Peruvian Culinary Wonders

By Branton Worrell, CRC, Contributing Editor

Once seated at the restaurant Astrid & Gastón in Lima, Peru, we were given our menus and greeted with these words on the inside cover:

Peru, country of a thousand tales

To live and to tell

Peru, country of unlimited ingredients,

Of many cuisines, of infinite dishes and flavors

Peru, country that the world is just starting to discover

If you dont recognize the name of the restaurant, dont worry, few do. I didnt until just before my 2008 trip. This restaurant and its chef, Gastón Acurio, wereand still areon the front lines of a Peruvian food revolution (some would say revelation") to show the world Peruvian cuisine as never seen before.

Defining factors

The world is starting to finally see and taste not only the ancient cultures of Peru, but the cuisine that has sustained its people over many millennia. If one is to define Peruvian cuisine, one must look in two places: Perus geography and history. Perus history, like its geography, is a complex subject. Like Peruvian rivers that start in the lush tropical rain forests of the Andes Mountains to the east and head west to the Pacific running through the dry, arid plains on the coast; these rivers run like Perus ever-changing history: long, winding, but never stopping until they reach the ocean."

I dont know the author of this passage. I would like to think Chef Acurio penned these inspiring words, but there was no signature at the end to signify this. I will say that whomever did write these words could not have summed up better what is going on now in Peru.

A series of cultural factors helped define the shape of todays Peruvian cuisine. The Incas, who absorbed many Andean communities as the empire grew, started the first organized agricultural system in Peru during their reign from the 13th through 15th centuries, growing corn, potatoes and high-protein grains like quinoa in terraced plots cut into the mountainsides. The Spanish followed with their rich European influences.

The last wave of immigrants to make an indelible mark on the modern cuisine of Peru came in the mid- to late-19th century. Slaves from Africa, followed by Chinese and later Japanese laborers, were brought over to work the fields and mines of Peru. Their influences helped Peruvian cuisine separate and define itself from other regional cuisines.

Collectively, these influencesfrom pre-Columbian society through the Incan civilization and its Spanish conquerors, to African and Asian influences and beyondcreated what is known in Peru as criollo cooking. This method uses earthen pots and remains active to this day. Dishes such as sancochado criolloa hearty stew of vegetables and meat, with the broth served separatelystill exemplify this tradition.

Flavors of Peru

Common ingredients found in todays Peruvian cuisine run the gamut from the Incas New-World ingredients, such as hot peppers, tomatoes and squash, to pork, beef, rice and citrus fruits from Europe. Add ingredients, such as onions, garlic and fermented sauces, brought by Asian transplants, and you have a complex palette of ingredients to choose from.

One point to note: Peruvians use meat sparingly, something theyve done since the time of the Incas. With such a varied plant-based bounty, anchored by potatoes, and little grassland for large domesticated animals, there really wasnt a need for a lot of animal protein in the diet. Meat tends to be a smaller portion of a complete dish; potatoes, vegetables and grains become the main focus of the modern diet.

One dish I had several times, lomo saltado, really brings together all the classic elements of Peruvian food and culture. This dish was comprised originally of chopped beef, generally lesser cuts, from Spain, and was eaten by the always-resourceful African slaves. The french fries that accompany the dish are a combination of an Old-World technique and New-World ingredients. Take onions, garlic and soy sauce, a stir-fry method of cooking from Asia, and some local vegetables and fresh ají amarillos (yellow Peruvian chiles), and you have in front of you modern Peru on a plate.

Cevichenothing more Peruvian comes to mind than this single dish, a very simple dish at heart. It combines raw fish with citrus juices that denature, or cook," the proteins in the fish. Today you find it everywhere on menus across the globe. Peruvians will tell you they developed this dish from the citrus fruits carried by the Spanish to prevent scurvy on their long sea voyages to the New World. Others say it came from the Spanish by way of the Polynesian islands.

Whatever the case may be, few would argue that some of the best ceviches in the world come from Peru. Why? It has to do with Peru being in the perfect place on the South American continentand possibly in the worldfor fresh seafood. The Humboldt Current runs up along the coast of Chile, bringing with it plankton, krill and small shrimp, among other marine life that thrives in the deep, cold waters of the Antarctic. Before the current churns upward and hits just off the Peruvian coast, it brings heavy rains to the Andes, providing Peru with lush rain forests. These occurrences combine to bring a rich cycle of life to the area. The years of Americas exposure to sushi have made it that much easier for ceviche to gain momentum in our culinary repertoire.

One flavor I discovered in Peru and think is poised to make a splash stateside is the ají panca pepper. Ají means pepper" in Peru, and many different ají chiles are found there, each with its own distinctive taste. These ají chiles range in heat levels, from the hot ají mono eaten by those in the rainforest to the more moderately hot ají amarillo, which are eaten by most Peruvians on a daily basis in sauces and seasonings.

My favorite, the ají panca, runs more on the moderate sidedeep-red and meaty with the heat of a jalapeño, it is a fruity pepper compared to the other ají chiles. It has an almost smoky characteristic, similar to chipotle peppers, combined with the sweetness of ancho peppers. Not only is it fun to say ají panca!" but it is fun to experiment with because of its moderate heat level and distinctive taste. I believe the ají panca is perfect for the American palatenot too hot, and sweet and smoky to boot. People are always asking me about the next big chile coming down the pike, and over the past few years my answer has always been the ají panca of Peru.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, otherwise known as Nobu, fired the first Peruvian-inspired culinary shots heard around the world. Beginning with his first restaurant in Lima, and continuing with his current global restaurant empire, he opened the door for the rest of us to try ceviche and other Peruvian flavors. If ají panca or ají amarillo sounded familiar but you just couldnt put your finger on where you saw it, chances are you have Nobu to thank.

Ají chiles go into many common Peruvian dishes, including causa rellena, a type of stuffed potato. It highlights the countrys popular yellow potatoes (similar to Yukon gold) and, in addition to the chiles, the dish often includes avocado and chicken. Another popular food that uses the famous Peruvian duo of ají chiles and potatoes is papa a la HuancaínaPerus take on cheesy potatoes (albeit on the spicy side), served cold.

Perus culinary ambassador

The most notable chef in Peru is probably Gastón Acurio. You wont find a person in Peru looked upon more like a rock star. Starting with the opening of Astrid & Gastón with his wife, Astrid, this Peruvian-born chef has done a tremendous job promoting Peruvian cuisine. He has a slew of cookbooks and a cooking show that airs weekly in Peru.

From its inception, the original Astrid & Gastón in Lima is considered by many as one of the top restaurants in the world. So what do you do when youre on top of the Peruvian culinary world? Open a chain of Astrid & Gastóns, running from Argentina to Spain and several places in between. Then you go out and start a more-casual dining concept called La Mar, basing it on a Peruvian cebicheria, or seafood restaurant, and start opening restaurants from San Francisco to Santiago, Chile, stopping off in several places along the way. Lunch at La Mar in Lima was one of the best meals Ive ever had. Everything at Acurios restaurants is either an authentic Peruvian dish or inspired by a Peruvian dish using ingredients found in his home country. He is fanatic about presenting Peru to the world, this country of unlimited ingredients, of many cuisines, of infinite dishes and flavors.

My time in Peru was brief, but I will carry the memories of the food and people with me for a lifetime. The foods of Peru are primed for the American dining table. Not because of their simple and often familiar ingredients, but the way in which those ingredients have been combined throughout Perus long and complex history into a cuisine that, at its essence, is simple, yet complexjust like Peru itself.

Branton Worrell, CRC, is executive research chef for Illes Seasonings & Flavors, Carrollton, TX, and a member of the Research Chefs Association. For more information, visit illesseasonings.com.