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Social Profile
Food & Drink: The hot and spicy nature of Peruvian food, created by ají and ajo (hot pepper and garlic), has become celebrated at home and abroad. Peruvians enjoy a wide variety of vegetables; there are over 2000 kinds of indigenous and cultivated potatoes alone. Tropical fruits are abundant, as are avocados. Ceviche is a local speciality (uncooked fish marinated in lemon or lime juice and hot chili pepper, served with fried corn, sweet potatoes, onions and flavoured with coriander). Escabeche is a cooked fish appetiser eaten cold, served with peppers and onions. Corvina is sea bass, which can be prepared in a variety of ways, and is always an excellent choice. Typical dishes made with scallops (conchitas), mussels (choros), octopus (pulpo) and shrimps (camarones) are plentiful and delicious. Chupe de camarones is a chowder-type soup made with shrimps, milk, eggs, potatoes and peppers. Other staple dishes include papa a la huancaina (yellow potato with cheese and chili sauce), arroz con choclo (rice with corn), cau cau (tripe cooked with potato, peppers and parsley), causa relleña (potato cakes with chicken in the centre, but also cooked with avocado or crabmeat) and tamales (boiled corn dumplings filled with meat and wrapped in a banana leaf). Specialities include sopa criolla (spicy soup with beef and noodles), ají de gallina (shredded chicken in a piquant cream sauce), anticuchos (strips of beef or fish marinated in vinegar and spices, then barbecued on skewers) and lomo saltado (pieces of beef sautéed with onions and peppers, served with fried potatoes and rice). Rice and potatoes accompany virtually every dish. Traditional desserts are arroz con leche (rice pudding), alfajores (wafer-thin spirals of shortbread dusted with icing sugar) and served with manjar blanco (a caramel sauce), picarones (doughnuts served with syrup) and mazamorra morada (purple maize and sweet potato starch jelly cooked with lemons, dried fruits, cinnamon and cloves). Table service is the norm in hotels and restaurants and many of them also offer buffet-type lunches.
The most famous drink is pisco sour, made from a potent grape brandy. Other pisco-based drinks are algarrobina (pisco and carob syrup), chilcano (pisco and ginger ale) and capitán (pisco and vermouth). Chicha de jora (fermented red or yellow corn juice) and chicha morada (non-alcoholic purple corn juice) are popular drinks dating from Inca times. Peruvian beers and national wines are good.
Nightlife: There are many good bars, pubs, discotheques and casinos in the major towns and tourist resorts. Peñas always serve snacks and some serve full meals. Here one can enjoy criolla or folk music, especially at weekends. Nightlife in Lima and Cusco has a wide array of choices. Most discotheques, peñas, pubs and karaokes are open until 0300 or 0400 in the morning.
Shopping: There are many attractive Peruvian handicrafts such as alpaca wool sweaters, alpaca and llama rugs, Indian masks, weaving, jewellery and much more. Galleries and handicraft shops abound in the Miraflores, Pueblo Libre and downtown districts of Lima. Handicrafts markets are located in Miraflores (Petit Thouars Ave, blocks 52-53) and Pueblo Libre (La Marina Ave, blocks 8-10). Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1300 and 1600-2000.
Special Events: The following is a selection of the major festivals held throughout Peru in 2003. Check with the Embassy or Iperu for further details (see Contact Addresses section):
Feb Carnival (carnival is celebrated throughout the country, but particularly in Cajamarca, Puno, Ayacucho and Iquitos). Feb 1-14 La Virgen de la Candelaria, Puno. Mar (second week) La Vendimia (wine festival), Ica. Apr Holy Week (celebrated across the country, but particularly in Ayacucho and Tarma); Peruvian Paso Horse Contest, Mamacona stables near Pachacámac. May (first week) Qoyllur Rit'i (the largest indigenous pilgrimage in the Americas at Quispicanchis, near Cuzco, celebrated one week before Corpus Christi). Jun Corpus Christi Festivities and Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), Cusco; San Juan Festival, particularly important in the rainforest, especially Iquitos. Jul Festival of the Virgin of El Carmen, Paucartambo, Cuzco. Jul 28 Independence Day (celebrated countrywide but with the largest festivals in Lima). Aug Santa Rosa de Lima Day (Patron Saint of the Americas and the Philippines). Sep International Spring Festival, Trujillo (parades, handicraft and art exhibits, folk music and gastronomy contests). Oct Procession of the Lord of the Miracles, Lima. Nov Bullfighting Festival, Lima; Puno Jubilee Week. Dec 24 Santuranticuy Fair (fair selling images of saints and other crafts, Cuzco).
Social Conventions: Shaking hands is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should follow normal social courtesies and the atmosphere is generally informal. A small gift from a company or home country is sufficient. Dress is usually informal, although for some business meetings and social occasions men wear a jacket and tie. Life is conducted at a leisurely pace. Tipping: Service charges of ten per cent are added to all bills. Additional tips of five per cent are expected. Taxi drivers do not generally expect tips.
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