Food Tours · Tour

Charapita, Cocona and Juane: The Amazon Course in Surquillo

Peru is usually sold as three cuisines, coast, Andes and Amazon, and then the tours only serve you the first two. This one goes into the third, which is the reason to book it. The Amazonian course is a proper sit-down: tacacho con cecina, the mashed plantain with cured pork; juane, rice and chicken wrapped in a bijao leaf; roasted plantains, Amazonian sausage and regional salads. And two ingredients you will not have met: cocona, a fruit somewhere between a tomato and a citrus, and charapita, the tiny chilli that is one of the hottest and most aromatic things grown in Peru. The rest is Surquillo, which is the district that turned Lima's food reputation into an address. It starts at Mercado Numero 1, learning how the neighbourhood works, then a local cevicheria for ceviche with chicha morada or emoliente, and the guide explaining where ceviche came from and why it became the national dish rather than one of many. Then a walk past the cafes and restaurants that made the district's name, and Mercado Numero 2, which Netflix used as a location for Street Food: Latin America. Dessert is one or two, depending on the day and the group: picarones, lucuma cheesecake, mazamorra morada, arroz con leche, champus or an artisan cake. Three and a half hours. Up to fifteen people, in English, Spanish or Portuguese, with private air-conditioned transport, a professional guide, all the food and all fees. Part of the profits fund social projects for families and children in extreme poverty, and the operator hires locally on purpose. Moderate fitness, comfortable shoes, bring water. Tell them about dietary restrictions when you book. Solo travellers should ask about availability.