Better to know before going to Peru

Peru is located in South America in the southern hemisphere, which takes about 26 hours from South Korea including transit time in US or Mexico.

 

 

What is official language of Peru

The official languages of Peru are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara.
Spanish is the most widely spoken language, and Quechua which is a native language of South America called the 'Inca language'. Aymara is mainly spoken in the Andes area which is also widely spoken among the indigenous peoples.

I am also a beginner of learning Spanish now. In my experience, it is difficult to communicate smoothly in English alone when traveling to South America. Because it is hard to find poeple who are speaking english on the street. Of course you can find english speakers in the Hotel, Tour spot or some franchise restaurants.

In addition, the Spanish words used in each South American country are slightly different, so if you are planning to travel to South America, it would be a good idea to study Spanish such as important words and expressions by country in advance.

 

 

 

What is the population of Peru and Lima which is capital city of Peru

Peru has a population of about 33 million.
The population consists of 60% mestizos, 25% native Peruvians, 6% whites and 9% others. ≪Source wikipedia≫

 

About 30% of the total population, or 10 million people, is located in the capital city of Lima.
The capital of Peru is Lima City, the capital of Lima Province. The area of Lima City is about 2600 km. It is about four times bigger than Seoul, south korea.
However, it is believed that those traveling to Lima will focus on 'the Centro Historico de Lima' and the Miraflores area where the main tourist attractions are concentrated.

 

 

What is the Economy condition and prices of the life of Peru

Peru's GDP is about 226 billion dollars, ranking 50th in the world. There are abundant natural resources and cheap workforce. The nominal GDP per capita is around $7,200.
I know that employees in the general service industry receive about 1,500 soles(≒300 USD) per month.
I haven't been to Peru for a long period yet, so it's not accurate, but I don't think the prices in Peru that I have experienced are not cheap.
Of course, it is inexpensive to use traditional markets or street food in urban area, but if you are going to a restaurant or a large supermarket in a commercial area, it never feels cheap considering the local wage level.
Still, delicious fruits (mango, pineapple, strawberry, grapefruit, papaya, etc.) are very cheaper compared to South Korea, so I can eat it whenever i want.

 

 

Geography and Climate information of Peru

Peru is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina.
To the east, there is a coastal area bordering the Pacific Ocean, and by the Andes mountain range penetrating the central part, it is divided into the central mountainous area in the west and the eastern rainforest area.
With these geographic features, each region has a unique climate. It is usually divided into dry season and rainy season.

It is a country where you can experience a variety of natural landscapes such as the sea, canyons, glaciers and jungles, as well as desert areas and high altitude mountainous areas that we commonly visit when traveling in Peru.
We will share detailed information through domestic travel in Peru in the future.

 

 

 

What should i try to eat in Peru

In this post, I'm going to introduce Peruvian food which you should try while you are traveling in Peru.

Peru is also widely known as a gastronomic country in South America.
There are many unique and familiar foods that combine traditional Peruvian cuisine, Western cuisine and Chinese cuisine.

 

◇ Ceviche ◇

It is the most representative food that comes to mind first when you think of Peru.
Peru has a sea where the cold and warm currents intersect, so fish and shellfish resources are very abundant.
One of seafood dishes is Ceviche.
Ceviche is a dish that cuts fresh seafood into pieces that are easy to eat and cooks with lemon or lime juice, milk, onions, and spicy peppers.
The fish meat is slowly cooked by using the acid component in lemon juice or lime juice to prevent deterioration of the fish meat and enhance the texture.
Sashimi is one of my favorite food. However, in Peru, the culture of eating raw fish was not developed, so it was difficult to find sashimi dishes. But this ceviche soothe the longing for the food.
The restaurant of Ceviche called Cevicheria is easy to find when traveling to coastal cities or Lima city in Peru.
When you go to a restaurant for ceviche, there are many types of ceviche.

Ceviche de Pescado is a ceviche containing only fish, Ceviche de Mixto is a ceviche containing several seafood, Ceviche de Conchas negras is a ceviche with shellfish, Ceviche de Pescado con Pulpo is ceviche with octopus, etc.

I mainly enjoy the Ceviche de Mixto, which you can taste several seafood together.
If you come to Peru, I recommend you to try it. And if you don't like coriander, coriander is added when cooking, so check it before ordering.

ceviche

 

 

◇ Lomo Saltado ◇

Lomo Saltado is a stir-fried beef and vegetables. Lomo is thought to be a dish similar to chop steak in the sense of sirloin.
Delicious Peruvian potatoes, vegetables and sirloin are cooked in soy sauce-based seasoning.
It is usually eaten with french fries or rice.
It has a little Chinese style, so it is a very good menu for Asians.

However, due to the nature of Peruvian food, it is often cooked salty, so if you do not enjoy salty food it is better to ask to put less salt. "Poco de Sal Por favor"

Lomo Saltado

 

◇ Causa ◇

Kausa is a dish made with potatoes which is originated from Peru.
It is made from yellow potatoes, lemon and pepper, boiled eggs and black olives.
Ingredients include avocado, tuna, trout, chicken, seafood, and a variety of white meat.
It is a dish that fits the taste of Asians well, and it seems like a good dish to eat before eating the main dish as an appetizer.

Causa

 

◇ Anticuchos ◇

This is a skewered dish of beef heart grilled over charcoal.
In addition to the beef heart, there are various skewers such as chicken, vegetables, mushroom and fish etc.

This is a skewer dish that can be enjoyed with beer too.
When you travel to Peru, after a hard day's itinerary, have a cold beer with Anticuchos to relieve your fatigue.

Anticuchos

 

◇ Cuy Asado ◇

Cuy Asado is a food made with guinea pigs that we know.
It is mainly cooked in whole roast form. The main method is to remove the intestines of the guinea pig and put it in a sauce and then cook it in an oven.
When you ordered at a restaurant, it is usually preserved and served in its entirety. It could be uncomfortable if you are not ready for it.

But the taste is really good. It seems to be eating delicious fried chicken with a taste that matches the texture of the skin.
There are restaurants in Lima you can eat, but I think you eat them a lot when you travel to Cusco.
It is a food that is not common in other country, so it would be nice to experience it at least once when you come to Peru.

Cuy Asado