Peru has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Food World Cup with its iconic ceviche dish and will face Guatemala in the next stage of the online competition organized by Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos.
The South American nation reached the quarter-finals after accumulating nearly three million votes, successfully overcoming an adverse online campaign that was surprisingly launched by Peruvian social media users themselves.
Peru enters the current round as the defending champion of the tournament after defeating Honduras in the previous stage. Its next opponent, Guatemala, moved forward after securing a narrow victory against Mexico, eliminating one of the largest participating countries in the entire competition.
Spanish content creator Ibai Llanos, who launched and promotes the Food World Cup across his social media channels, described the upcoming contest between Peru and Guatemala as a spectacular matchup. He highlighted that Guatemala emerged as one of the major surprises of the tournament following its close victory over Mexico.
Culinary Matchups and Beverage Pairings
For this quarter-final round, Peru's national dish is officially paired with Inca Kola, a popular carbonated soft drink. Guatemala's entry, pepián de pollo, competes alongside Quetzalteca Rosa de Jamaica, an alcoholic beverage native to the Central American nation.
Commenting on the matchup, Llanos noted that the name of the Guatemalan drink alone was intimidating. He added in a lighthearted remark that consuming two of the beverages would leave a person flying to the moon.
Ceviche, widely recognized as Peru's national dish, consists of fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices such as lime and seasoned with chili peppers, red onions, and cilantro. It is traditionally served alongside Inca Kola, a sweet carbonated soft drink created in Peru in 1935 that is famous for its distinct yellow color and pineapple-like aroma.
Guatemala's competing dish, pepián de pollo, is a traditional Guatemalan chicken stew recognized as a cultural heritage food. The dish features tender chicken cooked in a rich sauce made from roasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tomatoes, and dried chilies. Its accompanying drink, Quetzalteca Rosa de Jamaica, is a popular Guatemalan aguardiente spirit flavored with hibiscus flower.
Prize Controversy and Remaining Competitors
Llanos also promised to provide an improved prize for the winner of this edition of the Food World Cup. The commitment followed strong criticism from fans after the organizer previously awarded only a single frying pan to the Peruvian team following their past tournament victory.
Organizer Ibai Llanos is a prominent Spanish internet personality, streamer, and content creator based in Spain who is known for hosting large-scale digital events and interactive online tournaments that attract millions of participants across Spanish-speaking nations.
Alongside Peru and Guatemala, six other Latin American countries remain active in the quarter-finals of the competition. The remaining nations competing for a spot in the later rounds include Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
How to Vote in the Quarter-Finals
Voting for the quarter-final match between Peru and Guatemala opened on Wednesday, September 2, enabling supporters in both nations to back their respective culinary representatives across multiple digital channels.
To support Peru's ceviche, social media users participating from mobile devices can access the official Instagram or TikTok accounts of Ibai Llanos. From there, voters must locate the post corresponding to the Peru versus Guatemala matchup and select the option representing Peru, which features ceviche paired with Inca Kola.
For users voting on YouTube, support is registered by visiting the official YouTube channel of Ibai Llanos, finding the designated matchup post, and giving a like to the comment posted by the channel's official account.
