The white city surrounded by volcanoes

There is no doubt that Arequipa and its typical food is one of the most charming cities in Peru. Known as "White City"is a collection of narrow cobbled streets, monumental buildings built in whitish volcanic ashlar (hence the nickname), traditional restaurants called picanterías, and the occasional surprise.

Arequipa and its typical food

The city's gastronomy is one of the most varied and renowned in Peru. Arequipa is famous for its traditional picanterías, which are places where typical dishes of the region are prepared and served. It owes its name to the fact that Arequipa's food is generally spicy. Here are some of the delicacies you can taste in "the White City":

Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder).

It is the emblematic dish of the region. It is a spicy soup of river shrimps, which also contains potatoes, fresh cheese, corn, peas, rice, egg and broad beans. All this is topped with a red pepper and huacatay dressing.

The shrimp chupe is a clear example of the culinary creations produced by the fusion of Andean ingredients with those that arrived from Europe after the Spanish conquest.

River shrimp fishing is prohibited between January and March. Due to this ban, it is not possible to find this dish in the picanterias and restaurants of Arequipa during those months.

Adobo arequipeño and Arequipa and its typical dishes

It is a typical dish in Arequipa since colonial times, even before the foundation of the city. It consists of pork marinated in spices, garlic, rocoto and vinegar or chicha. It is then fried or baked and finished cooking in a clay pot with its own juices.

It is usually eaten at breakfast and accompanied by bread to dip in the sauce.

Scribe.

In honour of Arequipa and its typical food, Arequipa's legal tradition, the city also has a dish with its name linked to this area. The "escribano" is a dish that was born in the picanterías as a solution for when these professionals arrived in search of food and there was no more spicy food.

It is a salad with boiled potatoes, rocoto and tomato (in some places they add onion). It is seasoned with vinegar, oil and salt. It is usually served as a starter before the spicy dishes to awaken the thirst of the diners.

Bachelor.

It is a fresh salad, easy to prepare and very healthy. Its main ingredients are cooked beans, tomatoes, fresh cheese, potatoes, corn, rocoto, onion and chopped parsley. It also contains salt, pepper, oil and, in some cases, black olives.

Its curious name is due to the fact that it is said to be a dish chosen by young singles to keep in shape and thus have a better chance of finding a partner.

Ocopa arequipeña.

This is another traditional starter in Arequipa's picanterias. Closely related to papas a la huancaína, ocopa consists of boiled potatoes bathed in a spicy sauce containing huacatay, onion, fresh cheese, garlic, peanuts, aji mirasol and aji amarillo (hot peppers).

It is served cold on a plate with hard-boiled egg and black olives. In some cases it may also contain shrimps.

Rocoto relleno.

Along with the chupe de camarones, it is perhaps the star of the city's picanterías. A classic of Peruvian gastronomy with the rocoto as the main ingredient. The filling is ground meat seasoned with cumin and chopped parsley, to which olives, peas and fresh cheese are added.

It is baked in the oven and served hot as a starter or main course. The meat used can be beef, pork or a combination of the two.

It should be noted that rocoto is very similar in shape to chilli but with a slightly sweeter and much hotter taste.

Arequipa ice cheese.

It is one of Arequipa's most famous desserts and typical dishes. Its name is a bit misleading as it does not contain cheese among its ingredients. It has a creamy texture and a sweet and spicy taste. It is prepared with fresh milk to which sugar, cinnamon, grated coconut, cloves, condensed milk and vanilla essence are added. It is cooled by placing the preparation in a container with ice and salt where it is stirred until the desired texture is achieved.

Ice cream cheese can be found in all the city's markets and in street stalls. It is also known in Arequipa and its typical food as "helado de tarro" and although it is mostly handmade, there are already some companies that produce it industrially.

Chicha de guiñapo.

Chicha arequipa and its typical food is an ancestral and millenary drink that is consumed all over Peru. In each region you can find different recipes with different ingredients and particularities that distinguish each one. In Arequipa there is a variety that is a pride for all its inhabitants and the main one among its typical drinks: the chicha de guiñapo.

Made from black maize, sprouted and ground, this Arequipa and its typical, somewhat sweet speciality has a dense, frothy texture. Its colour ranges from red to violet, and it owes its name (guiñapo) to the Quechua word wiñay, which means "to grow". This arequipa and its typical food is due to the process of germination of the black corn for its later grinding.