Peruvian cuisine is regarded as one of the best in the world. The world's best restaurant, Central, is even located in Lima! Since Peru is such a large and diverse country, its cuisine varies widely between the three major regions. I live in the sierra, or the mountainous region of Peru. This means my diet revolves largely around maiz (corn), papas (potatoes), and yuca (cassava). Although I was vegetarian before moving to Peru, it's complicated to avoid eating meat here, so I also eat lots of chicken, pork, fish, and beef now.
One of my favorite dishes is cuy frito, or fried guinea pig. I've enjoyed this many times since I arrived in Peru nine months ago. It's a very special dish here in Peru- there's even a Dia Nacional del Cuy (National Cuy Day) celebrated on the second Friday of October each year. The dish has very significant cultural importance, too. For example, if you see any painting of the scene from "The Last Supper" in Peru, you'll even see a cuy on the table being shared by Jesus and his apostles!
