Here in Chalhuanca, the food is great, since basically all the food in Peru is great, but it's also a bit unvaried. The pollo broaster (Peruvian chicken, fried), pollo a la brasa (Peruvian chicken, rotisserie style), and anticuchos de pollo (Peruvian chicken, grilled and on sticks) are all amazing, but after a while the constant poultry can make dining out a little uninspiring. Likewise, back in the house, rice and pasta can only stay interesting for so long. On days like today, culinarily uninspired and craving barbeque and gelato, I think back to my time in Oxapampa. Situated between the sierra (range of steep mountains) and the selva (forest), it offered the best of both places.
I miss all of the food from Oxapampa, including the chacho a la caja china, which is the best meal I've ever had; pistachio and quito quito gelato; espresso; chaufa and chicharrón de chancho. To avoid rambling, though, in this article I've had to limit myself to sharing with you the most emblematic food of the region.
