Among the typical dishes of Trujillo, the shambar, the trujillana beans and the theological soup stand out. The gastronomy of this city is very varied and has influences contributed by the indigenous people who inhabited the area and by the Spanish who arrived after the Conquest.
Likewise, the Africans taken as slaves contributed to enrich the Trujillo cuisine.
Trujillo is the capital of La Libertad, one of the departments that make up the Republic of Peru. It has just over a million inhabitants and was founded in 1535.
It is located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, bordered by the Moche River. This location and its geography make its gastronomy benefit from various types of ingredients.
You may also be interested in the typical foods of the Peruvian coast.
The 5 main typical dishes of Trujillo
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Although it is known that the dish is older, the first known written reference dates from the middle of the 20th century, when it appears in an anonymous recipe book of Creole cuisine. In this book it is stated that shambar was made from pork skin.
The most accepted theory about its origin indicates that it arises among the peasants of the mountains, who cooked it in a common pot after returning home on Mondays with the remains of what they had not sold in the capital.
Today the custom of preparing it on Mondays is still preserved and it has become one of the most typical recipes of Trujillo.
It is a soup that includes broad beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and cancha, a type of roasted corn.
It requires that the ingredients are cooked the day before and the pork skin and smoked ham are added. Because it is so nutritious, it is supposed to provide energy for the entire week.
2- Theological soup
The origin of this soup is found in a medieval Spanish recipe and was brought by them after the Conquest.
According to a legend, its name comes from the Dominican theologians, who were the ones who introduced this recipe in Peru.
Already in America, the recipe is mixed with indigenous culinary traditions. An example of this is the inclusion of the turkey native to the region.
Today it is one of the most traditional meals in the entire department, especially during cold nights.
The base of this meal is turkey or chicken meat, which is served with soaked bread, yellow chili, potato and huacatay. It also usually carries dairy products, such as milk or cheese.
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Due to its coastal location, Trujillo also has a series of meals made with fish and seafood.
Among the most traditional is the trujillana fish, which is characterized by the way it is cooked and the sauce that accompanies it.
The dish can be prepared with various types of fish, but what does not change is that it must be steamed, so that it retains all its flavor.
As for the sauce, it is made with onion and egg, which gives it its typical yellowish color.
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One of the common ingredients in Peruvian cuisine -and in other Latin American countries- is beans.
It is a legume with which many recipes are made, mainly to accompany the main dishes. Trujillo beans are especially known in Trujillo.
To make this meal, black beans are used, which are seasoned with sesame and aji mirasol. These beans accompany dishes such as seco de cabrito or others made with fish.
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Among the typical Trujillo sweets, the alfajores stand out, especially the one with three flavors. This recipe, of Arab origin, was brought to the city by the Spanish during colonial times.
One of the first written references appears in the New Manual of Peruvian Cuisine, written in 1895, which talks about how to prepare alfajores in Trujillo.
Although it can have various flavors, the one that is filled with quince jam, pineapple sweet and white manjar has become the most representative of the region.
References
- Moche route. Gastronomy of Trujillo. Obtained from rutamoche.net
- History of Trujillo. Shambar. Obtained from historia-trujillo-peru.jimdo.com
- Peru Explorer. Gastronomy in Trujillo. Obtained from peru-explorer.com
- University of Washington. Foods of the World: Peru. Retrieved from washington.edu
- Country Junction Travel. Trujillo. Retrieved from countryjunction.com