The Next Big Thing in World Cuisine

I had heard through the grapevine (amongst other sources) that Peruvian food was destined to be the next big thing in world cuisine – a cuisine that embodied fresh seafood, quality meats, unique fruits and grains, jungle cuisine, unique flavour combinations... it certainly got the juices going. So when Brujas de Cachiche (Bolognesi 472, Miraflores) was suggested as a great place for an introduction to Peru’s culinary prowess, I happily obliged.

Seeing the picture above in real, edible form was clearly going to make me a happy man, and indeed it did. Here you’ll see a seafood starter platter demonstrating the best of coastal cuisine; clockwise from bottom left: tiradito – raw slices of sole, marinated in local lime juice with chilli; deep fried prawns with a quinoa coating; anitchuchitas con pescado – fish kebabs, only better, I guess; conchitas  a la parmesana – baby scallops grilled with parmesan cheese; pulpo al olivo – octopus in a smooth olive sauce, and in the centre: causa de pulpa fresco de cangrejo – mashed potato cake stuffed with fresh crab meat (looks and tastes much better than my inadequate description). I could go on all day about each individual dish, but I won’t...

In the background of the picture you’ll see their ‘creole’ hors d’oeuvres, most notable of which was their rocoto relleno, a beef-mince stuffed bell pepper (with a kick), just delish.

Desserts, well, more new delicious things on show here, showcasing the best of Peru’s unique fruits. The yellow one in the bottom left depicts lucuma cream, the fruit responsible for a three week addiction which unfortunately had to end, the dark purple one in the top left depicts a chicha morada (fermented purple corn) dessert which you’ll normally find in drinkable form, and also of note was the chirimoya (aka custard apple, top right) blancmange (another creamy, sugary, moreish postre).

All of this goes well with a pisco sour or three.

Making the most of coastal cuisine

Having proceeded south down the coast from Lima, we arrived at Arequipa, Peru’s second city. This was our last chance to savour coastal cuisine before heading into the highlands, so it was imperative that we made the most of it. After a longer-than-necessary taxi journey with a driver who didn’t know where he was going, we arrived at El Tio Dario (Callejon del Cabildo 100, Yanahuara, Arequipa), a quaint little semi-alfresco restaurant with a stunning view of El Misti, a snow-capped volcano which provides the backdrop to this city. Add to this spectacular food and solid service and you have a must-go-to restaurant.

First up was their house special tiradito; melt in your mouth sole marinated in lime juice with a slightly creamy reduction as an accompaniment. Perhaps too sour for some but delectable to my tastebuds.

Second, their house special lomo saltado (a Chinese-Peruvian dish (chifa)) comprising beef tenderloin flambéed in red wine with soy, onions and red peppers. One of those dishes where you can taste the smokey heat of the wok. A must try.

The star of the show was undoubtedly their deep fried chita (a local Peruvian fish), partnered with a white wine, butter and garlic sauce and fried yuca chips (cassava). Crispy skin, moist flesh, rich yet somehow light sauce – no more description is needed – just come here and eat this.

When in Cusco...

My blog’s normally about street food so this whole Peru section doesn’t really fit that theme very well. But I don’t really care, since this country has a plethora of top restaurant options, at pretty darn good prices. One such example: Incanto (Santa Catalina Angosta 135, Cusco), just off the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. Now fusion ain’t really my thing, but seeing as Peruvian food is already a fusion of many cuisines, I knew this was going to work out just fine.

I went for the squid ink linguine with sautéed prawns in an aji (chilli) sauce – definitely a winner. Spicy yet not overpowering aji, juicy prawns and a strong dose of the sea was evident in the linguine, all components of a quality dish.

Then, my flavour of the month, in the form of lucuma mousse with a pisco and dark chocolate sauce. Rich, earthy and slightly sweet lucuma mousse and the warmth of bitter chocolate = a winning combination.