So it is almost Christmas and I’m guessing that Mayu’s knitters are getting nice and ready with their favorite Peruvian, Christmas Eve snack, Paneton (fruit cake) and hot chocolate. They might even drop the knitting needles attached to our hand-knit alpaca scarves, alpaca hats and alpaca shawls to enjoy the feast.

I remember my first month in the Peace Corps...
It was Christmas Eve and I won’t lie, I was feeling a bit lonely. I drank three glasses of hot chocolate, which was made from the freshest whole milk I’d ever tasted. Needless to say, my stomach regretted that move for three days. Ugh, bad news. Although it was delicious, I apparently wasn’t ready to take a step away from the skim milk I’d been drinking for years.

Paneton, pictured here, is the traditional fruit cake that is eaten every Christmas. Typically it has dried fruit (which I always pick around) but I prefer the cake with chocolate morsels. Yum! According to Living in Peru, the go-to-guide for expats living in Peru, these are the guidelines of choosing your perfect Paneton. And yes, you can buy Paneton here in the US. I suggest giving it a try! Did you know that Paneton tastes even better wrapped under your hand-knit, fair trade alpaca throw sold HERE?

Interested in learning more about Peruvian food? Find out more on our food series here on our blog.

For more, join our e-news, find us on Twitter, and Facebook, and hear more stories from the field on our Blog!