kawh

I do love my local desserts! Are there any special desserts in Peru that I should not miss out on? And/Or any restaurants in the main tourist cities that have a specific favorite of yours?

kja

I don't have a particularly sweet tooth, but if you haven't seen it, you might find some useful information in this recent thread:
Please help me eat well in Peru!

I did buy some chocolates for friends and coworkers upon leaving Peru, and everyone has been very impressed, as have I. They were La Ibérica Bombones / Surtidos.

Enjoy!

trekkingsolo

There are some nice coca infused chocolate around Cusco. San Pedro market and a few supermarkets nearby have them. Another item which is more traditional and originated in Lima is Mazzamora Morada, You ussually have to check the local markets for this. I did find a shop in Arequipa on Calle San Juan de dios close to Mercado San Camilo that does this sweet dish.

Huentetu

You want to try a Suspiro de Limeña. That should satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. Also look out for tejas. Figs or candied lemons usually, stuffed with milk toffee and bathed in sugar icing, then individually wrapped in white paper. For a more unusual dessert try Mazamorra Morada which is a pudding made from purple corn, various fruits and cinammon.. Chocolate cakes in Perú tend to be richer and fudgier than anywhere in the world. You are going to be in sweet tooth heaven!

mlgb

Yikes, Suspiro de Limeña is SOOO sweet! I do like tejas, especially "choco-tejas" which you can buy in Lima from grocery stores to take home (the commercial brand is Helena).

I like the Mazamorra as mentioned in the thread kja linked, or in a combo with "Arroz Zambito". Las Mesitas in Barranco may do it.

If you are in Lima and see food carts around (often Park Kennedy), keep an eye out for Picarones Mary, basically a sweet-potato fritter with cinnamon sugar syrup. You can order picarones from restaurants or other vendors, but those are the best.

Another nice sweet is the alfajor cookie, which you can also find in bakeries and supermarket bakery sections and maybe at touristy restaurants. They are kind of like two wedding cookies with dulce de leche in the center. I have tried to bring them home, but they are pretty fragile. Also hard to avoid eating for 'snacks'.

BTW don't be afraid to just keep your eyes open and if a storefront bakery or sweets place looks good, go in and try something! Things move around, change and open all the time.

Speaking of Supermarkets, if you are staying in Miraflores, Vivanda is the upscale one (on Benavides). In Barranco there is a Metro on the main drag (Grau). Worth walking thru the chocolate, coffee and bakery sections, for gifts to bring home. Also, if you aren't going on a tour of a market, I found it helpful to walk through the produce section to learn what things are called (some things you will never see at home).

At the airport there is still a branch of 4D (coffee and gelato place). I'll often check it out coming in and again going out. It's expensive as Peruvian ice cream shops go but if they have an unusual flavor I'll spring for a cone. The ladies at 3B Barranco recommend BLU for gelato, but I must have had a wrong address and never found it. Lucuma is a default flavor for me.