Today I was in the kitchen trying find something to silence my growling stomach and prevent it from eating itself, when I saw the lone Aji Amarillo and Limon (Lime) sitting on the kitchen counter. The colors really caught my eye and I knew that I had to take a picture of it to share with the world.

What you might not know is that these two items are key ingredients in many Peruvian dishes. The Aji Amarillo is a native chili pepper that has been used for many centuries in Peruvian kitchens. The Aji comes in various forms and vibrant colors. Some of the most commonly used Aji's are: Panca (a dark red Aji), Amarillo, & Limo (various colors and very spicy). Aji Amarillo is widely used to make the famous peruvian dish Papa a la Huancaina, which has always been a favorite of mine.

Limon as it is called in Peru is used a lot in seafood dishes which along the coast are quite popular given the proximity to the sea. Ceviche a popular favorite in Lima is eaten regularly and its the Limon that helps to marinate and cook the raw fish in the dish. Aside from seafood, limon is also used to add flavor to soups like Caldo de Gallina which is another favorite among Peruvians. Caldo de Gallina is spanish for chicken noodle soup, the only difference is that they add yellow potato (native to Peru and very hard to find in the States), cilantro, scallions (AKA: chinese onions), and hard boiled eggs. It is a fairly hearty soup in my opinion and is great on those rare cold days in Lima.