If you happen to like fish and seafood, while you're in Peru, you're in for a treat. The coast of Peru has some of the best species of fish anywhere. 

Try "escabeche", a fish appetizer with onions and peppers. Scallops "conchitas", and mussels "choros" which are prepared in an infinite variety of ways all of which are delicious. The "cebiche" is the Peruvian sea food specialty, fish pieces cooked in lemon juice, served with sweet potato and corn. 

Any dish served "a lo macho" come with a shellfish sauce.

"Corvina", sea bass, is always an excellent choice, as is shrimp, "camarones". Good trout can be found in Lima and in the mountain areas, cooked in many different ways. 

For a typical chicken entree, order "Aji de Gallina", served in a lightly piquant cream sauce. "Lomo Saltado" is another popular main dish consisting of morsels of beef sautéed with onions and peppers, served with fried potatoes and rice, a real delight. 

If you're feeling adventurous, try "cuy" (guinea pig), eaten in may places throughout the highlands, "cuy" is a mountain specialty particularly delicious when served accompanied by a peanut sauce.

"Pachamanca", another highland specialty is a feast of various meats and vegetables cooked together over heated stones in pits dug in the ground. 

Favorite national sweets are "manjar blanco" and "suspiro de limeña", both made from sweetened condensed milk. "Alfajores" filled with honey or manjar blanco are also quite a treat "mazamorra morada", is also a tradition in the country, a rich purple, fruity pudding-type dessert dates from colonial days. Also, the delicious "picarones" with honey. 

Peruvian beers are excellent try Cristal, Pilsen, Bremen and Cuzqueña. 

Peruvian wine is also recommendable, Ocucaje, Tabernero, Tacama and Vista Alegre are four great wines to look for. 

And of course, no trip to Peru is complete without a "Pisco Sour", a true Peruvian specialty that you must treat with respect unless you want to end up with a huge hangover.

Juice and lemonade will be made with tap water unless you ask for bottled water. 

"Menus", fixed price, daily specials, usually feature typical Peruvian food and are cheaper than ordering a la carte.

Author: Peru Guide, Lima Editora.