"peru" news and stories

It seems the potato / potahto pronunciation debate is no longer the biggest debacle in the potato world. According to USA Today, Chilean Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl stated that 99% of the world's potatoes derive from spuds native to Chile.

The head of Peru's National Institute for Agricultural Innovation, Juan Risi, retorted by calling Chile's potatoes mere "grandchildren" of Peru's tubers. Ouch!

Risa said that, "Peruvian potatoes that originated near lake Titicaca are the true potatoes, and their children spread throughout the Andes." Peru is said to have around 3000 varieties of potatoes. I can't even really fathom that. It would take trying a different type of potato every day for over eight years to try them all.

I'm not sure I care where the potato originated, but I'm glad that it made its way to my mouth!

Many years ago my fellow blogger Jonathan and I drove to the Bronx to sample the renowned Peruvian delicacy, cuy, or guinea pig as we call it here in the States. Soon after we were seated the waiter brought over the frozen critter, which was butterflied and sealed in a package bearing the red-and-white Peruvian flag. Shortly thereafter he brought out the finished product. The poor little rodent had been deep-fried and surrounded with some diced potatoes. I say "poor" not out of sympathy for the critter, but rather because I feel that it deserved to be prepared in a tastier fashion.

Which brings me to the subject of this post: the town of Churin's second annual cuy festival took place earlier this week. There were plates of fried, grilled and baked cuy. There was even cuy au vin. Each of these preparations was a mere $7, about a third of what Jonathan and I paid. I think I'd be partial to the roast variety, the fried one we ate wasn't so hot. The event also featured a cuy cookoff and a best-dressed contest where the rodents were decked in traditional Andean garb. In case you're wondering, even I find that last event somewhat disturbing.
[via Neatorama]

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Let the record state that I am by no means grossed out by eating frog and have enjoyed it upon several occasions. Heck, I might even lick a toad to experience the so-called medicinal effects. But there is absolutely no way I'm quaffing a frog smoothie, even it's reputed to boost virility.

Just in case you think you misread I'll say it again: frog smoothie. Perhaps smoothie is the wrong term since the so-called "Peruvian Viagra" is a warm beverage. Start by adding three ladles of hot white bean broth, some honey, raw aloe vera and a generous portion of maca to a blender. Oh, I almost forgot, add one freshly killed and skinned frog, and set your blender to frog frappe. The steaming amphibian brew is said to not only to increase virility, but also cure asthma, bronchitis and sluggishness.

The drink is common in Lima's central highland city Huancayo. For now I'll stick to a somewhat more palatable creation of that city papas à la Huancaina. And when I want Peruvian Viagra, I'll stick with my old standby, a nice fresh bowl of ceviche de pescado, picante por favor.

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Peruvian cuisine's myriad roots, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, African and Italian, make it one of the world's first fusion cuisines. It's also highly regarded. Famed French chef Escoffier ranked it third after French and Chinese. It's certainly in my Top 10.

Last spring the Peruvian government announced plans to popularize Peruvian cuisine in the U.S. "We want our food to be as well known as Thai is in this country. ... We want Peruvian restaurants everywhere," Alejandro Riveros the head of public diplomacy for the Embassy of Peru, told The Washington Post.

The above video by Prom Peru, the country's tourism board, is part of the publicity effort. It's loaded with stunning shots of the Andes and the country's coast all set to traditional music.

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I was quite excited to find the pictured bottle of chicha morada in a South American grocery in my native Queens today. This was the seventh straight day that temperatures rose above the 90-degree mark, the mercury hit 102 today, or about 150 on the Is-DiStefano-gonna-die index. I must admit that beyond the refreshment factor I was somewhat intrigued by the label.

For those of you haven't heard of it chicha morada is what I like to consider the national soft drink of Peru. It's a sweet, refreshing concoction made from purple corn kernels, cinammon, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar, among other ingredients. Just thing the to quench one's thirst during a heat wave. Until today, I've only had it in restaurants.

Sadly, the only interesting thing about the bottled version was the label. It lacked the complexity of the homemade version I've had in restaurants. When I read the ingredients I understood why: water, purple corn, sugar and potassium sorbate as preservative. I'd love to know if anybody has tasted a decent bottled chicha morada.