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Peruvian Cuisine

History

Peruvian cuisine has been a vital food dish since the creation of it. One of the most significant produce from Peru are the potatoes, which have a history in the region dating back to the Inca Empire. When Peru started to become more known, whether from force of immigrating or choosing to immigrate, people brought their culture with them from many regions. As more people came to Peru, diseases arose and spread amongst the populations (specifically the Incas). Many died from the diseases, which caused a need for more hands to help with labor. Thus, African slaves were brought to Peru along with their food culture. Most immigrants were a means of cheap labor to work on the plantations. Among the different cultures, immigrants brought their knowledge of food, farming, and recipes. Thus, the Peruvian cuisine began its establishment because of the multiple influences that created this style of food. Many of the influences in the dishes come from multiple cultures around the world (i.e., African slaves, indigenous Incas, Spaniards, etc.). A few others include Indians, Chinese, and Japanese. Each culture has their own style of food and spices, which makes the Peruvian cuisine unique because of the different cultures recipes and savory tastes. From all these influences of different cultures' uniqueness, the Peruvian cuisine has become a brand for Peru.

Regional Influences

Landscape

Peru has lots of culture and history tied into its traditional cuisine, and a lot of this comes from the regions where the crops were produced. Peru is the third largest country in South America and it is divided into three different topographical regions: the western coast, the Andean mountains, and the eastern Amazon rain forest. Because the country has such a diverse geography it is common to find different popular cuisine from one city to the next. Some crops thrive in the high altitudes of the Andean mountains, while others require the high rainfall that the Amazon provides. Peru is also home to Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the entire world at roughly 12,500 feet above sea level. 

Regional History

With these unique geographical features located so closely together, Peru maintains one of the most diverse arrays of cuisine in the entire world. However, geography is not the only thing that separates Peru into different regions. Peru still has remnants of cuisine from centuries ago, inspired by the ancient Incas, the colonial Spanish and mestizos, and hundreds of years of immigration from other countries. The vast culinary spread you will find in Peru also stems from more recent history though. In the 1980's Peru was driven into an economic crisis during the first term of President Alberto Fujimoro. As hyperinflation continued to go up, and two powerful guerrilla groups rose to power, Peru was facing a national uprising. Because of the challenges the country was facing they had little to no international trade because no other countries would associate with them. Fujimoro was forced to set in a series of aggressive financial reforms that would help the country recover from their debt, but in doing so Peru was overcome with multinational influence which is one of the main reasons that the country has such a diverse palette of food.

International Influence

Peruvian cuisine has drawn praise for it's global appeal. Eduardo Ferreyros, Peruvian minister of Commerce and Tourism, said the following in regards to Peru's culinary reputation, "It has become a great ambassador and attraction for this beautiful country and continues to be a living representation of its cultural treasures". On October 26 2007, the Peruvian government raised the country’s gastronomy to the rank of National Heritage. After this, travelers from around the world began traveling to Peru in order to explore the self proclaimed gastronomic phenomenon. Director Ernesto Cabellos writes "Over two centuries of racial mixture, of encounters and evasions, Peruvian cuisine has constructed a deliciously integrative experience. In the kitchen and in the pot, tastes, aromas and colors struggle, contest, negotiate and reconcile. Each one searches for its place and coexists with the other." The popularity that peruvian cuisine has gained in the 21st century is so immense that it is beginning to have some political leverage with the rise of gastrodiplomacy. The Peruvian government is able to use gastrodiplomacy as a vital tool in its international relations, one of the main reasons they have been able to slowly start rebuilding their national brand from their economic crisis at the end of the 20th century.

Crops Used in Peruvian Cuisine

There are many popular crops that are used in Peruvian cuisine. Peruvian cuisine is characterized by a mix of vibrant ingredients cooked together to create culturally diverse and interesting dishes. In order to create such popular Peruvian style dishes, many important ingredients and crops are needed. Peruvian crops can be split into 3 section in which are the locations where these crops are grown. These locations include the Coastal Desert, the Andean Mountain and Plateau Zone, and the Montaña.

Coastal Desert

Commercial Crops: Sugar is the leading money crop of Peru. It constitutes 26 percent of the country's exports. Because of the Coastal Desert's climate, with not much rain, high temperatures, and the large amount of sunshine, sugar can be planted year round. Cotton, which is indigenous to Peru, constitutes 24 percent of the country's exports. A lot of plantations grow both sugar and cotton, but some plantations are used exclusively just for the farming of cotton. Practically the entire cotton crop in Peru comes directly from the Coastal Desert Area.

Food Crops: rice, corn, legumes, fruit

Misc: tobacco, coffee, wheat, barley, alfalfa

Andean Mountain and Plateau Zone

grain crops: corn, wheat, barley, quinua

root crops: potato, oca and olluco, yuca

Montaña

The Montaña area is a vast region in Peru that is very suitable for farming and agriculture, but the people living in this area are primitive and do not rely heavily on those techniques. Instead, farming and agriculture is more commonly practiced in areas like the Andean Mountain and Plateau zone, which "furnished the food for considerably more than half the Indian and Mestizo population." Although much of this region is not under cultivation, crops are still grown here. The main crops of this area include yuca, sugar cane, corn, bananas, and other fruits. Most importantly grown in this region is coca. "Coca thrives best at an altitude of 2,000 feet to 5,000 feet and the bulk of the Peruvian crop comes from the terraced slopes along the eastern Andes which lie at about this elevation."

Peruvian Dishes

Diversity: The Story of Peruvian Cuisine

Ceviche de pulpo

Peruvian cuisine can essentially be summed up by one word: diverse. "Bold flavors, ancient grains, a repertoire ranging from raw fish to roasted meats, and endorsements by several top chefs all are working to make Peru one of the next big culinary destinations. "The range of climates in the country allows for a various range of produce in Peru, which locals use to create their cuisine. "Peru, like the United States, has a long history of immigration from many countries". Early in Peru’s history, food influences were derived from the Spanish conquest of the Incan Empire; this combined with the stimuli of immigrant workers from China in the 19^th century formed what is now called Traditional Peruvian Cuisine. "Of course, cuisine varies depending where you are in Peru. Coastal cuisine is traditionally based on fish from the Pacific Ocean, while the dishes in the Andes are based on corn, hundreds of varieties of potatoes, grains, and root vegetables. Jungle cuisine is based on fruits and plants readily available in the Peruvian rainforest. Lima, the country's capital, has access to ingredients from all over the world and offers traditional dishes combined with many other cuisines".

Lomo Saltado

Pisco bottles

Today, most Peruvian dishes are very ingredient-conscious, with a plethora of combinations for their “nueva comida” feel. The two styles blend with the foreign influences to create the uniqueness of the Peruvian foods. In order to gain an accurate understanding of the variety, it is important to note two of their most popular dishes. One of the national dishes of Peru is a cold- “cooked” seafood dish called Ceviche "Embodies Peruvian fusion, combining Inca hot peppers, Spanish limes and onions, and Japanese-sashimi-style prep techniques". Since, it has grown to be a favorite dish for many and has been duplicated by other countries who add their own twists, adding and taking away various seafoods and spices. Another well-known Peruvian dish that bears the influence of Chinese immigration to Peru, is Lomo Saltado (stir-fried beef). The dish includes beef, onions, tomatoes, and chilies. The emphasis on culture through cuisine extends past food, into beverages as well. The national drink of the country is Pisco Sour, which has its own holiday celebrated on the first Saturday in February. The base of the drink is Peruvian Pisco, which is combined with lime juice, syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters. The appeal of the drink lies in the balance of the lime juice and the sugary syrup. Peruvian Pisco is the basis of many beloved drinks. With over 500 national dishes in Peru, there truly is no better way to describe the authenticity of their comida. The simplicity of these blended dishes speaks to the culture of Peru and the many influences that have come together over the course of its history.

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