In Peru, the important meal is *almuerzo* — lunch, long and chatty. It unfolds as *entrada* (a fresh, spicy starter, often raw fish or potatoes), then *segundo* (the substantial main course), and finally *sobremesa* — that moment when you linger at table, dessert and drink in hand, solving the world's problems. Criollo cuisine blends indigenous, Spanish, African, Chinese (chifa), and Japanese (nikkei) heritages: a mestizaje that Vargas Llosa, a citizen of the world, savored as a metaphor for Peru itself.

Peruvian chiles — *ají limo*, *ají amarillo*, *rocoto*, *ají panca* — are the sour and fiery soul of this cuisine. Their companion, *leche de tigre* (lime juice, chile, onion, and emulsified fish juice), serves as marinade, sauce, and cure: they say it wakes the dead and lovers.