The informant relays the tradition of always bringing a gift–usually a dessert– to Peruvian dinner parties.

A: If you’re invited to a dinner. You must bring something. Usually a dessert. 

L: That’s specifically a Peruvian thing too?

A: Some people bring like wine, or other gifts. You must bring a gift, if you’re not hosting. My mom always brought a fruit pie. All the time. Every single time. On the way there, she’d stop at a fucking Krogers and pie a fruit pie, like, “Alright hold it”.

Thoughts:

This tradition also exists in other cultures around the world. However, it’s interesting to see how something so practical has turned into a polite tradition. If someone spends all day cooking a dinner, it’s safe to assume they might not have time or energy to cook dessert. Plus, if someone spends a lot of money on preparing the food and hosting the guests, it’s only polite to chip in monetarily by buying a desert. This tradition seems to be born out of a polite practicality.