Arequipan cuisine is the cuisine of Arequipa, a regional

Peruvian cuisine Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine); Asia (Japanese cuisine an ...

. Arequipan cuisine is known for its ''

picantería A picantería, is a traditional lunchtime restaurant in Peru, predominantly in and around the cities of Arequipa and Cuzco. Typical offerings of Arequipan cuisine include chicha corn beer made out of a locally grown black corn called Guinapo. M ...

s'' (place of spicy food), traditional local restaurants offering

chicha de jora Chicha de jora is a corn beer or chicha prepared by germinating maize, extracting the malt sugars, boiling the wort, and fermenting it in large vessels (traditionally huge earthenware vats) for several days. The process is essentially similar to ...

accompanied by four small plates of spicy rocoto seasoned regional delicacies along with singing or music.

Picanterías

Traditionally, a set list of dishes are served on each day of the week (and seldom changes) as was common during the Spanish colonial period. Monday: chaque, Tuesday: chairo, Wednesday: chochoca, Thursday: red stew or potato flour, Friday: stew, Saturday: stew or timpusca, and Sunday: white broth, pebre loins and adobo. Arequipa is known for its Spanish colonial style stews and casseroles cooked on firewood in clay pots at picantería. Among the best known are the Chupe de Camarones (shrimp), Ocopa Arequipeña, Rocoto Relleno (stuffed chili), Adobo, Solterito de Queso, Potato Cake, Costillar Frito, Cuy Chactado (Guinea Pig), Cauche de Queso, Locro, Chaque de Pecho, etc. Common items for dessert include: Queso Helado, donuts, Spanish style convent candy, chocolates and Chicha de Jora (made of black corn, beer and anise liqueur). The menus change daily and include chaque, chairo,

pebre Pebre is a Chilean condiment made of coriander and/or parsley, chopped onion, vinegar, a neutral oil, ground or pureed spicy aji peppers, and usually chopped tomatoes. Pebre is most commonly used on bread. It is also used on meat, or when meat su ...

, timpusca, river crawfish soup (chupe de camaraones) and Blanco de lomos. Typical plated offering are rocoto

relleno The chile relleno (, literally "stuffed chile") is a dish in Mexican cuisine that originated in the city of Puebla. In 1858, it was described as a "green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs". The most common pepper used is ...

(stuffed with chopped meat, peanuts, boiled eggs, olives, cream cheese, and milk) served with baked potatoes.

Ocopa ''Ocopa'' is a smooth sauce flavored with or black mint huacatay a plant, originally from the city of Arequipa, Peru. It may be served hot, as dressing for boiled potatoes, or used as a garnish for cold hard-boiled egg Boiled eggs are eggs, ...

(boiled potatoes covered with a cream (

ocopa ''Ocopa'' is a smooth sauce flavored with or black mint huacatay a plant, originally from the city of Arequipa, Peru. It may be served hot, as dressing for boiled potatoes, or used as a garnish for cold hard-boiled egg Boiled eggs are eggs, ...

) made from yellow hot pepper, onion, garlic, cream cheese and

huacatay ''Tagetes minuta'' is a tall upright marigold plant from the genus ''Tagetes'', with small flowers, native to the southern half of South America. Since Spanish colonization, it has been introduced around the world, and has become naturalized i ...

(spice leaf) blended with dry bread. It is served with boiled eggs, olives, lettuce. Arequipan

adobo or (Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of cooked food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese variant is known as . ...

with pieces of pork meat marinated overnight in chicha, vinegar, hot pepper and spices and served with gravy. Chairo is a beef broth marinated with yellow hot pepper, garlic, onion, spices, black chuño (a root), pieces of cured meat, tongue of lamb and '' patasca'' (a pork and corn stew). It is served with toasted corn. Shrimp soup is made with potatoes, milk, eggs, cheese, spices, hot pepper, and tomato. Chactado is made with

Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...

or rabbit in a spicy and hot pepper gravy served with boiled potatoes. A regional beer and liquor of

anisette Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless, and because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits (e.g. absinthe). The most traditional style of anisette ...

are also available, as well as chocolates, bonbons (masapán) and toffees. River crawfish are also a regional specialty.

References

{{Reflist Peruvian cuisine Arequipa