LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2026

Our Pisco Picante is inspired by Peru's classic Pisco Sour, as well as the modern spicy cockatil trend. If you can't find Peruvian pisco, Chilean pisco also works in this recipe, which pairs perfectly with Aji Verde Dip and Plantain Chips.

Chef Lizardo Becerra, owner of Ottawa restaurant Raphaël, says: “Lima is renowned for its variety of fish and seafood, so you can’t

PISCO PICANTE & PLANTAIN CHIPS WITH AJI VERDE DIP P. 96

leave without trying as many different ceviche dishes as possible.”

Peru WHERE

EAT There are more than 4,000 types of potatoes in Peru, thanks to Indigenous farming practices that protect heirloom crops of all sorts. The country’s cuisine celebrates its unique ingredients with dishes like causa (potato casserole), picarones (squash donuts) and rocoto relleno (stuffed spicy peppers), all of which combine techniques and methods from European, Asian, African and Indigenous foodways.

DRINK The craft beer and local wine may be top-notch, but it’s the Pisco Sour, the national drink of Peru, that gets our attention. Made with an unaged grape spirit called pisco, this simple and loveable cocktail is tangy, lightly sweet and on offer pretty much everywhere. A similar cocktail is made in Chile, Peru’s neighbour to the south, where they also make a grape brandy called “Pisco.” There’s a mostly friendly rivalry between the two countries regarding the birthplace of Pisco, but there are fundamental differences in the traditions, regulations and grapes used to make the spirit on each side of the border.

Between Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley, the lush Amazon rainforest that covers over half of the country and the rugged Pacific coast, Peru has beauty for every nature lover.

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———————— TRAVEL 2026