When I first set foot in Peru, I thought I knew what street food was. In the U.S., it meant hot dogs at baseball games, churros at carnivals, or maybe tacos from a food truck. But in Peru? Street food is an entire universe, alive with color, history, and flavor. Every corner feels like a food festival, with sizzling grills, steaming pots, and vendors calling out their specialties.
At the very heart of this world is Anticuchos—grilled meat skewers marinated in spices and flame-kissed until smoky and juicy. But before I dive into that unforgettable bite, let me take you on a walk through the incredible street foods I discovered along the way.
A Walk Through Peruvian Street Food
One of the first nights in Lima, my abuela and I went out into the streets of Miraflores, where the night air smelled like the ocean but also like smoke, fried dough, and sizzling meat. She squeezed my hand and said, “Hoy aprenderás qué significa comer en Perú” (“Today you’ll learn what it means to eat in Peru”). She was right.
Here’s what I tasted:
Papa Rellena – Stuffed Potato Pockets
It looked like a golden football sitting on a plate. When I cut into it, steam rushed out, revealing seasoned ground beef, onions, olives, and sometimes even a piece of boiled egg hiding in the center. The outside was crispy and golden, the inside soft and savory. Imagine mashed potatoes shaped around a filling, sealed, and fried—comfort food at its finest. Abuela told me that Papa Rellena was popular during Peru’s wars for independence because soldiers carried them as easy, portable meals.
Tamales – Breakfast on the Go
Early one morning in Cusco, we stopped at a vendor selling tamales wrapped in banana leaves. When she unwrapped one for me, the warm steam carried the smell of corn and spices. The texture was softer than cornbread, filled with chicken and sometimes cheese. Tamales in Peru are often eaten with coffee or hot chocolate for breakfast, but I could’ve had them at any time of day.
Picarones – Peruvian Doughnuts
If you ever want to win my heart, just give me fried dough. And picarones did exactly that. These doughnuts were made from sweet potato and squash, giving them a unique orange color. Deep-fried into golden rings, they were drenched in syrup made from chancaca, a type of unrefined cane sugar. Sweet, sticky, and slightly smoky, they were the perfect end to any street food adventure. I ate them while sitting on a curb in Lima, licking syrup off my fingers, and thinking: this is better than any fair food back home.
Choclo con Queso – Corn with Cheese
On a bus ride through the Sacred Valley, we stopped by a roadside vendor. She handed me a giant cob of Peruvian corn, called choclo. The kernels were huge—almost the size of marbles—and had a chewy, starchy bite. Alongside it came a slice of queso fresco, a soft, salty cheese. The combination was simple but genius: sweet corn and salty cheese, eaten together by hand. Abuela laughed watching me struggle to bite into the oversized kernels, but she also looked proud.
Churros – With a Twist
Yes, Peru has churros too, but here they’re often filled. I tried one stuffed with manjar blanco, a caramel-like cream, and I nearly cried it was so good. Dusty with sugar and warm in my hands, it felt like every bite was a small miracle.
Juices and Drinks
Street food in Peru doesn’t just mean solids—you’ll find drinks too. Vendors sell freshly squeezed maracuya (passion fruit juice), purple chicha morada made from corn, and even emoliente, a warm herbal drink that Peruvians swear cures just about everything.
The Star of the Streets: Anticuchos
But if there was one food that captured the true essence of Peruvian street life, it was Anticuchos. I first tried them at night, near a busy plaza. The vendor stood over a smoky grill, fanning the flames with a piece of cardboard. Long skewers of marinated beef sizzled over the coals, the juices dripping and flaring up in bursts of fire.
When he handed me my first anticucho, wrapped in a scrap of paper, I hesitated—because abuela had told me the traditional meat was beef heart. But the smoky smell pulled me in, and I took a bite. To my surprise, it wasn’t chewy or strange at all. It was tender, juicy, and full of flavor—the vinegar gave it tang, the aji panca chili gave it smokiness, and the grill gave it soul.
On the side, the vendor added a boiled potato, also grilled, with char marks that made it taste earthy and sweet. Standing there with the skewer in one hand and the potato in the other, I finally understood why abuela said: “Peru’s streets are our best restaurants.”
The History of Anticuchos
Anticuchos date back to the Inca Empire, when people grilled llama meat seasoned with local herbs. After the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, beef replaced llama, but because the best cuts went to colonizers, indigenous cooks used beef heart instead. They marinated it with vinegar and spices, creating a dish that turned necessity into something extraordinary.
Today, anticuchos are everywhere. You’ll see them on street corners, at soccer matches, and even in fine dining restaurants in Lima. But no matter where you eat them, they always carry the taste of fire and resilience.
Step-by-Step Recipe: Anticuchos
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes (excluding marinating)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) beef heart or sirloin (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 tbsp aji panca paste (or substitute with mild red chili paste)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2–3 medium potatoes, boiled and cut into chunks (for serving)
- Wooden or metal skewers
Instructions:
Step 1 – Marinate the meat
- In a bowl, mix aji panca paste, garlic, vinegar, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Add the beef cubes and toss to coat well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight gives the best flavor).
Step 2 – Prepare the skewers
- Thread the marinated beef onto skewers.
- If you like, alternate with boiled potato chunks.
Step 3 – Grill the anticuchos
- Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet until very hot.
- Cook the skewers for 2–3 minutes per side, until charred on the outside but juicy inside.
Step 4 – Serve hot
- Serve skewers with extra grilled potatoes on the side.
- Optional: drizzle with aji verde (a Peruvian green chili-cilantro sauce) for extra kick.
Nutrition (Per Serving – Approximate)
- Calories: 390
- Protein: 35 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Sugars: 2 g
Final Thoughts
Walking through Peru’s streets taught me something important: food doesn’t have to be fancy to be unforgettable. From the soft warmth of a tamale in Cusco to the sticky sweetness of picarones in Lima, every street food told a story. But it was Anticuchos, smoky and sizzling in the night, that told me the story of Peru itself—its history, its resilience, and its passion for flavor.
When I licked the last bit of marinade from my fingers, abuela smiled. “Ahora entiendes,” she said. “Now you understand.”
And she was right. I understood that street food isn’t just about filling your stomach—it’s about filling your soul with the life of a place.
