Arequipa, Peru
- The Agricoutourist
- Jun 16
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Our journey to Arequipa began with a jolt—literally. As we waited at the airport for our flight, the ground gave a sudden, unmistakable shake beneath our feet. A small earthquake rippled through the terminal—just long enough to stop conversation and cause every traveler to glance up and lock eyes in shared disbelief. It passed quickly, and soon we were back in motion, reminded again that Peru is a country where the earth is just as dynamic as its culture.
Once we landed, Arequipa’s warm golden light greeted us, reflecting off the city’s iconic sillar stone buildings. We checked into Costa del Sol Hotel, a beautiful and serene property that offered the perfect landing spot after a long day. The evening was calm and restorative—we unpacked, settled in, and enjoyed reconnecting with fellow travelers over quiet conversation and anticipation for the next day’s adventures.
The Market: A Living Tapestry of Peru’s Land
Our day began with a visit to one of Arequipa’s bustling local markets—a vibrant, sensory-rich celebration of everything Peru has to offer. There’s something grounding and intimate about the way a market tells a story. In Arequipa, that story is woven from volcanic soil, ancient terraces, and generations of agricultural knowledge passed from hand to hand.
The stalls were overflowing with fruits, many of which you rarely find outside of Peru. There were:
Tumbo (banana passionfruit), tart and citrusy, from the high Andean valleys.
Chirimoya, creamy and sweet, grown in the central coast and highland cloud forests.
Lucuma, with its subtle maple flavor, native to the coastal valleys.
Granadilla, a cousin of passionfruit with its glowing orange shell, mostly from Cusco and Huánuco.
Maracuyá, intensely aromatic and often used in juice or desserts, abundant in the Amazon and coastal regions.
Camu Camu, a vitamin C powerhouse, harvested from the Amazon basin.
Prickly pear (tuna), harvested from dry coastal valleys and high sierra zones.
We saw bags of dried corn in every size and color—purple, white, yellow, and red. Potatoes too, in astonishing variety, reflecting Peru’s status as the potato’s birthplace, with over 4,000 native varieties. It felt like walking through a biological museum, only here everything is edible and alive with story. And then of course ..... Peppers!!!
A Hat with History
While at the market, I also picked up something I’ll treasure forever—a traditional Arequipeñan hat, finely woven and shaped with a slight tilt. Here in Peru, hats are not merely fashion—they are cultural markers. The shape, material, and angle of a hat often reflect one's region, social status, or occupation.
In rural areas around Arequipa, wide-brimmed felt hats may signify cattle farmers or landowners, while smaller or more embellished styles might be worn by women involved in trade or weaving. A clean white hat can indicate a person of standing or wealth, while a simpler, unadorned version might reflect working-class roots. The vendor who sold mine told me with pride that the style I chose is often worn by women who manage both land and livestock—hard-working, respected, and deeply tied to the land.
Cooking at
Cooking with Gaston Acurio’s Team
Later in the day, we were honored to step into the culinary world of Gaston Acurio, one of Peru’s most iconic chefs. I had a cooking experience at his Arequipa restaurants, where we prepared regional specialties alongside chefs trained in his unique philosophy: honoring heritage while elevating technique.
It brought back a flood of memories of my daughter Katherine and me—especially our visit last year to Astrid y Gastón in Lima, co-founded by Gaston and his wife, pastry chef Astrid Gutsche. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, the couple returned to Peru to build what would become one of the most internationally celebrated restaurants in Latin America. Astrid y Gastón has appeared on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and was named Best Restaurant in Latin America in 2013.
Their culinary vision is one of cultural celebration. They lift up ingredients that were once ignored—quinoa, ají peppers, purple corn, and huacatay—and give them global presence while respecting their native roots.
Each of Gaston's restaurants focuses on the culinary history of the various cities so it's a different menu in every city.
Soul of a City in Every Bite
If my first city in Lima was about architecture and street food, my second city in Peru—deep in the volcanic heartland of Arequipa—was about flavor, resilience, and the many forms that comfort can take. Starting with altitude sickness.
☕ Altitude Adjustment: Muyña Tea & A Slow Rally
I woke up feeling... off. Queasy, headachy, and somehow winded just walking across the room. Welcome to 7,600 feet above sea level.
Thankfully, a pot of mate de muña—an Andean herbal tea often used for altitude sickness—helped ease me back into myself. I sipped slowly, bundled in a scarf, and reminded myself: this is part of the journey too. And honestly, the views helped.
🚗 Into the Countryside: Picantería-Hopping
We spent the day driving through the rolling countryside that surrounds Arequipa, stopping at three legendary picanterías—each offering a different taste of the region’s culinary soul.
🥘 What’s a Picantería?
It’s more than a restaurant. A picantería is a gathering place, rooted in home-style cooking, regional ingredients, and family recipes passed down through generations. These aren’t just meals—they’re edible histories.
🍽 Stop One: La Benita
Our first stop was La Benita, a beloved Arequipeña institution that rose to national fame thanks to Gastón Acurio, Peru’s most celebrated chef. During his legendary Mistura Food Festival in Lima, Gastón selected top traditional restaurants from all over the country to represent their regions—and La Benita became Arequipa’s culinary ambassador.
We tried:
Flatan – A silky local soup rich in bone broth and herbs.
Ocopa – Potatoes in a creamy peanut and huacatay sauce.
Ají Carretillero – Spicy and soulful.
Pica Gallo – A mix of peppers and tomato salsa with fire and depth.
Torrejas – Fritters with a delicate crunch and savory center.
Cuy (Guinea Pig) – Crispy, rich, and deeply traditional.
🧂 Stop Two: Lucila’s – 70 Years of Legacy
Next, we visited Lucila’s, a 70-year-old picantería where tradition lives not only in the food but in the hands that prepare it.
We were served:
Soltero de Queso con Torrejas – A refreshing salad of beans, cheese, corn, and onion paired with savory fritters.
Huacatay Tea – Herbal, slightly minty, and something I absolutely need to find when I get home.
The highlight? I was invited to use the traditional grinding stone, where sauces are still hand-prepared the way they have been for generations. A photo on the wall shows Gastón Acurio visiting. That felt like a full-circle moment.
🌶 Final Stop: Victoria in Central Arequipa
Our last stop was Victoria, closer to the center of town. By now, I was still recovering—nursing myself with more mate de muña—but nothing could keep me from tasting what they had to offer.
We sampled:
Rocoto de la Huerta – A fresh garden preparation of the famous Arequipeño pepper.
Rocoto Relleno con Ocopa Arequipeña – Spicy stuffed rocoto pepper topped with a creamy, herbal sauce.
Adobo de Cerdo (Pork Adobo) – A slow-cooked, spicy-sour stew of pork that melts in your mouth.
A Table of Connection
In Arequipa, we prepared dishes like rocoto relleno, solterito de queso, and pastel de papa, learning each step with intention and care. We laughed, tasted, stirred, and chopped until the final moment when we sat together around a long table in the courtyard, toasting with maracuyá pisco sours and sharing the meal we made together.
The day began with the rumble of the earth beneath us and ended with the richness of the land in our hands and hearts. Arequipa welcomed us with warmth, flavor, and depth—and reminded us again why food, people, and place are inseparable.
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