Would you like to know what Peruvians eat for Christmas?

Peruvian Cuisine makes the holidays extra special in this South American destination, offering familiar comfort foods with unexpected twists. To celebrate the holidays with Peruvian flavors, here are some traditional food elements to remember.

Oven Roasted Turkey:

The turkey that people consume in Peru comes from the United States, originally.

The current growth and promotion of Turkey consumption as traditional in Peru are related to the growth of its large scale poultry industry. Prior to the mid-twentieth century, most poultry was grown on small farms or in the yards and patios of people’s homes as birds, rabbits, and guinea pigs still are in more working-class neighborhoods of Cuzco and in its rural hinterland.

This recipe uses many ingredients that you would typically find in a turkey prepared for American holidays but adds some key Peruvian ingredients: aji Amarillo (a spicy orange pepper) and aji panca (a Peruvian chili paste).

Roast Turkey – Peruvian style

The roast turkey is served with applesauce, tamales, some kind of salad, puré de papas (mashed potatoes) and rice.

Roast Pork (Lechon or suckling pig):

This is a typical dish that is served with two tamales. The two are of different flavors; one is sweet and the other salty. They also include the delicious moraya (a white, freeze-dried potato), and bread.

In order to prepare this dish, you need various condiments. These include garlic, cumin, pepper, aji panca (a Peruvian chili paste), salt, and onion.

Lechón or suckling pig

Applesauce:

It is also a must-have dish for Peruvians, and it is delicious served with the roasted turkey. In a pot add the apples sliced and previously washed, sugar, water, butter and lime juice. You can use a bit of water or a half glass of white wine, this is up to you. Let it cooked until it boils and the apples are tender. Finally smashed the apples with a fork to reach a velvety texture. The purée is ready to be served.

Mashed sweet potatoes (Sweet potatoes purée):

It is another Peruvian traditional Christmas dinner and it is easy to prepare. Just boil the sweet potatoes with a pinch of sugar and a cinnamon stick. Once they are ready smashed them to have a creamy texture, put it on a pot with sugar, add butter and if you wish a bit of orange juice. In the end add walnut.

Garden vegetable rice or Arroz a la Jardinera:

It is a Peruvian recipe that is made with rice and veggies. It’s so flavorful, simple and inexpensive.

Arroz a la jardinera

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, chopped
carrot, chopped
pepper cut in slices
tsp cumin powder
tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup corn kernels (4 tbsp)
1/4 cup peas (4 tbsp)
1 cup of rice (180 g)
3 cups of water (750 ml)

Arabic Rice or Arroz Arabe:

To prepare “Arroz Arabe”, you need Jasmin rice, almonds, raisins, angel hair noodles, broth. You have to cook the raw angel noodles in oil until they got gold, then add the raisins, the almonds and the garlic for about 2-3 minutes more. Finally, add the rice and stir it very well. Then you have to add the broth, at least 4 cups, and salt. Just cover the pot and let it cook for about 20 minutes. You can also add a cup of Coke, it gives the dish a sweet taste. This is up to you.

Arabic rice or Arroz Arabe

Christmas Salad:

The idea of serving salad is, in theory, a good one — you want something light, crunchy, and refreshing to balance out the roast turkey and rich sides. A delicious and perfect one is the coleslaw salad, which is a blend of cabbage, pineapple, apples, raisins, nuts, and almonds with a combination of salad dressing and evaporated milk.

Christmas Salad

Panetón or Christmas cake:

It is a sweet bread loaf filled with raisins and candied fruits. Panetón originally came to Peru from Italy and started becoming a popular Christmas food in the early 1900s.

Panetón

You can buy Panetón in Peru all year round, but stores are absolutely full of them in the run-up to Christmas (and for at least a month after Christmas).

You can also find Quinuaton (cake made with quinoa).

Hot Chocolate:

It is a classic Christmas drink in Peru. You can buy bars of chocolate in Peruvian stores and markets specifically produced for making hot chocolate. Cloves and cinnamon give the hot chocolate extra zip.