Peru
Peru is a fascinating country when it comes to coffee. While it's a significant producer of high-quality, often organic, Arabica beans (with regions like Cajamarca, San Martín, Junín, and Cusco being prominent), much of this premium coffee is exported. Historically, the domestic coffee culture has been more about accessibility than specialty, but that's rapidly changing, especially in urban centers.
Here are the different ways to order coffee in Peru and what's in them:
Traditional & Everyday Coffee (Still Common):
Café Pasado / Café Filtrado: This is the traditional brewed or drip coffee, common in homes and many local eateries (known as huariques or comedores). It's often made with a simple pour-over method or a "cafetera" (a basic metal filter that sits over a jug). You'll typically be served a cup of black coffee and offered sugar and milk (often evaporated milk or powdered milk, especially outside of modern cafes) to add yourself.
Esencia de Café / Tintura: In some more traditional or rural settings, you might be presented with a small bottle or carafe of highly concentrated coffee essence. You then mix this esencia with hot water or hot milk to your desired strength. A coffee made this way might be called una tinta.
Café con Leche: "Coffee with milk." This is a very popular breakfast choice. It's generally a generous mix of brewed coffee and hot milk, similar to a latte or café au lait. The ratio is usually quite milky.
Café con Leche Evaporada / Café con Leche Gloria: Given the widespread use of evaporated milk (especially the "Gloria" brand), you might hear these terms if you want to specify that type of milk in your coffee. It provides a distinct creamy sweetness.
Espresso-Based Drinks (Increasingly Common in Modern Cafes):
In cities like Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, and Trujillo, a vibrant specialty coffee scene has blossomed. Here you'll find cafes equipped with espresso machines offering a familiar range of drinks:
Expreso (Espresso) / Café Solo: A single shot of strong, concentrated espresso, served in a small cup.
Doble Expreso: A double shot of espresso.
Americano: An espresso shot diluted with hot water. This gives you a black coffee with a larger volume and less intensity than a straight espresso.
Cortado: An espresso "cut" with a small amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. It's stronger and has less milk than a café con leche. Similar to a macchiato.
Capuchino (Cappuccino): Espresso with steamed milk and a generous layer of foamed milk. In Peru, it's common for cappuccinos to be topped with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
Latte: Espresso with a larger amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam.
Mocca (Mocha): Espresso mixed with chocolate (syrup or powder) and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream.
Café con Crema: An espresso topped with whipped cream.
Manjar Blanco Latte: A unique Peruvian specialty found in some cafes. It consists of espresso mixed with cold milk and manjar blanco (also known as dulce de leche, which is caramelized milk). It's often served over ice with caramel swirls and whipped cream – a decadent, sweet treat.
Cold & Blended Drinks (Common in Modern Cafes):
Given Peru's diverse climate, from coastal desert to Andean highlands and Amazon rainforest, cold coffee options are popular.
Café con Hielo (Iced Coffee): Hot coffee poured over ice, often with milk and/or sugar added to taste.
Granizado de Café: A coffee slushie or blended iced coffee, often made with condensed milk for sweetness and creaminess.
Nevado: Blended coffee drink, often with ice, milk, and various syrups or toppings, similar to those found in international chains.
Important Cultural Notes:
Sweetness: Peruvians generally prefer their coffee sweet. Sugar will almost always be provided on the side. If you prefer no sugar, remember to say "sin azúcar."
"Para llevar" / "Para aquí": "To go" or "for here." While "to-go" cups are common, especially in modern cafes, traditionally coffee was always consumed "para aquí."
Emerging Specialty Scene: Peru is increasingly recognized for its high-quality coffee beans, and many specialty cafes in major cities are dedicated to showcasing these local origins, often offering different brewing methods (e.g., V60, Chemex, Aeropress) to highlight the bean's unique flavors (citrus, chocolate, nutty, floral notes are common).
Instant Coffee: Outside of dedicated cafes, especially in smaller towns or more budget-friendly eateries, instant coffee is still very prevalent. Don't be surprised if you're served hot water/milk and a sachet of instant coffee to prepare yourself.
When in Peru, you have the opportunity to experience both the traditional, comforting ways of enjoying coffee and the evolving, high-quality offerings of its burgeoning specialty coffee scene.
*The content in this document was generated using artificial intelligence, drawing from various online sources, and subsequently refined for accuracy and conciseness in 2025. Users are advised to consult multiple sources to corroborate information and should not rely solely on this document for comprehensive research.