Ingredients of exceptional quality based on local products, a lot of love and time devoted to cooking can turn any restaurant into the best of museums to enjoy daily culinary works of art; all you have to do is let yourself be carried away by the unique flavors of “mamai” (mother in Quechua) foods that will make you feel at home.

Peruvian gastronomy has become very popular and is being included in international cuisine circuits, although the best examples are to be found in Ayacucho. Although the number of typical dishes is endless, some of the best known are the following:

• Spicy Puca. This dish can be found on the menu of all restaurants. Based on a stew of small potatoes (papa menuda) and red chili peppers, it is usually accompanied by rice.
• Mondongo. This soup, consisting of corn, beef, bacon and red chili peppers, amongst other ingredients, can satiate the most demanding stomachs. The secret is to let it boil all night long so that the rice grains burst.
• Fried Cuy (guinea pig). Although in Europe guinea pigs are considered pets, in Peru they are used for their exquisite meat, which is fried after being coated with corn flour.
• Muyuchi. This is the Peruvian dessert par excellence, consisting of homemade ice cream prepared in a traditional manner using a series of tin and wooden pans. It is made with boiled cow milk, sesame seed and coco water, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.