If fine-dining Peruvian cuisine has topped international rankings, it's on the streets of Lima that its most authentic and popular soul is revealed. Smoking street carts, neighbourhood stalls and small family-run eateries preserve recipes handed down for generations, often more representative of true Peruvian cooking than any Michelin-starred restaurant.

Anticuchos: king of the night-time grill

Among the most beloved street dishes are anticuchos, skewers of beef heart marinated in a sauce of ají panca, vinegar and spices, grilled over charcoal and served with potatoes and corn. Born as a poor man's dish during the colonial period, today anticuchos can be found on practically every street corner of Lima at sunset.

Picarones and causa limeña

For those with a sweet tooth, picarones, fried doughnuts made from pumpkin and sweet potato and covered in chancaca syrup, are an unmissable classic of markets and street fairs. On the savoury side, causa limeña, a layer of yellow mashed potato seasoned with lime and ají, filled with chicken, tuna or avocado, is just as common in restaurants as in neighbourhood kiosks.

Exploring markets such as the Mercado Central or the Mercado de Surquillo, perhaps accompanied by a local food guide, is probably the most direct way to understand why Peruvian cuisine is today considered one of the most interesting in the world.