Attempt to update my blog after Ayacucho, take one

Here we go. I’m still working on the blog about the events in Ayacucho but I thought I’d break it up and start you with some foods I’ve tried. I’ll hopefully post the second addition of this bad boy this following week once I catch up on some readings for school. Enjoy!

Foods tried:

Alpaca - Um, it's meat. Not sure what to say..it was really good?

Ceviche: Raw fish with lime juice and onions. Basically amazing.

Puca picante - noodles, rice, chicken with aji, red potatoes. Actually really good. It took me until after I finished eating to realize the red potatoes weren’t TOmatoes. I have learned not to question what I eat anymore.
Pachamanca - they dig a hole in the ground and use hot stones to create a huatia - a type of oven. Then they throw in marinated chicken, green lima beans, sweet potatoes, and corn. VERY GOOD!

Cuy - Yes, I finally tried guinea pig. Now don’t go running out to your local pet shop to try one. Not worth it. Tastes like chicken, kind of dry. Note: it is served with the head and feet. I played with them. It was funny…and kind of morbid. You see, I was playing with live ones the day before.

Ponche - hot drink made of milk with a variety of spices. Add a little alcohol (as one man Katie and I met on our last night did) and you have yourself a nice nightcap. It also comes in the form of ice cream which is also amazing. The last day the town was empty but there was a line of women selling this hand-made ice cream and it was almost gone before Katie and I got there. It could’ve been a sad day.

Mazamorra lipta - well you can find just about any kind of mazamorra (made from purple corn) around here. Steer clear from the mazamorra morada. Seems like a harmless purple jelly (served hot) but it is basically potpourri in disguise. Served from a bag, the lipta form is brown and is meant to be eaten for breakfast. I would equate it to creamed wheat…but from corn. Interesting at room temp, probably won’t eat it again.

Pollo a la brasa - just really good chicken served with French fries and a salad.

Algodon dulce - of course you can’t get excited for Semana Santa without some cotton candy!

Candy apples - red, caramel, green, white yogurt. There are carts of candy apples in the streets and young and old alike enjoy them.

Palomitas dulce - I equate these to sweet popcorn with the texture of Smacks (the cereal) they are addicting and oh so hard to find in Lima but there are big bags of the stuff in Ayacucho. Heaven!

Foods yet to try:

Mondongo - intestines. Yum.
Anticucho - heart of chicken, cow….basically anything.
Pan de Sangre - a bread, evidently black, that is made with blood.

As you can see I have an issue with eating the insides of things. I realize this is a weakness that someday I should get over but not today. Probably not this month.


Fun fact: While most after-dinner mints are wintergreen or spearmint or even different candy flavors, Peru has a whole different idea of how to freshen your breath. Introducing: HALLS MINTS, the new fresh maker. Although it doesn’t appear that anybody has a cough due to cold, that doesn’t mean you don’t need a menthol from time to time. We were lucky enough to try a Halls with the flavor of morada…so a purple mint that not only has the first hint of potpourri but also an aftertaste of a lozenge. Delish!