Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Andean and Amazonian cuisine, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, and German cuisine), Asia (Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine), the Middle East (Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian cuisine), and Africa (Maghrebi cuisine and West African cuisine). Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
The four traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn; potatoes and other tubers; Amaranthaceae (quinoa, kañiwa and kiwicha); and legumes (beans and lupins). Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken).
Many traditional foods—such as quinoa, kiwicha, chili peppers, and several roots and tubers—have increased in popularity in recent decades, reflecting a revival of interest in native Peruvian foods and culinary techniques. Chef Gastón Acurio has become well known for raising awareness of local ingredients. The most important ingredient in Peruvian cuisine is the potato, as Peru has the widest variety of potatoes in the world.
American food critic Eric Asimov has described it as one of the world's most important cuisines and an exemplar of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history.
