Global Cuisines and Cultures: Peru Trip

Grilled AlpacaOur first day in Lima began with an early morning lecture from Professor Rosario Olivas Weston, from the University of San Martin de Porres, just a few minutes away. She gave us an informative talk on the diversity and history of Peruvian cuisine, and I thought it was a great way to get all of the students excited about the days to come.

Professor Rosario Olivas Weston led us through a lecture on the history of Peruvian gastronomy.The information given to us in the lecture would be put to good use sooner than we thought

 

Our welcoming lunch was at La Huaca Pucllana, a restaurant overlooks the Pucllana archeological site, created by a pre-Incan civilization in the 5th century. We were served multiple courses of amazing food which highlighted the diversity of Peruvian cuisine, all in an open-air dining room looking out at the incredible remains of the ancient civilization. For many of us, this was our first introduction to uniquely Peruvian foods, which included cuy, alpaca, and even cherimoya, all presented in elegant and beautiful dishes.

 

Cuy is a traditional Peruvian dish of guinea pig. This upscale version was deep fried and served with plantains
Cuy is a traditional Peruvian dish of guinea pig. This upscale version was deep fried and served with plantains

 

Cherimoya, or custard apple, is a deliciously sweet fruit. Here it was prepared with hazelnut and encased in a white chocolate shell
Cherimoya, or custard apple, is a deliciously sweet fruit. Here it was prepared with hazelnut and encased in a white chocolate shell

 

La Hauca Pucllana is located near the remains of an ancient pre-Incan civilization

 

This is us! After lunch, we had the opportunity to relax at the hotel for an hour or two. We took this opportunity to check out the surrounding neighborhood of Miraflores.

 

There was a park just a few blocks from the hotel that provided a safe spot for cats to roam, and you could even adopt them if you wanted to. Dinner was at La Mar, and this restaurant specializes in another traditional Peruvian dish ceviche. We were led through a demo on how to make this classic dish, and then made our own.We concluded the night with plenty of food and drink. Our first day in Peru was off to a great start!

 

By Dan Salisbury

Dan Salisbury
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