La Benita, one of the most famous spicy restaurants in Arequipa, arrived in Lima and this is its proposal

On the walls of the restaurant some paintings tell us about the past, about the first occupants of the ‘White City’ and how their cuisine evolved with the addition of new ingredients and elements: from marine foods such as fish, shellfish and the increasingly few machas until the use of the fulling mill with which the guiñapo grains are ground to make a drink that has survived time as a valuable lesson: chicha.

The chicherías were the beginning of the spicyrías, spaces that expanded throughout different regions of Peru and that today are a reminder of the main virtue of cooking: uniting everyone at the same table.

That is why upon entering the La Benita room a characteristic of the spicyrias stands out: the long tables that invite diners to share. “The spicy food is a democratic food,” explains Denis Falcón, son of Benita Quicaño, founder of La Benita, and head of the headquarters in Lima.

The doors opened in January 2023, although the plan to reach the capital had much more time and was postponed due to the pandemic. “Since we started at this headquarters, there are many people from Arequipa who come to visit us, but also people who are not from there and who knew La Benita de los Claustros or Characato, we hope that more and more people will come from all over,” says Falcon.

“The idea is that, the time they are here, the diners feel like they are in Arequipa, we have even thought of the colors (of the room) for that,” says the administrator, pointing out the maroon and yellow walls, a shade that resembles to that of the church of Santa Catalina.

Food that heals the soul

But the main connecting element between all La Benita locations is the quality of the food, food made with love and with ingredients that reflect our most valuable traditions.

At La Benita de Lima you will find dishes that are very representative of Arequipa food: shrimp chupe and rocoto stuffed, served with potato cake. But we invite you to discover other flavors. In fact, Denis highlights how many diners come and order the golden malaya or the ribs and the guinea pig chactado, which is prepared differently from other regions of Peru and became a winner at the 2012 Mistura fair for its flavor.

“The guinea pig from La Benita is different from that of Moquegua, Áncash or Cusco. We don’t season it with anything, we add some herbs, salt and it dries in a cool environment. “This way it is ready to fry in a pan with plenty of oil, for 25/30 minutes,” explains Falcón about the dish that takes a while to reach the table but is distinguished by the freshness of having been made on the spot.

A look at the menu at La Benita de Lima

Shrimp chupe, one of the most typical of Arequipa’s spicy restaurants.

The Benita of Lima

Rocoto stuffed with potato cake. The rocoto is filled with meat and vegetables. It is served with plenty of pariah cheese.

The Benita of Lima

Pork crackling, pieces of pork belly, parboiled potatoes and Creole sarsa.

The Benita of Lima

The famous solterito, made with paria cheese, corn, beans, onion, tomato and olive.

The Benita of Lima

Lichcha salad, a typical Arequipa Christmas dish available only for this 2023 season.

Desserts

The wheat sango.

The menu at La Benita de Lima has been incorporating new dishes. Recently, for example, they added the vegetable towers and the notary to the appetizers, a craving that was born when diners arrived at the spicy restaurants and could no longer find food.

“The clerks, due to their job, arrived late, when there was no more spice, so they prepared a simple dish, made with parboiled potato, tomato and slices of rocoto. And people began to ask for what they gave to the notaries, the notary,” says Denis.

Each dish is full of history and a genuine desire to revalue what is ours. That is why, starting December 15, ahead of Christmas, you will find on the menu some typical dishes from the celebrations of this date in Arequipa. An example of this is the liccha salad.

“In Arequipa it was not customary to eat turkey, panettone and chocolate. We made the famous liccha salad, which was served in long platters to share with the family. And we ate early, we didn’t wait until midnight,” Denis recalls.

The dish has liccha, a vegetable that grows when there is a quinoa or potato harvest, and is accompanied by pallares, beetroot, avocado, meat (fish or beef) and a special garlic salad. “The garlic is boiled for about 2 and a half hours, it goes through several washings, so it doesn’t have the strong flavor of garlic, it is a very pleasant flavor,” explains Benita Quicaño’s son. And, after trying it, we agree. “La Benita is one of the few places where we make this salad, because the tradition is being lost and it is a shame because it is a very healthy, soft, light dinner,” adds Falcón.

This dish can be accompanied by another holiday classic: sango, a dessert made from wheat flour, decorated with cheese and raisins. And, when it comes to desserts, you cannot leave La Benita without having tried their frozen cheese, one of the most delicious sweets you will find on the menu. Hard not to want to repeat.

As in every Arequipa spicy restaurant, chicha de guiñapo is part of the feast. Here they will serve it as tradition dictates, in caporal or cogollo, to rotate, share and create memories that, in places like La Benita, will reappear every time a hot dish arrives on the table.