A gastronomic tour of the Andes

And finally, some food porn to put an end to this series of posts on the South American trip. Mountainous landscapes are not the only wonderful, unforgettable thing about Peru and Chile. Take my word for it!

Exquisite shrimp wontons from Delfino Mar, Miraflores (Lima)

Battered fish eggs with roasted yellow potatoes and a delicious Spanish onion salad. @Delfino Mar, Miraflores

Cebiche with corn and camote chips. @Delfino Mar, Miraflores.

A different take on pisco sour: Maracuya sour. @Delfino Mar, Miraflores.

Five scrumptious servings of crocante causa limeña. @El Cordón y la Rosa, Ica (Peru)

An incredibly generous serving of seafood rice.  @El Cordón y la Rosa, Ica (Peru)

Away from the Peruvian seaside, grilled trout and alpaca sirloin are safe bets for a yummy dinner. However, if you feel adventurous, you can always have a bite of the locals' favourite: cuy chactado, aka fried guinea pig.

Yep, it tastes exactly as it looks...

A very traditional Peruvian dish: ají de gallina. Mine was extremely disappointing.

Agua Verde, one of the very few truck stops on the road that crosses the Atacama Desert, somewhere between Tocopilla and Caldera, offered this humble cazuela de res (beef soup). Nourishing and inexpensive, in a place where food is actually scarce!

Chupe de mariscos (Seafood soup) @Miramar, Caldera, Chile.

A traditional parrillada, inclusive of longanizas de Chillán, aka chorizos. @La Parrilla de Hurtado, La Serena, Chile.

Every single dish @Picá Mar Adentro was tops. Mar Adentro Pil Pil: Fantastic, yummy food by the seaside in La Serena. Highly recommended.

Antakari, late harvest Elqui Valley moscatel. Serve chilled, sit back, relax and enjoy!

Slightly spicy seafood galore with melted creamy cheese on top. Unbeatable! @Picá Mar Adentro, La Serena.

Tres leches (three milks). Deliciously fluffy texture. @Picá Mar Adentro, La Serena.

Warm grilled octopus. @ChPe Libre, Barrio Lastarria, Santiago de Chile. 

Wickedly sweet suspiros limeños. @ChPe Libre, Santiago.

As fresh as it gets? Where it all comes from... One of the seafood stalls at Mercado Central, Santiago.

The Chilean contribution to the wide world of junk food: El Completo.

Schopp!