From a food
perspective we must be one of the luckiest countries on Earth. Exotic fruits
and delicate Amazon; seemingly endless varieties of pulses, tubers and root
plants from the Andean heartlands, and succulent
shellfish plucked straight from the cold water of the south Pacific, all come
together in the country’s countless restaurants to produce one of the world’s
most divine cuisines.
But it’s not all just
down to the ingredients. Our traditions have been shaped by a multitude of cultural
influences too. The first civilizations in the Americas on the Peruvian coast
developed many techniques of harnessing the bounties of the ocean, as well as
trading with people from the jungle and sierra to acquire supplementary
flavors. Later, as civilization flourished in the Andes, ever more inventive
agricultural systems evolved. The Incas, in particular, were masters of
successfully managing food production and distribution throughout their empire.
Since the Spanish
conquest, several waves of immigrants have infused our cuisine with new
flavors, ingredients and styles to create unique combinations and to
characterize the criollo style of
cuisine (or Peruvian “creole” food) that embodies the best known dishes today -
all long before “fusion cuisine” became a popular term
While the Spaniards
brought Mediterranean olives and citrus, they also introduced Moorish
influences such as frying techniques and new spices such as cinnamon and
cloves. More recently, Chinese immigrants fused their influences with criollo cooking to create a range of
dishes classified as Chifa, which combined Chinese techniques such as stir fry
with Peruvian ingredients. Descended from Japanese settlers, the Nikkei style has most notably entailed mastering
the preparation of fresh raw fish. Other influences range from as far afield as
Africa and other countries in Europe and Latin
America.
Internal migration
has also helped to make the capital city Lima the gastronomic center that it is
today. Many regional styles from around the country were transported to the
city during the last few decades as millions of people moved to Lima in search
of work, producing a cauldron of innovation and cultural cross- pollination.
Modern cuisine has
been shaped by the recent refinement of culinary technique, particularly in
Lima. The establishment of chef schools such as Le Cordon Bleu is producing a
young generation of chefs and culinary experts and they are surprising local
and foreign connoisseurs alike by applying new techniques and presenting dishes
in ever more innovative ways.
The result of Peru’s unique combination of history,
geography and climate is a modern gastronomic culture that is growing in
reputation across the world. And with its beauty, diversity and true essence
derived from the freshness and
locality of the ingredients, there is no better place to sample Peruvian
cuisine than in the country itself.
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