"Lima's street food from 6 p.m.: beef heart marinated in panca chilli, charcoal-grilled and served with potato. The meat is lean and clean — the chilli paste is where all the flavour lives."
About Anticuchos
Lima's greatest street food — cubes of beef heart marinated for hours in a paste of dried panca chilli, cumin, garlic, vinegar and oil, skewered and grilled over charcoal until charred and caramelised; served with boiled potato and a rocoto chilli dipping sauce; sold by anticucheras pushing charcoal carts through Lima's streets from 6 p.m.; a tradition from Viceroyalty-era Lima.
Anticuchos — a staple of Peru's cuisine
Lima's greatest street food: cubes of beef heart marinated for hours in a paste of dried panca chilli, cumin, garlic, vinegar and oil, skewered and grilled over charcoal until charred and caramelised. Served with boiled potato and a rocoto chilli dipping sauce. Sold by anticucheras pushing charcoal carts through Lima's streets from 6 p.m.
Beef heart is lean, dense-textured and has a clean, mild flavour — nothing like the interior organ taste that the name might imply. The panca chilli marinade is what provides all the complexity.
What to Expect
At a Lima street cart at 8 p.m. the anticuchera fans the coals. The skewers go on and char quickly from the high heat. You're handed two skewers with potato on a paper plate. Dip in the rocoto sauce immediately.
Why Try It
Anticuchos are the clearest example of Lima's African and indigenous food heritage combined — a Viceroyalty-era dish that has been served on the same Lima streets for 400 years.
Insider Tips
Grimanesa Vargas anticuchería in Miraflores is the most famous fixed-location address in Lima.
Eat them at a street cart for the correct experience — the charcoal smoke is integral.
The rocoto dipping sauce is spicier than it looks. Test before applying generously.
