Picantería · Stuffed Chili Pepper
Rocoto Relleno (Stuffed Spicy Pepper)
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Traditionally the rocoto is parboiled several times with sugar and vinegar to tame its fire, yet it still ranks among the hottest peppers regularly eaten as a savory dish in Peru.
A fire-red rocoto pepper is hollowed out, stuffed with a savory mix of ground beef, olives, raisins and hard-boiled egg, topped with melted queso fresco and baked. Market stalls and picanterías in Arequipa serve it bubbling hot straight from clay ovens, usually alongside a wedge of potato gratin.
Why it's made this way: Arequipa's volcanic valley grows the rocoto pepper that gives the dish its name, and the city's picantería tradition — casual eateries run mostly by women — turned it into the region's signature plate.
More from Peru
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Papa Rellena (Stuffed Potato)
Anticuchos (Grilled Beef Heart Skewers)
Pan con Chicharrón
Picarones
Adobo Arequipeño
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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