Lomo Saltado during a Peruvian Cooking Vacation

When one thinks of Peruvian cuisine, ceviche often comes to mind. But seafood “cooked” in lime juice is just one of many traditional dishes that hail from this South American country that you can explore on our cooking vacations in Peru. That’s because the cuisine here is one of the most diverse in the world with more than 2,000 soups and 250 desserts, and that’s just a tip of the iceberg in this country full of gastronomical delights.

Influenced by the Incas and immigrants from all over the world, the cuisine here is one of fusion, combining the flavors of four continents. This is one reason why it is considered one of the world’s top culinary destinations. This is nowhere more apparent than in the delectable dish known as lomo saltado, which guests can learn about during our Peru cooking vacations.

Lomo saltado, also known as “jumping beef,” was greatly influenced by Chinese cuisine. After all, at its core, this dish is a stir fry made with soy sauce as a marinade and sirloin or beef steak sautéed and browned in a skillet. Next the vegetables — often tomatoes, yellow aji peppers, and onions — are mixed in.

So how is this dish Peruvian exactly? Due to the addition of fried potatoes, for one. Plus, many recipes for lomo saltado also call for pisco, which is a grape brandy first created by Spanish immigrants in Peru (which you are sure to drink on our Peru cooking vacations!). Depending on the chef, rice may be mixed in as well.

Learn to make this very special Peruvian dish during the first cooking class of our Taste of Peru cooking vacation. Along with lomo saltado, you’ll also make cause limeña and suspiro a la limeña. When not cooking, explore this stunning land, including a day trip to Machu Picchu.

Ready to try it now? Check our this recipe for authentic lomo saltado.

By Liz Hall

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Try pairing your lomo saltado with a classic pisco sour.

“Dinner dish” is a blog series in which The International Kitchen discusses recipes and the history of particular regional foods. Have a food you want to learn more about? Contact us today.

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