Eat Peru

With a variety of unique and delicious flavors, fresh crops and meat, and vibrant culture, Peru has become a popular destination for gastronomic tourism. Peruvian cuisine has been influenced by many different cultures and is continuously gaining recognition for it’s fresh and delicious taste while impacting the world on a daily basis, although, it is not always easy to notice how food can affect our day to day lives. Today, we visited Urban Kitchen in Lima, Peru and had the opportunity to cook and eat our own authentic Peruvian meal while learning of the impacts that come along with Peru’s food movement.

First up on the menu is cebiche, one of Peru’s signature dishes. This dish is made of fish (typically flounder or sea bass), lime juice, onion, sweet potatoes, cilantro, and corn, with other ingredients based on preference. Cebiche is served with leche de tigre, which is a blended liquid made of celery, onion, fish, cilantro, and ginger and then poured into the serving dish along with cebiche. Served alongside cebiche, is causa with prawns, huancaina sauce, octopus, and black olive sauce. Next is potatoes, the powerhouse crop of Peruvian dishes that is also native to Peru. Potatoes are a necessary asset to many Peruvian dishes including the ones that we made at Urban Kitchen which were Aji de Gallina, a dish made up of chicken, onion, garlic, black olives, and eggs covered in yellow chili paste and Lomo Saltado, a dish made up of beef, garlic, tomatoes, scallions, and onion served with rice with corn and potatoes.

So how does Peruvian food affect the rest of the economy? Farmers and fishermen who grow the crops or catch the fish used in these signature dishes are affected tremendously. Without their work growing and catching the fresh ingredients that make these Peruvian dishes the best they can be, Peru would be no different than other countries who do not use fresh produce. With the need for these fresh ingredients, farmers and fisherman always have work as well. Peru is a leading organic exporter and use many organic ingredients in their dishes, making many meals vegan friendly, leading to a fairly healthy diet among Peruvians. With the expanded options and interest among Peruvian cuisine, Peru is becoming known as a culinary destination, bringing in many tourists and money for the economy.