[rideit]

Who here is familiar with it?
Any good Peruvian restaurants near you?
http://www.artperucuisine.com/
http://www.culturalexpeditions.com/culinary_history.html

 

[partsbara]

my wife and i hit a peruvian rest on our wedding day...

unbelievable... we usually favour thai / indian etc, but it was outstanding... i ll be back for more at the first given opportunity...

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

me..
my favourites dishes are "aji de gallina", "arroz con mariscos", "ceviche de conchas negras" y "parihuela"....
oh yeah, and the "chicha morada", that drink made from purple corn....

 

[Tenchiro]

I can't say that I have ever had Peruvian food, but there is a good Columbian place nearby that I enjoy.

 

[stinkyboy]

me..
my favourites dishes are "aji de gallina", "arroz con mariscos", "ceviche de conchas negras" y "parihuela"....
oh yeah, and the "chicha morada", that drink made from purple corn....

Any good Peruvian restaurants near you?

 

[stinkyboy]

I can't say that I have ever had Peruvian food, but there is a good Columbian place nearby that I enjoy.

 

[riverside73]

not sure what Peruvian food consists of, but if it's anything like El Salvadorian cuisine, it's probably pretty good. At at a place in Vallejo CA, no english written or spoken there, not sure what I ordered and upon eating it...not sure what I was eating either. But it sure was good!!

 

[James]

Wow, it's soooo good. When I got back from Peru a couple of years ago, I was astonished to learn that there was a Peruvian resturant in my town. Weird. I could get my fix there, though they didn't serve cuoy, or however you spell guinea pig in Spainish.
Lomo Saltado is my favorite. With a Pisco sour on the side, of course.
Still want to get down there with my bike...

JJames

 

[JRB]

nope.

 

[OGRipper]

Yeah good stuff, there are a couple in SF. Here's a short description of Fresca:

The Food
Get ready to savor authentic Peruvian food, with warm spice undertones and citrusy sauces. To start, halibut seviche, marinated in ginger and lime, is a perfect marriage of light and tangy. Fish entrees are also excellent, especially a crispy, slightly sweet soy-roasted trout served with a generous topping of prawns, roasted onions and tomatoes. Meat eaters should opt for fall-apart tender adobo pork; there are also strips of sirloin steak sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and served with fries. For dessert, splurge on creamy rice pudding or chocolate cake.

 

[Ciaran]

Yeah good stuff, there are a couple in SF. Here's a short description of Fresca:

The Food
Get ready to savor authentic Peruvian food, with warm spice undertones and citrusy sauces. To start, halibut seviche, marinated in ginger and lime, is a perfect marriage of light and tangy. Fish entrees are also excellent, especially a crispy, slightly sweet soy-roasted trout served with a generous topping of prawns, roasted onions and tomatoes. Meat eaters should opt for fall-apart tender adobo pork; there are also strips of sirloin steak sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and served with fries. For dessert, splurge on creamy rice pudding or chocolate cake.

Sounds like mexican food.

Is there really that much of a difference?

 

[rideit]

In General, it is nothing like any other south American cuisine. Colombia would have one or two similar dishes, but on the whole a different beast. After my next pocoloco tour (May 7-14th, anyone?) I may be studying gastronimic techniques at a retaurant in Lima owned by a friend of mine, it is called La Gloria. I'm stoked!
James, do you know about my bike trips?
www.pocolocotours.com

 

[Ciaran]

In General, it is nothing like any other south American cuisine. Colombia would have one or two similar dishes, but on the whole a different beast. After my next pocoloco tour (May 7-14th, anyone?) I may be studying gastronimic techniques at a retaurant in Lima owned by a friend of mine, it is called La Gloria. I'm stoked!
James, do you know about my bike trips?
www.pocolocotours.com

How is it different?

Seriously. I have been to a Brazilian restaurant, and Argentina restaurant and a cuban place... they all seem to have about the same food.

 

[rideit]

Sounds like mexican food.

Is there really that much of a difference?

It is absolutely nothing like Mexican, really in any way at all. Anymore than Italian is like spanish food, cause' they are both in europe. (They are also 6000 miles apart or so...)
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world. Thanks to its pre-Incan and Inca heritage and to Spanish, African, French, Sino-Cantonese, Japanese and Italian immigration (mainly throughout the 19th century) it combines the flavors of four continents. With this eclectic variety of traditional dishes, the Peruvian culinary arts are in constant evolution, and impossible to list in their entirety. Suffice it to mention that along the Peruvian coast alone there are more than two thousand different types of soups, and that there are more than 250 traditional desserts.

There are many restaurants specializing in Peruvian cuisine in many different cities throughout the world.

The great variety in Peruvian cuisine stems from three major influences:

Peru's unique geography
Peru's openness and blending of distinct races and cultures
The incorporation of ancient cuisine into modern Peruvian cuisine.
Contents [hide]
1 Granary of the world
2 Cultivation of ancient plants
3 Regional differences
3.1 The cuisine of the coast
3.2 The cuisine of Lima
3.3 The cuisine of the Andes
3.4 The cuisine of the jungle
4 El Chifa
5 Some typical main dishes of Peruvian cuisine
6 Some other dishes which are more confined to regional areas
7 Sweet dishes and desserts
8 Beverages
8.1 Soft Drinks
8.2 Alcoholic Drinks
9 References
10 External links
10.1 Photo credits



[edit]
Granary of the world

Ceviche de mariscos.
Pisco sour
Small alfajores"Peru is one of the most important countries on planet Earth, because of the great wealth of its natural resources and its contribution to the well-being of the world. Without it, the world would be poor and famished."

- Antonio Brack Egg
Peru is considered one of the most important centers of the world's genetic diversity:

Maize, 35 varieties
Tomatoes, 15 species
Potatoes, 4000 varieties
Sweet potatoes, 2016 varieties
Fruit, 650 native species
Bananas large number of species
Fish, 2000 species of fish, both freshwater and saltwater (more than any other country on Earth)
From Peru, the Spanish brought back to Europe foods which would become staples for many peoples around the world.

Potatoes: Potatoes, originally from Peru, were considered livestock feed in Europe until French chemist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier began serving dishes made from the tubers at his lavish banquets. His guests were immediately convinced that potatoes were fit for human consumption. Parmentier's introduction of the potato is still discussed in Europe today.
Maize: Maize is native to all of Central and South America.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes were introduced to Europe from Latin America.
and many other food products.
From its interaction with Africa through Spain, Peru imported diverse foods such as bananas, and yams.

[edit]
Cultivation of ancient plants

Grains of Quinoa
Empanadas
Causa
Carne mechada
Anticuchos
Papa rellena
Cau Cau (at position 3 o'clock on the plate)
Ocopa
Yuca chupe
The pachamanca is served
PicaronesSome plants that have been cultivated by the ancient societies of Peru have now been rediscovered by modern Peruvians and are carefully studied by scientists. Due to the characteristics of its land and climate and due to the nutritional quality of its products, some Peruvian plants will play a vital role in the nutrition of the future: this is true for quinoa, which is an excellent source of essential amino acids, and kañiwa which appear to be and are prepared like cereals but are not cereals. Root vegetables such as maca and real cereals like kiwicha are also plants nutritionists are researching today.

For many of Peru's inhabitants, these foodstocks allow for adequate nutrition even though living standards are poor. The abandoning of many of these staples during the Spanish domination and republican eras has brought down nutritional levels in the country.

Some of these foodstocks have been used since 1985 by NASA for astronaut food, like quinoa, kiwicha and maca.

[edit]
Regional differences
[edit]
The cuisine of the coast
The Pacific Ocean is the principal source of aquatic resources for Peru. Peru is one of the world's top two producers and exporters of fishmeal for use in livestock feed. Its richness in fish and other aquatic life is enormous, and many oceanic plant and animal species can only be found in Peru. As important as the Pacific is to Peru's biodiversity, freshwater biomes such as the Amazon River and Lake Titicaca also play a large role in the ecological make-up of the country.

Every coastal region, being distinct in flora and fauna populations, adapts its cuisine in accordance to the resources available in its waters.

Ceviche, with its many different variations (pure, combination, or mixed with fish and shellfish) is a good example of this regional adaptation. The chupe de camarones (shrimp soup) is one of the most sophisticated dishes of Peruvian coastal cuisine. It is made from a thick shrimp stock soup, potatoes, milk and chili pepper.

[edit]
The cuisine of Lima
A center of immigration, Lima has incorporated unique dishes brought there from other regions and cultures. Since the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, Peru has received many waves of immigrants: African, European, Chinese, and Japanese. Besides international immigration—a large portion of which happened in Lima—there has been, since the second half of the 20th century, a strong internal flow from rural areas to cities, in particular to Lima. This has strongly influenced Lima's cuisine with the incorporation of the immigrant's ingredients and techniques (for example, the Chinese extensive use of rice or the Japanese approach to preparing raw fish).

Creole cuisine is the most widespread in this cosmopolitan city. Some international cuisines with a large presence include Chinese (known locally as Chifa) and Italian. The city's ubiquitous bakeries are another culinary treasure.

[edit]
The cuisine of the Andes
In the valleys and plains of the Andes, the locals' diet continues to be based on corn (maize), potatoes, and an assortment of tubers as it has been for many hundreds of years. Meat comes from indigenous animals like alpacas and guinea pigs, but also from imported livestock like sheep and swine.

As with many rural cultures, most of the more elaborate dishes were reserved for festivities, while daily meals were simple affairs. Nowadays, the festive dishes are consumed every day, although they tend to be on the heavy side and demand a large appetite.

The pachamanca is a very special banquet in and of itself. Cooked all over the Andean region of Peru, is made from a variety of meats (including pork and beef), herbs and a variety of vegetables that are slowly cooked underground on a bed of heated stones. It demands skillful cooks to create and a large number of guests to consume. Because of its tedious preparation it is normally only done for celebrations or festivals in the Andes.

Andean cooking's main freshwater fish is the trout, raised in fisheries in the region.

Currently, ostrich meat is being raised from farms in Arequipa, although its consumption is not widespread and limited to urban areas.

[edit]
The cuisine of the jungle
Naturally, jungle cuisine is made using the products local to the area. Although many animal species are hunted for food in the biologically diverse jungle, two standouts are the paiche (the world's largest freshwater fish) and turtles. Hunting turtles is prohibited in Peru, therefore turtle-based dishes are scarce and expensive and not sold à la carte in restaurants.

Among the fruits of Peru's jungle is the camu camu, which contains 40 times more vitamin C than the kiwi. Exotic fruits such as mango and pineapple are also in abundance.

[edit]
El Chifa
Chifa is the Peruvian term for Chinese food (or for a Chinese restaurant). In the 150 years since their arrival in Peru, the Chinese Peruvian culture has revolutionized Peruvian cuisine, gaining international recognition from those who have had the opportunity to sample it while visiting Peru.

Chifa reflects a fusion by Chinese Peruvians of the products that the Chinese brought with them to those that they found in Peru, and later cultivated themselves. Even some creole dishes such as tacu-tacu, lomo saltado, and arroz chaufa were influenced by the Chinese.

In downtown Lima, on Capón Street, is the barrio chino (Chinatown). The great variety of savory and sweet dishes there, with different types of meats, vegetables, and soups, created a new culinary alternative for Peruvians.

 

[Ciaran]

It is absolutely nothing like Mexican, really in any way at all. Anymore than Italian is like spanish food, cause' they are both in europe. (They are also 6000 miles apart or so...)

Well south america is a bit more homogenous than europe. but still, tell me about the food... there are a ton of places to eat around here. if it's good I should go try it!

 

[BurlyShirley]

Peruvian, Mexican, Colombian...whatever.

 

[rideit]

Read this: it is an excellent overview.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_Cuisine

 

[James]

In General, it is nothing like any other south American cuisine. Colombia would have one or two similar dishes, but on the whole a different beast. After my next pocoloco tour (May 7-14th, anyone?) I may be studying gastronimic techniques at a retaurant in Lima owned by a friend of mine, it is called La Gloria. I'm stoked!
James, do you know about my bike trips?
www.pocolocotours.com

Mmm, Peruvian food.
No, hadn't seen your site before. Very tempting, hmm...
When is your next trip, same time this year? I went in early Feb a couple of years ago, not the best biking weather, but it was pretty pleasant. Is it mostly singletrack, doubletrack, dirt roads?

 

[Changleen]

Sounds pretty good to me! Damn I'm hungry now.

 

[rideit]

Mmm, Peruvian food.
No, hadn't seen your site before. Very tempting, hmm...
When is your next trip, same time this year? I went in early Feb a couple of years ago, not the best biking weather, but it was pretty pleasant. Is it mostly singletrack, doubletrack, dirt roads?

I do a variety of trips...one could include THREE 12,000 foot downhills, almost all singletrack, in one week. I will be doing a trip again I hope in August, and maybe one around the holidays. Feb. is actually a good time to ride the big coastal dowhills, where april-Sept. is good up in the Sierras, Cuzco, macchu Picchu, etc. In their winter, Mancora and the north has great weather and surfing, and some riding as well.
I will probably also be going to Huaraz this year...singletrack @ more than 15,500 feet!

 

[jdcamb]

I have had in NYC. I usually get adobo pork and a roasted potato and corn dish. I have eaten a lot of other dishes but was not exactly sure what I was eating. It was all good and cheap. Since they don't speak english and the menu is in spanish it kind of limits my choices. Peruvian and Ecudoarian places are all the rage in Toronto also.

 

[rideit]

Peruvian, Mexican, Colombian...whatever.

'Obtuse' looks good on you. (unless that was sarcasm)