So, How's the Corn?

This post was originally written for http://perugse.blogspot.com/, when I was a member of a Rotarian Group Study Exchange in Pery.  I added this post to One Great Dewdrop on December 26, 2012.

Dear Mom:

I'm not surviving on corn. I promise. Really, you don't have to worry.

Ok, fine. You want to know what I'm eating. Here we go...

Beverages/ Bebidas

Inca Kola. Looks like yellow highlighter fluid, tastes like bubblegum. Everywhere.

Hot fish juice with lemon and herbs. Seems to be everywhere on the coast.
Yes, you read that right. Cheers!

Sweets/ Dulces
Shredded coconut fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with sugar. Outside Piura.

Lùcuma ice cream. Everywhere.

Grains/ Grano

Cancha. Dry roasted corn. See Maria's post. But I promise I'm not just eating corn and sweets, really! Found everywhere in every restaurant.

Corn, lima beans, peas, onions, and farmers' cheese salad. Huaraz.

Potatoes. Everywhere, especially Huaraz.

Kiwicha, a grain related to quinoa that looks like millet. Huaraz.

Rice and beans. Actually, I've only eaten this once so far.

Seafood/ Pescado y Mariscos

Andean trout, stuffed with cheese and served with potatoes. Huaraz.

Cebiche/ ceviche. Raw fish "cooked" by marination in lime juice. Found everywhere on the coast.

Various seafood... mariscos. This is battered and fried squid, octopus, and other seafoods. Found on the coast.

More seafood. Clams with red onions in their shells. Coast (Piura).

Octopus with olive sauce. Coast (Piura).

Tropical Fruits/ Frutas

I'm blanking on the name of this. It's good, whatever it is.

Mango ciruelo. A cross between a mango and an apple. Piura.

Coconut! Piura.

Again, I'm blanking on the name of this fruit. This was from Huaraz.

There are a lot of other amazing foods that I'm leaving out: ajì de gallina, papas a la huacaìna, chaufa de mariscos, and about 1,000 tropical fruits. But I'm not surviving on corn, I'm not starving, you don't need to mail me a care package. I promise.

Love

Nicole