GASTRONOMY
In Peru one can try a different dish every day of the year. The encounter of European and Andean foods, and African and Asian as well, has created a unique blend that is the essence of Peruvian cooking and a part of its folklore. Each of the 25 regions has dishes with its own characteristics and ingredients : fish cebiche from Lima, potato in Huancayo sauce, Chiclayo duck with rice, shrimp chowder of Arequipa, Chincha's dry soup; the Amazon's chicken juane and the incomparable Andean three-meat pachamanca, are just a sampling of the variety of dishes that make Peruvian cuisine one of the world's finest. There are also many international dishes that have been adapted to Peruvian seasoning to make new variations, such as minestrone, Italian-style tripe, and Chinese fried rice. There are also a number of regional liquors, of which the most important is pisco, a white grape brandy distilled from fresh local grapes. Pisco is part of Peru's history and has helped to forge the nation's identity. It was declared a National Heritage and Appellation Controllee in 1995. It is the basis for pisco sour, Peru's signature cocktail. 
