200,000 people are expected to attend Mistura this year. Photo: ANDINA/Gustavo Sánchez

The friendly policeman had some good advice. We had asked him where to find a group of restaurants at the Mistura food fair. He pointed the restaurants out on a map and then added, “Don’t eat too much.”

That is the temptation, especially at Mistura, where the gods of Peruvian food descend once a year to serve their specialty plates to the masses. And Peruvians, alongside foreigners, do turn up in large numbers for the event, now in its third year in Lima, Peru’s bustling capital.

Founded by Gaston Acurio, a chef who has spearheaded the popularization of Peruvian cuisine, Mistura brings together small stands run by the chefs of popular restaurants, alongside displays and sales outlets of things like gnarly, snakelike potatoes, pink and orange corn, or organic coffees. Racks of meat grill in the open air, while long lineups form by those wanting a plate of marinated fish, the venerated ceviche, made by chef Javier Wong, whose tiny restaurant in a run-down section of Lima doesn’t even had a sign out front.

Scratch any Peruvian, and you will likely find an avid, if not obsessed food fan. With good reason, the South American nation is blessed with some of the world’s richest fishing grounds, and has a large swath of the Amazon jungle which produces coffee and tropical fruits. The Andean nation is the home of the potato, and has the perfect climate for year-round harvests of a wide range of vegetables. Mix in the clash of cultures – Spanish conquistadors, Italian immigrants, freed slaves from Africa, and the indigenous Andes Mountains peoples – and the result is a cuisine that is becoming more well-known by the day.

According to an article by Robert Kozak on the Wall Street Journal, tourists are now flocking to Peru in general and especially to its capital, Lima, for eating tours, while the number of restaurants is expanding alongside its booming economy. Visitors and locals alike seek out the latest hot restaurant run by star chefs, or the small holes in the wall, known as huariques, that can also serve cheap plates of very tasty food.

All those trends mix together at the Mistura, where Humberto Sato, the chef of Costanera 700, a Japanese-influenced restaurant near the Pacific Ocean in Lima, held court this week, standing in front of a booth where his restaurant workers were serving duck with rice, and stirred noodles with beef.

“What we want to do is to have the most emblematic of Peruvian dishes become even more emblematic,” he told reporters. The organizers of the event are now aiming to make Peruvian cuisine more well known internationally, in part by inviting chefs from outside of Peru to take part in the event. The organizers expect some 200,000 people to attend the food fair, which runs until September 12.

Provided by Andina News Agency www.andina.com.pe

Café Café

Tourists and locals of all ages convene at Café Café, a cozy three storied coffee bistro in Miraflores. Surrounded by contemporary ceiling art, wicker chairs and a delicious desert display, coffee goers are treated to a picture perfect mokaccino (S/. 6.5) or refreshingly simple latte (S/. 6). Hungry for something other than rice and chicken plates? Satiate your appetite with non-Peruvian fare like the pita caprese (S/. 8.5) or the pizza jamon ingles (S/. 23). Café Café, Mártir Olaya 250 Miraflores, 445-1165, www.cafecafe.com.pe. Café Café’s is also located in Larcomar & Chorrillos.

El Cordano

Grandpa’s favorite hangout is still here, but without the smokey cigar smell. Wooden coat hangers, black and white photographs, shelves of wines and gentlemen’s drinks like cognac and gin fill this 1920s salon located across the street from the Government Palace. Although the atmosphere may seem satisfyingly old school speakeasy, coffee drinker beware: their version of the cafe con leche is just plain weird with a very peculiar vanilla soy taste and not even a hint of espresso flavor. El Cordano, Ancash 202, Cercado de Lima 427-0181.

Starbucks

I’m ashamed to say that, yes, I, Lani Conway, checked out Starbucks in the name of research. Surprisingly, the experience was not as painful as one might expect. Nestled in the recently opened Real Plaza shopping center, this Starbucks is nothing out of the ordinary — Formulated, bland coffee and lackluster pastries. But for the lack of options (for now), it’s still a recognizable pick. As a fun fact, the first Starbucks to open in South America was in Lima.

Morgana Cafe Lounge

This small corner coffee shop is a contemporary Miraflores pick complete with chocolate brown leather couches and banana yellow and orange ottomans. Outdoor patio chairs and umbrellas add a touch of European flair and is a nice spot to chill on one of Lima’s not-so-chilly evenings. Our experience was generally satisfactory — A nice strong espresso (S/. 4) and amazing brownies topped generously with powdered sugar. Morgana, Calle General Suárez 205 Miraflores, 241-2649, www.morganacafe.com.

Lani is writer for the Karikuy volunteer program. Visit www.karikuy.org/volunteer for more information.

This past sunday I went to local soccer tournament with Julio and the other volunteers. We hung out watching different teams from the surrounding barrios and drinking Crystal, the local peruvian beer. People were welcoming as always and tried to speak the bits of english they knew offering us tamales and beer while simultaneously rooting for the underdog and cracking jokes about the beer bottle thrown at the referee for the bad calls made. The time spent watching the tournament was a great experience with good people, great food and of course cold cervezas.

Apart from the people, the food in the local area make the prospect of leaving a sad one. Juliana is Julio’s aunt and the one who cooks most of our meals. Everyday we look forward to amazing meals that excite the taste-buds and you can’t help but wonder what Juliana has in store for the next meal. Every meal includes a flavorful soup, an entrée and a tasty homemade juice to wash it down. My favorite would have to be lentils and rice, yum.

If Juliana’s cooking isn’t satisfying enough, street food in Planeta gives no reason why you should want to leave the neighborhood for a meal. The first person I need to speak about is referred to as ‘Señor’ but we in the Karikuy house know him as ‘Hamburger Man’. There is no wonder Julio compares the cost of things by how many peruvian hamburgers you can buy. These burgers pack a punch filled with salad, large french fries and your choice of chorizo, chicken or beef with whatever sauce you want drizzled on top. You can get a loaded burger for a little more then 2 soles.

The Churro man can be found near the local school at 5pm during the week ready to feed the hungry children filing out. These are the most delicious and delectable treats made of pastry with manjar blanco, which is a local peruvian spreadable sweet reminiscent to caramel, fried and rolled in sugar. After a long days work comes 5 pm the other volunteers and myself file out the house to be greeted by an older man who gives us a warm fried churros for a mere 60 centavos.

Although an article about the local food in the area could go on for pages I’m going to have to conclude my list with the personal favorite of Christina, our cake connoisseur. ‘The Cake Lady’, as we know her by, is located up the street from the Karikuy house. Outside her front door she has a glass pained display case which is used to house all the cakes and sweets she makes completely from scratch. From traditional peruvian deserts Tres Leche, Mazamorra and Alfajores to more common deserts like Strawberry Short Cake and Chocolate Cake her cakes are perfect for desert. With a price less then 2 soles it’s hard to find an excuse not to take an after dinner walk to her.

Planeta might be considered as being less then safe by locals but my experiences living here disproves it. The people have truly been friendly and helpful, the wild dogs are always looking for a nice head rub and the food makes you want to stay. Volunteering in such a culturally rich area of Lima has made the experience all the more meaningful and memorable.

Anastacia is a volunteer for the Karikuy program.

On April 14th Peruvian cuisine will once again be showcased to the world in none other then one of the planets greatest metropolitan centers; New York City. Ollas y Sueño (Cooking up Dreams) will be premiered with much fanfare at the Havana Film Festival in Manhattan. The film itself follows Peruvian Gastronomy and it’s growth throughout the world. Directed by Ernesto Cabellos Damián, this documentary traces the roots of Peruvian Cuisine from early Peruvian history to its modern fusion of flavors from many different ethnicities.

Nicholas Gill of New World Review explains:

De Ollas y Sueños begins in the Amazon, walking through the Belen market in Iquitos and follows as food is sold and prepared in its most raw forms. Then we move to London and the Lima restaurant Malabar, where Amazonian ingredients have only begun to capture the attention of the world. Malabar chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of many of Peru’s top chefs that appear in the film, describes how restaurants like his are attempting to build on traditional cuisine. The film follows Schiaffino to Madrid fusion, as an international crowd is wowed by the range of undiscovered ingredients from Peru, such as Gamitana, a type of fruit eating piranha. There’s a future there Schiaffino says.

Next the film moves back and forth between the present and past, showing the criollo foods surrounding the Señor de Milagros procession in Lima. Most of the foods are created from scraps we are told. These leftovers are given flavor in the face of adversity, meaning that poorer Peruvians have given their heart and soul into the dishes and they have all become national staples eaten by all walks of life.

The film features famous Peruvian Chefs like Gaston Acurio, Juan Mari Arzak and Bernardo Roca Rey. Together they take a look into Peruvian Cuisine, it’s dishes unknown and well known. The end result is a testament to the many flavors of Peru, a gastronomic wonder, only to be rivaled with Peru’s physical beauty and warmth of its people. Below is the appetite inducing trailer to this great new film.

In a year where we’ll elect a new mayor and the presidential campaign begins, we will also choose the three best cebicherías in Peru. In this case there is no need to the polls, through the Internet you’ll be able to make your suggestions and vote.

De todo un poco. Los postulantes también ofrecerán diversos tipos de cebiche como este. (Foto: Sebastian Ortiz)

“The vote will be pure democracy, that is, we will choose the most voted for. In any case a team of chefs will go to verify the quality of the locations. How they prepare the cebiche, their service, but what will prevail is public opinion.” says Ricardo Ráez to elcomercio.pe of Ácido un Gusto, one of the organizers of the competition.

Javier Vargas, president of the Seafood Restaurateurs Association of Peru, said the search for the best cebicherías can lead to restaurants wanting to win and entering into a healthy competition thereby raising their level of quality, not only in taste but in comfort.

The Cebiche Route

With the final result, which will also highlight the places with the best tastes of their district and region, there will be a digital and physical guide created in order to ensure that diners can travel the country discovering our marine gastronomy. “The Peruvian cebicherías are a type of restaurant that identifies our country. Our ceviche is unique and therefore the places they are made as well. After this contest they will become an icon of our culture, “said Raez.

The Worth of a Fisherman

At the awards, to be held on June 28, the National Day of Ceviche, the Seafood Restaurateurs Association of Peru will recognize the fishermen from the different ports of the country, because it is due to their work that Seafood is a reality. In this regard, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Maria Isabel Talledo, said his office will build on the artisanal fisheries to create opportunities so that marine products arrive in good shape to ports.

You can nominate and vote for a Cebicheria until April 15 at the website cebicheperu.pe.

So far there are over 500 registered cebicherías, 70% of them are from Lima.

Subscribe to the blog for all the latest developments regarding the contest and winner announcements on June 28th.

Who would you vote the best Cebicheria in Peru? Share your thoughts below.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts I find that the energy of Peruvians palpitating and things were no different here. In the last few years Peruvian cuisine has been recognized as one of the best in the world and the people of this country are rightfully proud. The attention that their food has garnered has made Peruvians fall in love all over again. They’ve always known that they have been eating delicious food but now that the rest of the world is catching on andthey are taking bigger and bolder strides to remain at the top. The festival was not only created to showcase the food and dishes of Peru but it was also created to acknowledge the fisherman behind the ceviche, the winemaker, the cattle herder and everyone else behind the scenes of the final product. The hosts of the festival, the Peruvian Gastronomic Society, are also hoping that the festival promotes local cuisine, strengthens national identity and makes Peru a top tourist destination.

The Mistura food festival encompassed everything I love about food. In actuality its not really even the food (well a little) but more of the evolution of food. What has always been an essential staple of life is becoming an art and a passion for Peruvians. People are stopping to think about what they’re eating, how it smells, the way that it’s presented, what it’s paired with. It’s less about, do I like this or not, or am I going to be full after this, but instead, appreciating where these products came from and the history of why and where this was created. Young men and women are not only becoming chefs to earn a living but they’re doing it because they have a passion to work with elements from nature to create a beautiful and inspired meal.

Back home chefs are becoming celebrities overnight and restaurants are beginning to have velvet ropes attached to them. The restaurant/food trend has long ago taken off and now has just become another way to turn a profit. Here the enthusiasm is building, it’s still a raw concept that food is more than just nourishment. As this art form grows, I am sure that not only will the goals of the Mistura Food Festival be met but the rest of the world will be asking for more of a taste of Peru.

As many cities in the world tend to be, Lima seems fairly polarized. You can be walking through the Plaza San Martín, staring at the beautiful architecture and fountains, while at the same time stepping around a homeless man trying to sleep on the sidewalk. I’ll be spending my time here doing more research on the marginalized groups of Peru, so I hope to learn more about their struggles, while at the same time enjoying what Lima has to offer.

Peruvian cuisine (or what I’ve had of it so far) is amazing. While some of it is fairly typical for Latin America (rice, soup, chicken), some spices and ingredients are unexpected or new, exciting, and delicious. For instance, we were served sweet potatoes at a bar the other night (love!). Apparently there are hundreds of different types of potatoes grown in this country. I also ate beef heart, which was incredible. Chewy, but incredible (I felt like I should be on one of those shows on the Travel Channel). I am a little shocked (and slightly heartbroken) over the fact that coffee is not a very common beverage, however I’m learning to appreciate the simple taste of tea.

Last night Tim, Sophie, Julio and I went to see the Final Four World Volleyball Championship Tournament. The Dominican Republic played Brazil and then the United States played Peru. Thanks to our involvement with Perupedia, we managed to get in as members of the press, meaning free entrance and prime seating in the press area. We also got to go into a little back room after the matches for the press conference with the coaches and some of the players. Very nice!

Seeing as the date is 9/11, I feel like I should make some mention of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. With so much going on for me these past few days, I didn’t really realize what day it was until I opened up my Internet Explorer this morning and the main page popped up with a story about it. It just reminds me of how vast this world is; what is plastered all over the headlines in one country doesn’t even make the news in another. How many awful occurrences happen all over the world that we don’t pay any mind to in the US?

Okay, I’m off of my soapbox. I’m sure my time in Peru will be full of new experiences. I can’t wait to see what else is in store.

AcidoUngusto representatives held a meeting with Callao’s officials and Peru’s Hotel Chefs Academy, the other organizing company of the event, and decided this postponement, stressing the need to prevent the spread of A/H1N1 flu among the population.

He pointed out that the online voting will run until August 23. People who want to support their favorite dishes can still vote at www.7maravillasgastrónomicas.com.

According to Raez, ‘Chupe de Camarones’ and ‘Papa a la Huancaina’ are among the favorite dishes, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively.

The popular and delicious Cebiche (raw fish marinated in lime juice) tops the list, followed by Lomo Saltado, Aji de Gallina, Anticucho; while Causa ranks seventh,” he explained.