As you stroll the streets of Peru at night, your sense of smell is greeted from somewhere by an aromatic smoke, the scent of something appetizing. Then, it stops you in your tracks and reveals itself to be “anticuchos,” the signature street food of Peru. These skewers of meat, slowly grilled over charcoal, look surprisingly simple. But once you’ve taken a bite, you’ll be amazed by their complex flavors. For Peruvians, it’s an indispensable nighttime pleasure that satisfies the after-work appetite.


What exactly are anticuchos?
Anticuchos are made by cutting beef heart into bite-sized pieces, marinating them thoroughly in spices and vinegar, skewering them, and grilling them over charcoal. You might be thinking, “What? Heart?” But it is truly delicious. It has a satisfyingly firm chewiness and a rich, savory flavor that bursts in your mouth. Combine that with fragrant spices and a hint of acidity, and you get a taste that becomes addictive. As the skewers cook, they are regularly brushed with the sauce using a brush made from a bundle of corn husks, which gives them a crunchy skin and a juicy inside. When you come across an anticucho stall, it’s hard to resist the aroma and just go home without having one.

The sides are also very good
Boiled potatoes and corn are standard sides for anticuchos. They’re simple, but they make for a good balance. After a bite of the richly flavored meat, you take a nice bite of hot, fluffy potato. The comforting, gentle flavor resets your palate, and in most cases, you end up ordering more before you know it. Plus, if you add some spicy chili sauce, you get a pleasant change in flavor, which keeps the pleasure going till the last bite.


Nighttime food stalls – A special time of the day
Come nighttime, these anticucho stalls suddenly appear all over the city. People on their way home from work, groups of friends, or family groups will all casually stop by a stall and enjoy a chat with a skewer in one hand. This everyday scenario captures the essence of the real Peru. If you want an unpretentious, soul-warming time in your day that’s a little different from eating at a restaurant, this is where you’ll find it. For some reason, eating a skewer while sitting on a plastic chair seems amazingly delicious.


The thing that eating anticuchos will make you crave!
When you eat anticuchos, of course you’ll want a cold drink with them. Having tasty anticuchos with Peru’s classic drink, Inca Kola, is nice, but personally, I think going simple and having it with beer is the best. You’ll want a cold drink with the smoky, aromatic, and juicy meat. In Peru, you’re lucky if you happen to find ice-cold beer as you do in Japan, but in most cases you won’t, so it might be better to have some of your own on hand.

If you want a nighttime experience in Peru
Anticuchos are more than just skewered meat. They are full of Peruvian history, daily life, and soul-warming street food culture. If you ever visit Peru, be sure to take a stroll through the city at night. The food stalls you’ll see on the other side of the smoke and the sounds of skewers cooking. The taste of the skewer you eat right there is certain to be something you will never forget. Well, here’s where I say ‘Adios!’