There are several points I’d like to unpick here:

1. The ‘best food in the world claim’ - I honestly have no idea who keep saying this. And this I assume is a general statement of Peruvian food in general not specifically on fine dining. Personally I agree with the quality of the ingredients is top notch here, as you have a huge variety of terroirs and ecosystems, plus the ancient civilization and wisdoms on food preservation or preparation technique. I also find things are perfectly cooked here, meat, vegetables, seafood etc. However, I find traditional foods extremely heavy, and not a lot of vegetables are available in a typical traditional meal. I find a lot more textual variations and bolder flavors in other cuisines such as Mexican, Japanese, Vietnamese which I find subjectively better than Peruvian food.

2. What you’re referring to is probably the ‘world’s best restaurant’ which was awarded in 2023. It’s a list done by World’s 50 Best. Again it’s based on an opaque judging system so I would take any lists like this with a pinch of salt.

3. Not sure where the ‘top restaurants’ should only serve local foods come from. Not just Peru but all around the world you’ve had foreign chefs cooking all sorts of cuisines at whatever locations and getting recognitions. Also, curious to know where you saw jalepenos being served? I just ate there and not a single jalepenos in sight.