By:Abigail Castro and Kia Scales

      Peru is located in  South America. It is known as the third largest country, although it is slightly smaller than the state of Alaska. Peru is bounded on the S by Chile, on the E by Brazil and Bolivia, on the N by Ecuador and Colombia, and on the W by the Pacific Ocean. Peruvian cuisine is decided by the geography, the custom of the people, and  its climate of the country. The cuisine near the central coast is varied because of the immigration to the vice-royalty capital. Although the Creole cusine takes a big influence of Lima, and seafood is in their diet. Cioppino, a shrimp stew, is a very popular dish eaten.

     Peruvian Cusine is a unique,rich, and known as the best food in South America. They eat many different types of meat, spices, fruits and vegetables to cook their everyday meals. Some examples of  spices used to cook thier food is yellow aji pepper, red aji pepper, and red rocoto pepper. In Peru, potatoes are a huge vegetable used to create many of their meals. Over 200 potatoes are grown in Peru. Many of them come in a range of colors, from purple to blue and from yellow to brown. Aswell as the size, they come in many ranges. Some can be as big as an oranges and others are small as a nut.

     Peru like many other countries may eat typical meat, such as lamb, chicken, pork or fish. Although one dish that they eat most is Cuy Chactado, which is a guinea   pig. In Peru, they have a annual contest were the fattest, fastest, best dressed and also the tastiest guinea  pig are shown in a fashion show. They are shown to impress judges and the people. After the show, they are then baked, fried, or roasted over a fire. They are then served on a plate, with their paws, intestines, claws, and heads still attacked.

     There are many methods for preparing Purivan cuisine.Each traditional dish has its  unique method of cooking. One of the most inportant method for preparing the right dish is picking the best ingredients. Although, Peru food is not only based on flavor and taste. The visual attraction is very important, a combination between colors and proportion.  

Ceviche de Pescado -appetizer

 Ingredients

2 pounds of white fish (mahi mahi is an excellent choice)

1 cup of lime juice1 clove of crushed garlic 2 red peppers, diced 2 finely diced jalapeno peppers (to your preference) Salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely choppedBunch of finely chopped cilantro 2 lettuce leaves per plate 12 to 16 corn on the cobs cut into 2 inch pieces cooked as usual 3 or 4 sweet potatoes, boiled and peeled 6 to 8 lemons cut in half and placed in center of table

Preparation

1.       Wash and de-bone fish and cut in 1/2 inch chunks

2. Season with lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Let it marinade for 1 hour3. Add onion, jalapeno and red pepper, celery and cilantro. Marinade for 1 more hour4. Serve on a bed of lettuce and add two pieces of corn on the cob and a portion of the sweet potatoes 

Arroz Tapado-main dish

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oilLemon juice Salt 4 cups water 1 pound washed rice 1 onion, finely chopped 2 pound of slice steak 2 tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 4 tablespoons of raisins 5 black olives, chopped 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 tablespoon of finely minced parsley

Preparation

1. Sauté the garlic in oil, add a few drops of lemon juice, salt and the water and bring to a boil. Add rice and cook for 20-25 minutes or just tender

2. In other pan, stir in onions and sauté, add meat, tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, olives, egg and parsley 3. Take a one-cup glass measuring cup and coat the inside with a little oil. Fill halfway with rice, add some meat filling and add more rice to top of cup. Invert onto a plate and carefully remove cup.

Leche Asada- dessert

Ingredients

1 can of sweetened, condensed milk

1 can of evaporated milk1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 8 eggs, beaten ¼ cup water

Preparation

1. Mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, ½ cup of sugar, the vanilla and eggs

2. In a saucepan dissolve ½ cup sugar in ¼ cup of water and heat carefully until it becomes syrupy and slightly tan3. Pour the caramel in a glass baking dish and pour the milk mixture on top 4. Take a slightly larger glass dish and fill halfway with water. Place the dish with the milk mixture inside the larger dish and cover with foil. 5. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until custard is completely cooked 6. Serve slightly chilled

Pisco Sour -alcoholic drink

Ingredients1 egg white

1 tablespoon sugar1 glass of Pisco (Peruvian Brandy) Juice of 6 limes Chopped ice Angostura bitters

Preparation

1.       Beat the egg white and sugar in a blender

2. Add pisco, lime juice, ice and angostura bitters3. Mix well and pour into shot glasses     

Typical Peruvian dishes

Meals

Cuy Chactado is a dish that’s not so typical in America. If you never been to Peru you may not know what it is just from the named, but it is basically a fried guinea pig. It was known to be eaten by those of Incan royalty and still remains an important dish in Peru.Sometimes it is cut up in pieces but most likely you will eat it the entire thing (that means you’ll see head, feet etc.) grilled and served on a platter. Ensalada pallares is a salad of Peruvian Lima butter beans. The beans are boiled first than when it is cool it is mixed with tomatoes, chilies, onions, lime juice, vinegar. Rocoto relleno is stuffed Rocoto peppers. They are filled with meat onions, egg whites, olives, and sometimes nuts. Ceviche has many different variation depending on what restaurant you go to in Peru but is generally made with bite size chunks of raw white fish, or sea bass. The fish is marinated in lemon/lime juice, onions and chilies.

Desserts

Suspiro de Limeña is the most classic among desserts. It's a sweet milk caramel topped with meringue, and flavored with cinnamon and port wine. The Turrón de doña Pepa is an anise and honey nougat. Picarones is a deep fried, ring-shaped pumpkin fritter coated with molasses. This jelly-like dessert made from purple corn.

Influences on Peruvian food

The food after the Conquest...

After the arrival of the conquerors in 1533 a number of ingredients and culinary styles where brought from Europe and the rest of world that started the process of "Mestizaje". Among these new ingredients which became part of the native recipes were cows, hens and rabbits. Wheat was also brought and it took three years of conservation before it was actually used to make bread. As far as fruits and vegetables, lettuce, eggplants, onions, spinach, asparagus, cilantro, parsley and figs, oranges, limes, peaches, apples and cherries were also brought from Europe. Sugar cane which made possible the vast variety of desserts later is made. During this period, many Spanish recipes incorporated native ingredients such as maize, yams, potatoes, yucca and bananas.

Asian influence

One thing that surprises the tourist that visits Peru is the large amount of asian` restaurants. There are over 2000 Chinese restaurants called "chifas". Peru is by far the country with the most Chinese restaurants in Latin America. Between 1849 and 1874, 100,000 Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru. Right after this migration, the "fondas" or places where the Chinese used to eat were the first ones to appear around the Chinese neighborhoods. Later some restaurants started to open up but it was only 40 years ago that Chinese restaurants where opened in the residential areas and through out Peru. The food served in most of these restaurants is from the region of Canton, but in the latest years there are also foods from Beijing, Shanghai and Szechwan. Now days, every grocery market carries a section of Chinese ingredients that is mixed with the local ingredients and seafood from the Peruvian ocean.

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wikia.recipes.com 2-06-09

http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Peruvian_Cuisine

Peruvian Food,  February 5, 2009

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