Lima's Markets: The Ingredients Behind the Cuisine
Lima's produce markets — particularly the Surquillo and Magdalena markets — reveal the extraordinary diversity of Peruvian ingredients that underpin the city's gastronomic reputation; the peppers, potatoes, seafood, and tropical fruits on display are unlike anything found elsewhere in the world
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Ají Pepper Diversity
Peru has more than 300 varieties of ají (chili pepper) — from the mildly fruity ají amarillo (the defining Peruvian flavor) to the fiery rocoto; the markets of Lima display the full range; ají amarillo, ají panca (dried red pepper) and rocoto are the three important Peruvian chilies that appear in every regional cuisine
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Pacific Seafood Market
The fish markets of La Punta and Chorrillos — on the Lima coast — display the full range of Humboldt Current seafood; sea bass (corvina), flounder (lenguado), scallops (conchas negras) and several varieties of shrimp are the daily catch; the fish market at dawn, when the night boats arrive, is the most atmospheric seafood experience in Lima
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Mercado de Magdalena
Mercado de Magdalena – a more local alternative to touristy Surquillo – is the market favored by Lima's professional chefs; the products are exceptionally fresh, the prices are lower and the range of regional Peruvian ingredients (especially jungle fruits and Amazonian fish) is the most complete in the city
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Quinoa and Ancient Grains
The markets in Lima have the full range of Andean grains – quinoa (in white, red and black varieties), kiwicha (Andean amaranth), cañihua and tarwi (Andean lupine); the revival of these grains in contemporary Peruvian cuisine and their global export has transformed the economy of the Andean agricultural communities that produce them
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Lima's juice culture
Lima has an extraordinary fresh juice culture — the markets have special juice sections where vendors blend any combination of tropical and Andean fruits; the exotic juices (maracuyá/passion fruit, chirimoya/custard apple, guanábana/soursop, lucuma) and the fruit emoliente (herb-fruit drinks) are essential Lima street food experiences
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Superfoods Market
Lima markets have the ingredients that have become global superfoods — maca (Andean adaptogen root), lucuma (a caramel-flavored Andean fruit), camu camu (Amazon superfruit with extraordinary vitamin C content), and sacha inchi (Amazonian oilseed); the markets of Lima have stocked these ingredients for centuries before the superfood designation