Suspiro a la limena is Lima's signature dessert: a layer of manjar blanco (dulce de leche) topped with port-flavoured Italian meringue and dusted with cinnamon, served in a glass.

The name 'sigh of a Lima woman' was given by 19th-century poet and writer Jose Galvez Barrenechea to his wife Amparo Ayarza's recipe. The dish formalised in mid-19th-century Lima patisseries; queso fresco-fortified manjar replaced earlier almond-thickened versions. Now the canonical end of every criolla meal in Lima.

4 editor picks for Suspiro a la Limena in Lima, ranked by editorial score. All Lima signature dishes · Suspiro a la Limena across every city.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

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Lima: Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour

Guided tour4 hours4.9 from 890 reviewsfrom $105

Taste a variety of up to 14 Peruvian flavors in one of the most colorful districts of Lima. Take part in interactive workshops and learn how to prepare ceviche, lomo s...

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