a single official recipe.
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