Jora Peruvian Food -- San Jose, CA (Peruvian cuisine)

This type of cuisine is the perfect mashup of Latin, Asian, European and African influences, cooking techniques and spices. I very much enjoy the variety of dishes and preparations of their staple ingredients: corn, potatoes, quinoa and legumes. This type of cuisine has been gaining in popularity over the last few years in the Bay Area, and I'm happy to support another inspired location. Found inside the San Pedro Square Market at 192 W. St. John Street, this is a small stand next to other inspired eateries, for those who enjoy variety.

https://sanpedrosquaremarket.com/jora


Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

Empanadas. Each order of the "meat" version included one beef and one chicken. The beef, hand-sized pocket, had minced beef stewed with minced onions and seasonings. It was saucy and satisfying, and all encased in a tender crust. The chicken pocket had shreds of chicken with a gravy-like sauce of bell peppers, garlic and onion. These made for a nice snack later on in the day after a quick toast in the oven.

Shrimp Causa. The foundation of this dish consisted of a potato "cake" mixed with aji amarillo, a fruity chili that is not too spicy and yellow in color. The potato tasted moist, light and sweet and fell apart with each stab of my fork. The topping consisted of chopped shrimp, tomato, cucumber and hard-boiled eggs coated with an herby house-made mayo. This was a cold dish that had various textures, a wonderful mix of fresh and zesty flavors that was refreshing and satisfying without being heavy.

Lomo Saltado. This was a great version of fusion cuisine. Influenced by the many Chinese in Peru, this dish is typically cooked, very quickly, in a wok. This version included juicy pieces of beef tenderloin, red onion, green onion, tomato, aji amarillo, potato fries, fresh cilantro, lomo sauce (which is a soy-based sauce), and it was all served with white rice. All the flavor notes were a hit with this dish. A little sweet, a little sour, but all savory and delicious.

Aji de Gallina. This is a typical Peruvian chicken stew with double cooked chicken. The chicken is first boiled until shred-able, then it's stewed with pureed bread, chicken stock, aji amarillo peppers, garlic and onion. The thick stew is served with boiled potatoes (hidden underneath for a starchy surprise), olives, hard-cooked egg and steamed rice. One might think the chicken would be dry from the double cooking, but it was tender, and the rich, but light, sauce coated every shred very nicely to add flavor and a silky texture. Since bread was used as a thickener rather than cream or butter, this was a hearty dish without that weighed-down feeling.

Alfajores. Generally speaking, these are probably one of my favorite types of cookies in existence. These in particular were specially made for Jora. The cookie part is made from flour, starch, butter and egg. The combination of these ingredients makes them flaky and forms a delicious cookie paste as it's chewed. The dulce de leche in the middle added a toasted milk flavor, with just enough sweetness, that warms my soul and brings a cookie-crumb laden smile to my lips.

Aji Sauce. Aji Ricoto is a chili sauce that is frequently used in Peruvian cooking. Similar to the Aji Amarillo chili, but a slightly spicier version. As this sauce was available for sale in jars at the time of my visit, I absolutely took the opportunity to take some home.

I hope this stand remains for the long haul. High-caliber Peruvian food is not so easy to find in the Bay Area, especially at this, more affordable, price point. There are plenty of imitators that do not do it justice, but this place is not one of them. I would say Jora is a gastronomic wonderland, and I am happy to play here any time.