Yes, the post I have been waiting to write…all about the incredible food I have been experiencing in the past 3 weeks.
HOME COOKING
I had the pleasure of staying with a Peruvian family the first 3 weeks, and got fed authentic homestyle dinners. All fresh produce and meats from the local markets in Los Olivos/San Martin de Porre. Most things came straight from the farm down the road and then directly to the kitchen.
Perú is the birthplace of the papa or potato (well, Chile according to others), but there are over 3,800 different species of potatoes here! First up is the delicious and humble huayro, which is yellow, very starchy with a fine crumbly texture. First meal I had in Perú included this dish of boiled huayro with a sauce of yellow aji (sauce made from peppers, can come in all colors and flavors, spicy or not), queso fresco (fresh cheese), milk, salt, and some soda crackers. Blended to perfection, then poured over boiled huayros, topped with a boiled egg. Mmm…
Next, chicken marinated with aji rojo. Very simple, just marinated and then covered in sauce and boiled over medium flame for about an hour. Tender and delicious…
Another beautiful papa (well it’s only distantly related actually), the camote, or commonly known as the sweet potato. My favorite, the flavor is so intense, it is not like any other sweet potato I have ever eaten. Just boiled, nothing more. So delish!
A beautiful side dish of nabo (daikon) sliced thinly, with thinly cut sweet peppers, marinated in vinegar with a little salt. Omg, my favorite side dish…daikons are so sweet and refreshing. Amazing (sorry can’t get the photo to rotate!)
Simple salad of boiled mixed veggies, sprinkled with lime juice and olive oil and a little salt.
Dinner next day: steamed tilapia filet in soy sauce (called sillao or see-yao…same as in Canto!) with green onions. Just like mom makes!
It was also the birthday one night of the daughter of Dr. Quino where I was staying. They had a surprisingly European menu: boiled mini potatoes, sausages, aji amarillo (yellow aji), green olives, bread, cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and lots and lots of alcohol, lol.
Let’s talk about fried food, cuz there are a lot of fried foods. Your typical breaded fish and chips as well as a mountain of grilled meats (tripe, stomach, cow heart…yum…) all served with a side of salad. Out with my friends in SJL one evening. To wash it all down, delicious drink of chicha, which are usually sweet fermented or unfermented drinks with lots of sugar made from fruits or corn. My fave is the chicha morada made from purple maize…omg, so refreshing and delish (not pictured here). Fantastic late night dinner!
If there is any national dish that represents the life and culture of Perú, I would hope it is ceviche. Raw and cooked seafood with citrus acid from the juice of limes or lemons, served freshly as the catch of the day. Ceviche is usually not served late in the day as the fish will not be as fresh…and most cevicherias don’t seem to be open that late anyways. Perfectly genius, if you ask me. Here we have I believe flounder with toasted Peruvian choclo or white corn, fried squid, a side of some sort of potato or yuca (?), and a scallop. Omg, so fresh it was still moving. Amazing flavor, all the taste of the ocean. You can see a glass of chicha morada here…the perfect lunch! All for about 11 soles, which is like $5!
Breakfast made by Erin! The big thing here is simple foods: sweet rice cooked with cloves and anis with condensed milk and topped with cinammon, and bread topped with queso fresco and avocado. Oh, and a cup of coffee and some bananas. Yummo!
Yes, there is Asian food here. We went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch! Sushi was super fresh! Chicken udon noodles, yum…
And chicken fried rice or chaufa con pollo as they call it here!
I found all the ingredients to make my own Chinese dinners too! Just your regular pork and mushroom noodles, wonton soup and chicken stir-fry with black bean sauce.
Here was a French style cafe where I had a chicken salad sandwich with a side of potato salad and a latte. Very good, the baguette was light and crispy, yum!
Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian dish that traditionally was cooked in the ground using hot rocks and leaves from a banana tree or other bigger tree. It’s so cool, every great culture has some similar type of cooking food in the ground or wrapped in leaves of some sort. My friend Erin invited me over to join her at the house of her friend Marisola, who lives north of SJL. They are such a wonderful family. I got to spend the day with her family in a house that they designed and built themselves. This is where Marisola and her family lived:
Made from lots of different meats, veggies and papas, Pacamancha is representative of the type of rich and savory cooking that really is indicative of a sophisticated appreciation for good food.
First, wash and scrub the papas: we have camotes, yuca and I can’t recall the name of the second type of potatoes.
Then scrub and peel your fava beans or habas.
Use plenty of green marinada de cilantro for your meats. Cut your meats into equally sized portions. Today we are using pork, beef and chicken, yum!
Cut a slit into the potatoes and also fill with marinade. Genius cooking here…
We also have a side of choclo, steamed in a separate pot.
You layer all the ingredients, meats on the bottom, into a large pot. When cooking on the stove, you want to put a layer of plastic with some water on top so it steams your food. It adds moisture and is the same principle as wrapping the food in a leaf.
Next we make our drink. This fruit comes from the Peruvian jungle and is called Maracuyá. It’s such a cool looking fruit! It looks like a citrus fruit, and is completely acidic and sour. You cut the maracuyá in half and scrape out the insides. Put it all in a blender with a bit of water and blend well. Using a sieve, you filter the sediments out, pressing out every last bit of flavor with a spoon. Then add more water and sugar. Mix and serve the deliciousness.
How do you know that your pacamancha is ready? By the smell. In about an hour, the kitchen starts to fill with the most delicious aroma. It was pretty much exactly and hour on the dot. Serve with rice. It was truly an unforgettable and beautiful experience, one of my favorite days in Lima so far. Must really thank Marisola, her family and also Erin for bringing me along to witness such an incredible process.
I’ve yet to touch much on dessert and sweets, but will get to that in my next post. But will just leave you with a few of the more popular and ubiquitous chocolate you can find here in Lima.
¡Buen provecho! Enjoy your meal!
"Almost 1 year" in Peru 