You’ll find a variety of flavorful seafood dishes made with unique ingredients along the northern coast of Peru. Here’s your guide for how to eat well in Piura and Tumbes.
Piura and Tumbes are coastal regions but they also count on dry forests, tropical zones and mountains. With such a diverse climate zone, it’s no surprise there is such a wide variety of ingredients that make northern Peruvian recipes exceptionally good.
Ceviche heaven
One of the staple seafood dishes is, of course, ceviche. But if you think you know all there is to know about ceviche, think again. In the north, they coat fresh fish out of the water in lemon juice, add onion, limo chili, cancha (roasted and salted corn), mote (boiled corn), and yuca (cassava). As a side dish, you’re likely to find the tasty zarandaja– boiled beans that are typical of the area.
We recommend you try ceviche de conchas negras (black clams), clams that are harvested in Tumbes. Don’t let the black ink juice deter you, this dish is unique in flavor and presentation. Another ceviche to try is made with the tasty mero murique (a white, firm-fleshed fish).
Other great options include sea bass, langostinos (squat lobsters), crab, or mangrove scallops. It’s always a great idea to ask your server what is currently in season and to stick with those choices.
Soups, broths and chowders
Hot seafood dishes in northern Peru are nothing short of amazing. These dishes are fixtures at the picanterias and chicherias (traditional lunch shacks) that you can find all over the north, especially in Catacaos and Chulucanas (Piura). From the fresh ceviche, to the mighty sudado (a cross between a soup and a stew), the dishes are prepared from whatever seafood is on hand on a particular day.
The sudado broth is made from tomatoes, chili peppers and chicha. It’s then poured into a deep bowl, with a generous portion of fresh-caught fish on top. You’ll typically find this dish accompanied with yuca and steamed rice.
A traditional Northern Peruvian lunch starts with a chilcano (not to be confused with the cocktail), also known as raise-the-dead broth. Traditionally made in Tumbes and Piura from fish heads, cochayuyo (a type of seaweed), and lemon, in recent years this dish has evolved and it is not necessarily made from fish heads anymore. The broth is topped with fresh lemon, chili pepper and parsley or coriander.
Finally, the hearty chupe is a stout broth containing vegetables, seafood, milk an egg, and sometimes pasta. Though it’s served as an appetizer, helpings are usually so large that it can easily be your main course. With that in mind: split a chupe with a friend, or order it as your entrée.
Fish entrées
One of the classic dishes in Tumbes is majarisco, made from fried plantains (green banana) bathed in a sauce made from shellfish, squid, scallops, langostinos, fish stock, mangrove scallops, and octopus. It is seasoned with garlic, chili peppers, and coriander. Majado can be made using yuca, or stewed green bananas that are then mashed, mixed and served with a dressing made from onions, limo chili, and coriander. Traditionally, it is prepared using roast pork but also shellfish.
Malarrabia is another stew traditionally eaten on Fridays during Lent in Piura. It’s made with boiled and seasoned fish, a mash of plantains, onions, ajíes, tomato, and queso fresco made with goat’s milk.
You’ll also find seco de chabelo, a fascinating dish also made with plantains. Accompany your meal with a side of tamalito verde (green tamale), a specialty of the north. Unlike other tamales, this one does not have a filling but its tasty dough made with maize and coriander will win you over.
Finish off with dessert
There are many sweets to be found along the northern coast, check out our list here. We suggest you start off with natilla (a sweet spread) made from goat milk, flour and chancaca (a sugar-based sauce). Other popular desserts are chumbeque de miel (a sweet cake made from egg yolks, spices, and honey), a soft spread called manjar blanco, and quesillo.
Cover photo: mswine/Flickr
Source: Ultimate Journeys
This article has been updated from its original publication on August 21, 2018.
Now that you're here:
We're asking you, our reader, to make a contribution in support of our digital guide in order to keep informing, updating and inspiring people to visit Peru. Why now? In our near 20-year journey as the leading English-language source on travel in Peru, we've had our fair share of ups and downs-but nothing quite like the challenges brought forth in the first quarter of 2020.
By adapting to the changing face of the tourism and travel industry (on both local and international levels), we have no doubt we will come out stronger-especially with the support of our community. Because you will travel again, and we will be ready to show you the best of Peru.
Your financial support means we can keep sharing the best of Peru through high-quality stories, videos and insights provided by our dedicated team of contributors and editors based in Peru. And of course, We are here to answer your questions and help whenever you need us.
As well, it makes possible our commitment to support local and small businesses that make your visit an unforgettable one. Your support will help the people working in these industries get back on their feet once the world allows us to make our dream of enjoying everything Peru has to offer a reality again-from its mouthwatering gastronomy, thriving Amazon and archaeological wonders such as Machu Picchu.
Together, we will find a way through this. As a member of our community, your contribution, however big or small, is valuable.
Support Traveling & Living in Peru from as little as $1 - and it only takes a minute. Thank you!