Daily Life in Lima,  Food & Dining

Salami Sandwich Man

Deli counter, Wong supermarket, Miraflores; photo c. Barbara Drake 2008

I bought Braendt salami from this guy at Wong supermarket a few nights ago. It wasn’t a lot of salami — maybe 100 grams — but my purchase merited a regalo: half a ham/salami/cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread, with lettuce and tomato.

Nice guy, no?

I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.

8 Comments

  • Barb

    Totally a lonche, Rachel. I was like, “I’m going to have to eat a Wong every day!”

    Nobody hassled me for taking the photo. I was in the back of the store, and no managers were around. Like a lot of Peruvians in uniform, the sandwich guy liked having his picture taken. (Weirdly, policemen in Miraflores really get a rise out of being photographed. They will smile and ham it up, like it’s a photo shoot for GQ.)

  • Rachel in Peru

    Speaking of PNP posing for photos, we took a trip to Cuzco for the first time in 2007 and I had my husband ask two PNP officers in the Plaza de Armas if they would take a picture with me, they were like “Why?” My husband laughed b/c they said it with hesitation in their voices, but they obliged and I got my photo.

  • Miguel

    This is called “yapa” in Peru. People give something extra when you buy something so that you come back and buy from them again πŸ™‚

  • Miguel

    You are welcome. “Yapa” or “La yapa” was something very common to give to customers in the past, but then it became less common as the economy went bad. But, now it seems “la yapa” is coming back to stay as a part of the customer buying experience. Yay! πŸ™‚

    Here is an old ad from la “Tinka”, as you probably know is a very popular lottery game in Peru. This ad speaks briefly about the history of the yapa and then talks about its own yapa. This ad is from 1999. Here is the youtube link; it’s in Spanish tough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6S8OEdqAgg

  • Barb

    Miguel, you’re on to something here, connecting the dots between Peru’s growing economy and the return of La Yapa. I’ll add my “yay” to yours.

    What a funny ad — it really dramatizes the concept of la yapa. (Readers, check out Miguel’s link, above.) I love the bit about the lady in the supermarket being loaded down with an extra melon / yapa.

  • Miguel

    yup. I think this is what it is. As the economy gets better, then they can afford to have yapas for customers :).

    I really like the ad, too. It’s very funny as you said and very creative, too.