THE 5 MOST POPULAR TYPICAL DISHES OF ICA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Some of the typical dishes of Ica in Peru are carapulcra, dry soup, morusa de pallares, chocotejas and manjarblanco de pallar.

In general, Peruvian gastronomy illustrates the process of miscegenation that it experienced after the time of the conquest.

Carapulcra

Its food is a combination of a rich culinary tradition inherited from the Incas and their ancestors, Spanish products, the richness of Moorish cuisine and the gastronomic knowledge of Africans, among others.

In itself, the African heritage in the cuisine of this nation is not as ingrained as in other regions of the American continent.

However, it is very present in some areas of the Peruvian coast, such as the department of Ica.

Typical dishes of Ica and its ingredients

The Ica region is located on the south central coast of the Peruvian coast. Being a coastal area, it is characterized by the variety of its dishes.

In fact, throughout the Peruvian coast there are more than two thousand different types of soups and more than two hundred and fifty traditional desserts. Some ingredients of several of their traditional dishes are described below.

Carapulcra

The typical dishes of Ica, as well as in other regions of Peru, have global influences fused to create a completely new style of cooking.

The carapulcra is an example of this. This is one of the oldest dishes and contains a good number of European, Asian and African flavors from ingredients like garlic, peanuts and spices.

Dry soup

Actually, as the name implies, this is not a regular soup. It is a pasta dish that is often served as a side to carapulcra.

In this way, the main ingredient of the dry soup, spaghetti, demonstrates another of the influences of Peruvian cuisine: Italian.

On the other hand, the ají panca, another of the essential ingredients, is of Peruvian origin. This pepper is more smoky and sweet than spicy. Aji panca paste is widely used in stews and sauces cooked over low heat.

In addition, in the preparation of this soup you need cumin, garlic, black pepper, carrot tomatoes, parsley, thighs and chicken broth.

Morusa de pallares

The pallar is a creamy white bean (bean) with an oval shape that is about two or three cm wide.

The morusa de pallares is one of the typical dishes of Ica where the influence of the massive arrival of African slaves to the southern coast of Peru in the 18th century can be observed.

Their diet was based on inexpensive foods, such as beans, which were seasoned to disguise the low quality of the products available to them.

Chocotejas

For its part, the chocotejas is another of the typical dishes of Ica where the gastronomic syncretism of that region is observed.

This dessert consists of some chocolate bonbons with various fillings, wrapped in aluminum foil, then white paper, twisted on top with the ends cut into strips.

Its ingredients are varied: prunes covered with chocolate and caramel, pecans and caramel coated with white glaze with lemon, raisins soaked in rum or orange marmalade and chocolate covered caramel.

White delicacy from pallar

The first white delicacy was prepared during colonial times with chicken and almonds. In addition to lollipops, evaporated milk, white sugar, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla essence are used in its preparation.

References

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   Texas: Center for Ethnic Development.