8/11/2019 Food Has Become a National Obsession Due to the
Country
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afford to eat at restaurants every day. The cost of a menu
varies depending on the location.Menus as cheap as PEN4 can be
found in the provinces, whereas PEN14 would be expectedin a wealthy
Lima neighbourhood.
However, as the gastronomic boom picks up momentum, Peruvians
are becoming more
demanding when they go out to eat. An article on Peru 21 in
September 2012 shows thataround 23% of restaurants went out of
business in 2011. In 60% of cases, the primaryreason was poor
service, 25% of closures were a result of mismanagement, and 15%
wasdue to a lack of variety on the menu.
Street food continues to play a large part in Peruvians daily
life. The most popular dishes
include salchipapa (hot dog and chips), ceviche, kebabs and
chicken sandwiches. Only 19%of people say that they almost never
eat food purchased on the street. About 22% consumesfood through
this channel once a week, 39% several times a week, 14% on a daily
basis,and 6% several times a day. The health issues that are
regularly associated with this activitydo not appear to be a
concern for most Peruvians: 67% says that eating food sold by
streetvendors does not do any harm to the body.
New legislation puts fast food consumption under the
microscope
Fast-food chains continue to grow in popularity: With nearly 560
outlets across the country,with KFC, Pizza Hut, Bembos and
McDonalds being the most popular. A report in Gestionin June 2012
reported that fast food and snacks make up 43% of average
teenagersexpenditure. These sorts of statistics have brought the
issue of fast-food consumptionsharply into focus. In May 2013,
legislation was passed in congress to improve educationabout
nutrition and remove junk food from schools. Fast-food companies
are now bannedfrom releasing advertising that is aimed specifically
at children and youths. We cannot
view our children as simply a market to generate sales and
maximise profits, said the
countrys President Ollanta Humala.
