In Arequipa, Peru’s second-largest city, lunch at a picantería often starts with one question: is there chupe today? Chupe de camarones is the reason people ask. It is a brick-orange shrimp chowder, thick with potatoes, corn on the cob, fava beans and rice, enriched with milk and fresh cheese, and finished with an egg poached right in the broth.
Chupe de camarones is a Peruvian shrimp chowder from Arequipa. The broth is made from shrimp heads and shells and seasoned with an aderezo of onion, garlic and ají panca, then filled with yellow potatoes, choclo, fava beans, rice and shrimp. Evaporated milk, queso fresco, a poached egg and the herb huacatay finish it. In Peru it is a full meal, not a starter.
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This guide covers where the dish comes from, how it differs from an American chowder, which shrimp Peruvians use and what to buy instead, and a step-by-step recipe you can make with ingredients from a US supermarket and a Latin market.
- OriginArequipa, southern Peru
- Star ingredientRiver shrimp (camarón de río)
- Flavor baseAjí panca and huacatay
- TextureBrothy, creamy and chunky
- Total timeAbout 1½ hours
- Serves6 hearty bowls
What Is Chupe de Camarones?
A chupe is a thick, hearty soup. The word comes from the Quechua chupi, and in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador it names stews built on potatoes and broth, with meat, fish or shellfish added. Chupe de camarones is the shrimp version and the most famous chupe of all.
English-language recipes usually call it Peruvian shrimp chowder. That is close, but the two soups are built differently:
| Chupe de camarones | New England chowder | |
|---|---|---|
| Broth | Shrimp-head stock, colored red-orange with ají panca | Clam broth, often with bacon |
| Body | Potatoes, rice, corn wheels and fava beans | Flour roux and potatoes |
| Dairy | Evaporated milk and cubes of queso fresco, added at the end | Cream or whole milk |
| Heat | Mild, with rocoto on the side | None |
| Garnish | A poached egg in every bowl, plus huacatay | Oyster crackers |
| Served as | A full lunch | A starter or light meal |
Where Chupe de Camarones Comes From
Arequipa sits in a desert valley between the Pacific and the Andes. The rivers that run down from the mountains to the sea, the Majes-Camaná, the Ocoña and the Tambo, are home to a large freshwater shrimp, and Arequipa’s cooks have been putting it in soup for generations.
The chupe itself is older than the shrimp version. Andean chupes were built on potatoes, chuño and herbs like huacatay. After the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, milk and cheese went into the pot, and they are what softens the heat of the ají in the modern dish.
Today chupe de camarones is the signature dish of Arequipa’s picanterías, the traditional lunch houses that also serve rocoto relleno and adobo arequipeño. You will find it in Lima and along the coast too, but Arequipeños consider theirs the original.
A different soup for every day of the week
Arequipa is known for having a soup for each day of the week, a custom the city’s picanterías still keep:
- MonChaque
- TueChairo
- WedChochoca
- ThuChuño negro
- FriChupe de viernes
- SatCaldo blanco or timpusca
- SunPuchero
Friday’s chupe is meatless and made from the region’s coastal ingredients, a holdover from the Catholic custom of skipping meat on Fridays. Chupe de camarones is not tied to one day, though. Picanterías serve it all week whenever river shrimp are in season.
Why shrimp season matters
Camarón de río has a closed season. Peru’s Ministry of Production bans catching it while it breeds, and in Arequipa the veda runs from early January through March 31 (January 3 to March 31 in 2026). During those months cooks use shrimp caught and frozen before the ban, switch to sea shrimp, or take chupe off the menu until April.
Which Shrimp to Use (and What to Buy Outside Peru)
The shrimp in Arequipa’s chupe is camarón de río (Cryphiops caementarius), a freshwater shrimp with big claws that looks more like a crawfish than anything in a US seafood case. Its heads hold an orange fat Peruvians call coral, and that is where much of the soup’s color and flavor comes from.
You will not find it fresh outside Peru, so aim to get as close as you can:
- Whole crawfish: the closest match in look and flavor. Frozen whole Louisiana crawfish are usually precooked, so add them in the last few minutes just to heat through.
- Head-on shrimp: the best everyday choice. The heads and shells make the stock.
- Freshwater prawns: sold as giant river prawns at Asian markets. Big, sweet and close in texture.
- Peeled frozen shrimp: fine in a pinch. Add a cup of fish stock or bottled clam juice to the broth to make up for the missing heads.
Toast the shrimp heads in oil and press them with a wooden spoon before you add water. The orange fat that runs out is the coral, and it turns the stock from pale pink to deep orange.
Chupe de Camarones Ingredients
Beyond the shrimp, four ingredients make the flavor unmistakably Peruvian. All of them are sold in Latin markets or online.
Ají panca
A dried red Peruvian chile with a smoky, berry-like flavor and very little heat. As a paste it gives the broth its brick color.
Huacatay
Peruvian black mint, with notes of mint, basil and tarragon. It goes in at the very end. Jarred huacatay paste is easier to find than fresh leaves.
Choclo
Peru’s giant-kernel corn, cut into wheels and simmered in the soup. Frozen choclo is sold in Latin markets, and sweet corn on the cob works too.
Queso fresco
A fresh, mild white cheese. Cubed and added at the end, it softens without melting away, so every spoonful has a soft bite of cheese.
Ingredient swaps that work
| If the recipe calls for | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Camarón de río | Whole crawfish or head-on shrimp |
| Ají panca paste | Ancho or guajillo chiles, soaked and blended |
| Huacatay | Equal parts fresh mint and cilantro, with a few basil leaves |
| Papa amarilla | Yukon Gold potatoes |
| Choclo | Sweet corn on the cob |
| Habas (fava beans) | Frozen lima beans or shelled edamame |
| Queso fresco | Farmer’s cheese or paneer |
| Evaporated milk | Whole milk with a splash of heavy cream |
For a little more heat and a brighter color, add a spoonful of ají amarillo paste to the aderezo. For real fire, do what Arequipa does and put rocoto on the table.
How to Make Chupe de Camarones
The full recipe with measurements is in the card below. Here is how the process fits together, and where it can go wrong:
- Make the shrimp stockToast the heads and shells, press out the coral, simmer them in water for 20 minutes, then strain. This stock is the backbone of the soup.
- Cook the aderezo slowlyOnion, garlic, ají panca, cumin and oregano cook in oil until the paste darkens and the oil turns red. Rushing this step leaves the soup tasting raw.
- Add the vegetables in orderRice, potatoes and corn go in first. Fava beans and peas follow once the potatoes are nearly tender, so nothing turns to mush.
- Poach the eggs in the soupCrack them into the barely simmering broth, spaced apart, and leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Finish gentlyAdd the shrimp and cheese, then the evaporated milk, and keep the pot below a boil. Stir in the huacatay last.
Once the milk goes in, the soup should never boil. A hard boil can split evaporated milk and turn shrimp rubbery in under a minute.
How to Serve Chupe de Camarones
In Peru, chupe de camarones is lunch. Serve it in wide, deep bowls so each person gets an egg, a wheel of corn, a few pieces of potato and several shrimp, with the broth ladled over the top.
The chupe itself is mild. In Arequipa it usually comes with rocoto on the side for anyone who wants more heat. Crusty bread is all else you need.
Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge. The rice keeps soaking up broth, so reheat gently with a splash of milk or water.
Other Peruvian Seafood Soups to Try
- ParihuelaPeru’s bold mixed-seafood soup, spicy and dairy-free.
- Aguadito de polloA green cilantro and rice soup, Peru’s favorite cure-all.
- 17 Best Peruvian Soups & StewsEvery classic Peruvian soup in one guide.
- 12 Peruvian Seafood DishesFrom ceviche to jalea, the seafood Peru is famous for.
Chile makes its own chupes too, thickened with bread and baked in clay dishes. Try the king-crab chupe de centolla or the Chilean chupe de mariscos. Just want recipes? Browse every Peruvian soup and stew recipe in one place.
Chupe de Camarones (Peruvian Shrimp Chowder)
Arequipa's famous shrimp chowder: a shrimp-head broth seasoned with ají panca, filled with yellow potatoes, corn, fava beans and rice, and finished with evaporated milk, queso fresco, huacatay and an egg poached in every bowl.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) head-on shrimp or whole crawfish
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 8 cups (2 liters) water
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons ají panca paste
- 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 medium tomato, grated, skin discarded
- 1/3 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) yellow potatoes or Yukon Golds, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 ears choclo or sweet corn, each cut into 3 wheels
- 1 cup peeled fava beans (frozen is fine) or lima beans
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 6 large eggs
- 6 oz (170 g) queso fresco, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 can (12 oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh huacatay, or 1 tablespoon huacatay paste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley or cilantro, to garnish
- Rocoto sauce, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp. Twist the heads off the shrimp and peel the tails, leaving 6 whole for garnish if you like. Devein. Keep the heads and shells; refrigerate the peeled shrimp.
- Make the stock. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the heads and shells and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and pressing the heads with a wooden spoon, until bright orange. Add the water and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids. You should have about 7 cups.
- Cook the aderezo. In a large Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Cook the onion 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ají panca paste, ají amarillo paste (if using), cumin and oregano and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens and the oil turns red. Add the grated tomato and cook 3 minutes more.
- Simmer the base. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice, potatoes and corn. Lower to a steady simmer and cook 12 minutes.
- Add the beans. Add the fava beans and peas and simmer 5 to 8 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the potatoes and the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Poach the eggs. Lower the heat so the broth barely bubbles. Crack the eggs one at a time into the soup, spacing them apart. Cover and cook without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set.
- Finish the chupe. Slip in the shrimp and the queso fresco and cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink. Gently stir in the evaporated milk and heat through for about 2 minutes without letting the soup boil. Stir in the huacatay, then taste and adjust the salt.
- Serve. Ladle into deep bowls so each gets an egg, a wheel of corn, potatoes and shrimp. Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve rocoto sauce on the side.
Notes
Shrimp: Arequipa uses camarón de río, a freshwater shrimp. Whole crawfish are the closest US match; if they are precooked, add them in the last 2 minutes just to heat through. With peeled shrimp, add 1 cup fish stock or clam juice to the broth.
Huacatay: 1 tablespoon jarred huacatay paste replaces the fresh leaves. Without either, use equal parts chopped mint and cilantro.
Keep it below a boil once the milk goes in, or the milk can split and the shrimp turn rubbery.
Make ahead: The stock and aderezo keep 1 day in the fridge. Add the vegetables, eggs, shrimp and milk just before serving.
Chupe de Camarones FAQ
Is chupe de camarones spicy?
Only mildly. Ají panca is more smoky than hot. The heat in Arequipa comes from rocoto served on the side, so everyone can add as much as they like.
Is chupe de camarones Peru’s national dish?
No. That title belongs to ceviche. Chupe de camarones is the signature dish of Arequipa and one of the best-loved soups in the country. See our guide to the national dish of every Latin American country.
What is the difference between chupe and chowder?
Both are creamy soups with potatoes, but chupe starts with a shrimp-head stock and a chile aderezo instead of a flour roux, gets its body from potatoes and rice, and is finished with evaporated milk, fresh cheese and a poached egg.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Head-on frozen shrimp are ideal because you still get the heads for stock. With peeled shrimp, use the shells you have and add a cup of fish stock or clam juice to the broth.
What can I use instead of huacatay?
Jarred huacatay paste is the easiest option. Without it, use equal parts chopped fresh mint and cilantro with a few basil leaves.
Can I make chupe de camarones ahead?
Make the stock and the aderezo up to a day ahead and refrigerate them separately. Add the vegetables, eggs, shrimp and milk just before serving, since the shrimp overcook and the rice goes soft if the finished soup sits.
When is chupe de camarones season in Peru?
From April through December. River shrimp fishing is closed from early January to March 31 each year while the shrimp breed, so the best chupe in Arequipa is eaten after the season reopens.
Sources
- El Comercio: Chupe de camarones, cómo se convirtió en emblema de Arequipa
- Diario Correo: Arequipa y los siete chupes que se comen durante la semana
- La Prensa Regional: Veda del camarón de río inicia el 3 de enero de 2026
- IMARPE: Pesquería y condición biológica del camarón Cryphiops caementarius en ríos de Arequipa
- Wikipedia (Spanish): Chupe de camarones
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.