People have started asking us frequently what we will miss most about Peru when we leave in a couple of months. My first response is always "the people." While quite general, my first response is both true and what people usually want to hear. My second response to the question is "the food." This answer usually invokes a discussion of the traditional foods prepared in our region. When I start listing off my favorite foods (I've tried just about everything there is to try by now) people kind of light up. There is great pride taken in the preparation of traditional foods and no town party or anniversary is complete without a competition of who can prepare the best traditional plates. The gastronomy of Peru is incredibly diverse and varies greatly depending on the region (coast, mountains, or jungle). The types of foods prepared on a daily basis also depend entirely on economics. The diet of many volunteers consists of inexpensive and filling foods like rice and potatoes with few vegetables and little protein. Because Micah and I live in a larger city with a family that owns a restaurant, we eat really well.
Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and of us consists of a starter, soup, and entrée.
Some typical starters:
Yucca in Huancaína (wan-kay-eena) sauce - Yucca is cooked, mashed, stuffed with cheese and then fried. The Huancína sauce is made with milk, cheese, and a Peruvian yellow pepper called aji amarillo. 
Papa a la Huancaína - The same sauce described above covers thinly sliced boiled potatoes.
Ocopa - Another potato based starter, only the Ocopa sauce is made with peanuts and a locally grown herb called
Choclo con queso - It's corn and cheese. No butter or salt accompanies corn on the cob here. It's all about the saltiness of the cheese mixed with the mild sweetness of the corn.
On to the soups:
Caldo verde - A traditional soup with a potato base, egg, cheese, and locally gown herbs.
We also eat a variety of soups with vegetables, potatoes, yucca, rice, and grains like wheat and quinoa.
The main dish:
Chicharrón con papa verde y mote (Fried pork with green potatoes and corn) - A dish typically prepared on Fridays or Saturdays in our community.
Carapulcra - Dehydrated potatoes, boiled and cooked with pork and chicken, aji panca (type of Peruvian pepper) and mirasol (chili peppers), garlic, and other spices.
Arroz con pollo - Pretty self-explanatory - It's chicken and rice, but it's really, really good.
A beef and been dish
A stew of cooked wheat with chicken, tomato, onion, and peppers. Like most main dishes it is served with a healthy portion of rice.
Thirsty?
Chicha Morada - A traditional drink made with boiled purple corn, lime juice, and then sweetened with sugar, pineapple, or other fruits.
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