Peruvian Food Culture
Kate Zele
Agriculture
The main agricultural products of Peru include:
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Sugarcane
- Coffee
- Cotton
- The grain quinoa
- Camu-camu: a bush that grows in the amazonian rain-forest climate of Peru which contains more vitamin C than any other known plant in the world.
Camu-Camu
Grown on a bush with the highest vitamin C content of all plants.
Sugarcane
All sugarcane interbreed and are hybrids.
Quinoa
It is high in protein, lacks gluten, and is tolerant of dry soil.
Native Customs & Eating Customs
Customs:
- Breakfast is between 7-10 am and is served with coffee, tea, or fruit juices.
- Lunch is a big meal held between noon to 2:00 pm which starts with a light first course usually soup, and followed by the main course which tends to consist of a stew and rice.
- Dinner is later on around 8-10 pm. There is usually enough food prepared in the afternoon from lunch to carry over into dinner.
- seafood and plantains are typical of the coastal diet, while different kinds of meat, corn, and potatoes are much more frequently consumed in the highlands
FUN FACT: Vicunas (relative of the llama and alpaca) have the finest quality of wool and were a big food source in Peru until the became endangered to the area and are now protected.
Holiday Celebrations
- For Easter people get 2 days off of work and school where they celebrate with friends and family, they sit down and share a meal together. Sweets are the main form of celebration
Other holidays are:
- New Years Day
- Independence Day
- Countryman's day
- St. Peter & St. Paul's Day
- National Day
- St. Roma Lima's Day
- Navy Day
- All Saints' Day
- Immaculate Conception
- Christmas