Fruit and Desserts:

There are a vast number of desserts and confectionary to choose from in Peru. Below are some tasty samples.

• Cocada al horno: Coconut with egg yolk, sesame seed, wine and butter
• Picarones: Frittered cassava flour and eggs fried in fat and served with honey
• Mazamorra morada: Purple maize, sweet potato starch, lemons, various dried fruit, sticks of ground cinnamon, cloves and perfumed pepper
• Manja blanco: Milk, sugar and eggs
• Maná: An almond paste with eggs, vanilla and milk
• Alfajores: Shortbread biscuit with manjar blanco, pineapple, and peanuts
• Pastelillos: Yuccas with sweet potatoes, sugar and anise, fried in fat and powdered with sugar and served hot
• Zango de pasas: Made with maize, syrup, raisins and sugar
• Turrón: Nougat is recommended
• Tejas: sugar candles wrapped in wax paper - the pecan-flavoured ones are the tastiest

Of the many and varied Peruvian fruit, bananas, citrus fruit, pineapples, dates, avocados (paltas), eggfruit (lúcuma), large custard apple (chirimoya), quince, papaya, mango, guava, passion-fruit (maracuyá), and soursop (guanábana), taste great in juices or ice cream!

Wine:

Ica, Tacama and Ocucaje come in red, white and rosé, sweet and dry varieties. Tacama Blanc de Blancs and Brut champagne are recommended as is Gran Tinto Reserva Especial. Viña Santo Tomás from Chincha is popular as is Casapalca.

Beer:

Cusqueña and Arequipeña are considered to be the two best lager-type brand beers in Peru: aficionados are known to argue for long hours about the merits of both. A good, dark beer is Trujillo Malta.

Cristal and Pilsen are popular and served throughout Lima. For ale enthusiasts, Maltina is a sweetish brown ale.

Less easy to come by is chicha de jora, a strong, refreshing maize beer and often home-brewed. It should not be confused with chicha morada which is a soft drink made with purple maize.

Soft Drinks and Cocktails:

Peru's most famous drink is without a doubt Pisco Sour, a grape brandy made in the Ica valley and used in a potent cocktail, which includes egg whites and lime juice. Chilcano is a long, refreshing drink comprising guinda (cherry brandy), and algarrobina, a sweet cocktail made with the syrup of the carob tree, egg whites, milk, pisco and cinnamon.

Coffee and Tea:

Coffee in Peru is traditionally served in a small jug accompanied by a mug of hot water to which you add the coffee. Milk is only served if requested.

Herbal teas come in many different flavors, including camomile (manzanilla) and lemon grass (hierbaluisa).