An Omnivore’s Delight: Pastel de Choclo

Though pastel de choclo is not the prettiest sight, I am telling you that this Peruvian dish made of fresh corn (choclo) and ground beef is delicious. I admit that at first I too was very hesitant to try this Peruvian meat pie because the combination of corn and beef sounded bizarre to me. (Though I am sure this dish is not bizarre enough to star in Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods). Much to my surprise, it only took me one bite to become completely enamored with pastel de choclo. The meat mixture was tart but sweet at the same time due to the raisins and onions that were incorporated within. Thus, the ground meat, which had the perfect balance of sweet and savory, did not overpower the delicious sweet corn.

My favorite places to get pastel de choclo are Tanta and Panchita. When I am back in the U.S. and craving some pastel de choclo, I will eat a large piece of cornbread knowing that I am missing out. If I am daring enough, I will attempt to recreate this delicacy.