Peruvians eat a remarkably wide range of animals, from everyday chicken to guinea pig, alpaca, giant freshwater fish, and even palm weevil larvae. The country’s three distinct geographic zones (coast, highlands, and Amazon jungle) each contribute unique protein sources that have shaped one of the world’s most celebrated food cultures.
Chicken: Peru’s Most Consumed Meat
Before getting to the exotic stuff, it’s worth noting that chicken dominates the Peruvian diet by a wide margin. Per capita poultry consumption hit an estimated 56 kilograms in 2024, one of the highest rates in Latin America. In Lima, that figure climbs to around 70 kilograms per person per year. Pollo a la brasa, a spit-roasted chicken marinated in spices, is practically a national institution, with dedicated restaurants on nearly every block in major cities.
Guinea Pig (Cuy)
Guinea pig is the animal most foreigners associate with Peruvian cuisine, and for good reason. Peru produced over 25 million guinea pigs in 2021, with local consumption reaching around 22,000 tons. Cuy has been raised in the Andes for thousands of years, and in rural highland communities, women traditionally manage the animals, often keeping them in the kitchen area of the home.
The meat is typically roasted whole or fried, and it’s rich, gamey, and similar in texture to dark-meat rabbit. Genetic selection programs dating back to the 1970s developed larger, more commercially viable breeds from the original “Criollo” stock, partly as a food security strategy for Andean communities. Today you can find cuy on restaurant menus in Cusco, Arequipa, and Huancayo, though it remains most deeply rooted in highland family cooking. Expect to eat it with your hands, as it’s usually served whole.
Alpaca
Alpaca meat is a highland staple that’s gaining international attention for its nutritional profile. It contains about 22.7% protein with remarkably low intramuscular fat (around 2.2%), and its cholesterol content is notably lower than beef or lamb. The fat that is present has a favorable ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, comparable to beef in composition but present in much smaller amounts.
The meat is lean and mildly flavored, often compared to a tender, slightly sweet version of venison. In the Andes, it’s served as steaks, in stews, or dried into charqui (the origin of the English word “jerky”). Alpaca charqui has been a preserved protein source in high-altitude communities for centuries.
Coastal Seafood
Peru’s 2,400-kilometer Pacific coastline supplies one of the richest seafood traditions anywhere. Ceviche, the national dish, showcases this best. The most prized fish for traditional ceviche are corvina (sea bass), lenguado (sole), and mero (grouper), though tuna, cabrilla, and cojinova are also widely used. In northern coastal cities, ceviche made with conchas negras (black clams) is a regional specialty with a stronger, more intensely briny flavor.
The choice of fish shifts by region and season, but the coastal Peruvian diet extends well beyond ceviche. Tiradito (thinly sliced raw fish with chili-spiked sauce), fried whole fish, and seafood soups like chupe de camarones (freshwater shrimp chowder from Arequipa) are everyday eating. Octopus, squid, shrimp, and various shellfish round out a seafood culture that rivals Japan’s in variety and reverence.
Paiche: The Giant of the Amazon
In Peru’s jungle region, the star protein is paiche, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. These massive fish commonly reach 200 pounds and 7 to 8 feet in length, with some growing to 440 pounds and 10 feet. Indigenous Amazonian communities have harpooned paiche for generations, using the meat for food and the large scales (up to 4 inches long) for jewelry and tools.
The flesh is firm, white, and mild, with a texture closer to swordfish than typical freshwater fish. Overfishing became a serious concern, but sustainable farm-raised paiche operations in Peru have helped stabilize populations. The fish has even appeared on menus at high-end restaurants in the United States.
Beef Heart (Anticuchos)
Organ meats play a bigger role in Peruvian cooking than in most Western diets, and beef heart is the prime example. Anticuchos, skewered and grilled beef heart marinated in vinegar, cumin, garlic, and aji panca chili, are arguably Peru’s most iconic street food. You’ll find anticucho carts on sidewalks across Lima starting in the late afternoon, with the charcoal smoke acting as its own advertisement.
The dish has roots in the colonial era, when enslaved African populations made use of the organ meats that Spanish colonizers discarded. Today anticuchos are eaten across all social classes and are a centerpiece of outdoor food festivals. The heart meat, when marinated and grilled properly, is tender, richly flavored, and nothing like the chewy texture people might expect from offal.
Jungle Game and Bush Meat
In the Peruvian Amazon, wild game remains an important protein source for rural and indigenous communities. Majaz (also called paca) is a large rodent widely distributed across the Neotropics and one of the most hunted species in tropical forests. Its meat is prized for a clean, pork-like flavor and has been consumed since well before colonial times, though hunting pressure has raised conservation concerns.
Other jungle animals that appear in traditional Amazonian cooking include wild boar (sajino), various species of river turtle, caiman, and monkey, though the latter has become increasingly rare and controversial. Many of these are subsistence foods rather than restaurant offerings, tied closely to indigenous foodways that predate the Inca Empire.
Suri (Palm Weevil Larvae)
For the adventurous eater, suri is the most talked-about Amazonian delicacy. These fat, thumb-sized larvae of the South American palm weevil are harvested from the trunks of fallen palm trees and eaten across indigenous communities in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Nutritionally, they’re impressive: roughly 50% fat and 20% protein by dry weight, with high levels of oleic acid, the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil.
In jungle communities, suri are eaten raw (sometimes still alive), roasted over direct heat, or steamed. In urban areas and tourist markets like those in Iquitos, they’re more commonly fried in their own rendered fat or skewered and grilled. The taste is frequently described as creamy and nutty when cooked, with a crispy exterior giving way to a rich, buttery interior. They’re one of the most protein-dense foods available in the rainforest without any farming infrastructure at all.
Other Animals Worth Knowing
A few more animals fill out the full picture of Peruvian protein. Lamb and mutton are common in highland stews and pachamanca, a traditional method of cooking meat underground with hot stones. Pork appears everywhere, from chicharrones (fried pork belly served for breakfast in the highlands) to the slow-cooked chancho al palo of the northern coast. Duck is the base of arroz con pato, a flagship dish of Lambayeque and Chiclayo. And dried llama meat, like alpaca charqui, still sustains communities at the highest elevations where few other animals thrive.
Peru’s geographic diversity, stretching from sea level to over 15,000 feet to dense tropical rainforest, means the answer to “what animals do Peruvians eat” is essentially: whatever their particular slice of the country provides. That range, from giant Amazonian fish to tiny roasted guinea pigs, is a big part of what makes Peruvian cuisine one of the most varied on Earth.