A Tour of Peruvian Cuisine

On a non microfinance-related note, I now understand why Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of South America. I don’t eat nearly as well in New York as I did last week in Lima– I can’t afford it! But each meal was a real treat. We arrived Friday and our IPA colleagues took us to an indulging dinner at T’anta, one of Gaston Acurio’s restaurants, a famous Peruvian chef. I ordered tacu tacu with shrimp, Gason’s take on a typical mashed rice and beans dish. Saturday involved a tour of central Lima and Chinatown and a chifa (Peruvian Chinese) lunch, which was a buffet offering an interesting mix of Peruvian and Chinese food, including ceviche, tofu stir fry, fried rice, papa a la huancaina, and sweet and sour cuy (guinea pig)! On Sunday we went to Barranco, an artsy neighborhood in Lima that has a market with booths serving typical foods from all the different regions of Peru – the coast, the mountains the jungle… our group ordered a variety of plates so that we could all taste the different dishes. They included tacu tacu; a rice and chicken mixture wrapped and cooked in banana leaves; bolitas de yucca, stuffed with cheese and fried; corn tamales; green rice with vegetables and chicken; and an impressive spread of desserts, including the ever-present suspiro – a pudding type substance made of condensed milk, sugar and eggs and topped with a merengue. On Monday we went out to a special IPA bonding meal at La Mar, Chef Gaston’s cevicheria. The seafood was incredibly fresh and creatively prepared. Among the delicious spread we had a parilla (grill) of octopus and calamari, a tuna ceviche in an asian sesame sauce, and a variety of causas, a traditional dish of finely mashed potatoes with a variety of filling layers – in this case, seafood. Tuesday we had a typical menú lunch, where I tried ahi de gallina, chicken with rice and potato in a traditional huancaina (bread, chilli, milk and peanut) sauce. For dinner we had wonderfully fresh sushi. Most meals came with the ubiquitous chicha morena, a sweet juice drink made out of purple corn – an acquired taste that has grown on me (I prefer it to Inca Kola, the other national beverage which is a soft drink that tastes like bubble gum). Before I came to Peru, I don't think I had seen corn with kernels so big before. Is your mouth watering yet?

As fun as it was to eat and go out on the town in Lima, I’m happy to be back in Cusco, where the sun shines and people are tranquila.

Comments

[Jessica]

Anna, the food sounds amazing. Tell me have you tried any unusual fruits?
:)

[Peru Tours]

Hehehe it seems you have passed nice moments eating some good peruvian dishes.
BTW, the time you came to Lima i recomend you to visit the cevicheria "La Red", (3rd block of Av. La Mar in Miraflores), they have such delicious meals!

And only 3 blocks from that restaurant, you will find an Anticuchera (not anticucheria , that is actually a restaurant, anticuchera is a street vendor that sells Anticuchos), yeah theres a skinny woman with old glasses and white clothes that all nights prepares anticuchos, this anticuchos are one of the bests of the entire city.

:D greetings!