food: local markets; restaurants; and stores

water (drinking)
water (drinking)
juice
juice
cifruit juice
inca cola
soft drink (bottle)
soft drink (bottle)

bread loaf-white
bread loaf-whole grain
croissant-cacho
flat bread- round
sugar empanada
magdalena cake

kg
250g
kg
per 4
80g sachet

1.90
2.50
1.00
4.50-6.00
15.00
3.00

deodorant - roll-on
soap
shampoo
toothbrush
toothpaste
disposable razor
toilet paper

5.10
1.50
1.50+
6.00
2.40
1.00
0.50

wild camping is possible in the more rural/remote areas, but it is advisable to remain out of sight.

*

For all walks of life, eating out in Peru is common place, so there are an abundance of cheap restaurants, often serving a daily set menu for lunch and dinner for as little as 3.00 Soles (2009). And as far as the vegetarian is concerned, Peruvian cities will be a culinary haven. Vegetarian restaurants are plentiful and soya replacement products are readily available on the supermarket shelves as well.

Another surprise for vegetarians is the choice of Chinese restaurants available. And it is not surprising since in the mid 1800's, about one hundred thousand Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru. While the Chifa [from Mandarin meaning: to eat food], only really became a hit with all Peruvians in the latter half of the 1900's, it is now a very popular eating place.

A word of advice though for the non-meat eater, it is better to try and find a more upmarket Chifa; the set menu places, more akin to a fast food joint, often have difficulty getting their head around making a dish without meat. Quite ludicrously, you'll end up ordering pollo con veduras sin pollo [chicken and vegetables without the chicken]. You will also end up paying the same price for your dish as everyone else who orders one of the set dishes including soup.

Next stop is the pizzeria: always having one, if not more choices of vegetarian pizzas on the menu. Obviously the establishments with a wood oven are the best, not only for the pizza, but the ambience. Still, wherever you eat, compared to local standards, pizza is expensive in Peru. In 2009, the average cost of a familiar [large-8 slice] pizza was 25 soles.

For listings of restaurants in most major cities see the HappyCow website.

Larger style supermarkets are only really in the bigger towns and cities and the prices differ little from the local convenience store. In general, if you are looking for bargains, you'll pay much less for all products at the central market area and they are easily found in even the smallest of villages.

Naturally, the Chifa cuisine reflects a fusion of products brought by the Chinese and those that they found in Peru, hence shops and marketplaces have plenty of oriental ingredients to choose from as well.

So, if you are self catering, you'll do well to spend time at the market place buying up on some of the local specialties. As well as Peru boasting 35 varieties of corn, 15 kinds of tomatoes and over 2,000 types of potatoes and sweet potatoes, there are delicious cheeses to taste; top quality olives and bountiful quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Peruvians also have a sweet tooth and the resident panaderia [bakery] or dulceria [cake shop] is bound to have at least one delicious snack just right for you. Bread of all assorted size and types is also available in the larger towns. In the more rural villages however, you will most likely only find small ciabata type rolls, which do not travel well, so eat them while they are fresh.

And last but not least, helados [ice cream] is as popular in Peru as anywhere in the world, though they have a few unusual flavours that you may not have tried yet: guaraná, for example is a great pick me up at any time of day or even tuna, which actually the name for the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. Another all time favourite is the exotic and native to Peru lúcuma fruit. And with a flavour combination of maple syrup, sweet potato and nuts, it is no wonder.

In Peru, white chuño or papas secas are achieved by washing the freeze-dried potatoes in river pools and then left to dry in the sun. Black chuño however goes through a different process altogether. It doesn't come in contact with water once the potato begins the traditional course of freezing, trampling, and subsequent refreezing. Lastly it is thoroughly sun-dried.

In order to prepare a dish with this unusual potato form, you have to soak them over night or for a decent period of time before boiling in water. Shaving pieces off the hardened foam like texture can decrease the waiting time.

The moriche palm grows in the tropical wetlands of South America and fruits from June to December, bearing inflorescence chestnut coloured cones covered with tiny scales. Inside the edible flesh surrounding a hard seed is not only used to produce juice, jam, ice-cream and fermented to make palm-wine, but buriti oil is extracted and used for the treatment of burns. The tree's fibres are also fashioned into thread and cord and it is a source of food for regional wildlife.

You are most likely to see aguaje sold on street corners peeled ready to eat; just as it is or in the form of a milky orange coloured juice; which on a sticky humid day is one of the most wonderfully refreshing pick-me ups you could possibly ask for.