New Meats

Peru has been a country of discovery for me. A country of new meats to try. Since I've been here, I've tried guinea pig, ostrich, alpaca, ceviche , and cow heart. Shown here is an ostrich steak at one of the swankier Arequipan dining establishments. The meat was a bit tough to cut but friends say that they've had better. Will have to take this meat on for another round.

Restaurants usually have set menus for the day in Peru. Costs are from 5-10 soles for the set menu and usually comes with a drink, soup starter, a main course, and a small dessert. Though a la carte items are a bit pricer (including drink), it may be worth your while to do that rather than gambling on something you've never tried before (especially if you don't speak the language). Items will range from 1.50 for a hamburger to 10 for something fancy. You'll know if you're in a tourist restaurant by the prices. These will range in the 20-30 soles range. Though still not too expensive for eating good food, most of the time you'll be able to eat for cheaper.

You can find pictures of my wonderful culinary adventures here.

Exchange rate: 3 nuevo soles to 1 USD

Mixto

Hamburger patty, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ham, fries, mayo, ketchup, hot sauce all on a sesame seed bun. This is absolute heaven. All for 3 soles ($1). I get this from a curb side grill. It's literally from a hole in the wall joint. One has to squeeze by just to sit in the 4 bar stools to eat. I don't know if this is a common food in Peru but I may frequent this place much more often. Two volunteers ate one of these every single day for two weeks. The workers got to know them so well that they invited the two to go drinking. I suspect I might be next.