Lima, Peru Voted Top Food & Drink Destination By Frommer's

Peru is most famous for Machu Picchu but slowly the pride of all Peruvians is being recognized -- their food.

Slowly, Peruvian food is becoming popular in the United States with a new restaurant having opened this past summer in Los Angeles, Picca, by Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2011, Ricardo Zarate. And, last month by Peru's own Gaston Acurio in New York, La Mar is his newest venture in addition to his 34 restaurants in Latin America and Spain.

It's no surprise to gastronomes like award-winning chef and author Rozanne Gold, that Frommer's picked Peru as their Top Food & Drink Destination of 2012. Lima is now drawing a new flock of visitors who travel all the way to Peru just to eat, Frommer's reports:

Lima's cultural miscegenation -- a rich stew of Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese -- is reflected in its culinary fusion. Limeño cuisine encompasses spicy creole dishes, Nikkei (2nd-generation Japanese), and chifa (a Peruvian twist on Chinese). The long Pacific coast is notable less for its beaches than the endless bounty of fresh seafood that makes it to markets and restaurant tables.

Don't be surprised when you hear 'Peruvian food' that you also hear the name 'Gaston Acurio', as he is also the Ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. Porfolio.com hailed Acurio as the next Superchef back in 2008, declaring him as the "most famous chef you've never heard of."

But now with a documentary premiering internationally, "MISTURA, The Power of Food," solely based on one of the biggest gastronomic festivals in Peru, MISTURA, starring Peru's Superchef, 'Gaston Acurio' is sure to become a household name very soon. If you have never tasted Peruvian food, the documentary will educate you on the variety of dishes Peru is famous for, as Frommer's recognized:

Lima's signature dish, ceviche, is a tangy plate of raw fish and shellfish marinated in lime juice and ajíes, or hot chile peppers. Limeños crowd lunch-only cevicherías or neighborhood holes-in-the-wall -- known locally as huariques -- like Canta Rana for their ceviche fix. Superstar chef Gastón Acurio, at La Mar, and other innovative chefs have created sleek, modern takes on tradition that are the city's gastro hotspots.

As Acurio states in the documentary, "If you want to live, feel, laugh, dance, cry, eat, sang, kiss, love, and never forget, that's MISTURA." The film has already won Best Short Foreign Documentary at the Hollywood International Family Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the NYLA International Film Festival this year.

"A party where we all reunite around our pots and fires to celebrate our differences, and join together as tribute to history, tradition, creativity, culture and biodiversity," states Acurio on the MISTURA, the largest gastronomic fair in Latin America.

Comments

[Charles Kaley]

11:54 PM on 11/09/2011

There is nothing "ancient" about Peruvian cuisine. Before the Spanish came the Peruvians didnt have rice, wheat, barley, oats, rice, lentils, chickpeas, broad beans, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, celery, lettuce, eggplant, wine, vinegar, olives, beef, pork, chicken, numerous spices (including coriander, cumin, parsley, cilantro, laurel, mint, thyme, marjoram, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, black pepper and oregano), bananas, quince, apples, oranges, limes, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, melons, figs, pomegranates, honey, white sugar, almonds, walnuts, cheese, hen eggs, cow's milk, etc. etc If you take away the garlic, oil, cumin, oregano, MSG, lime, rice, bread, etc. etc. from Peruvian cuisine what are you left with?

[sueve99]

09:38 PM on 11/13/2011

When you have your own "cuisine"will talk.

[me515]

01:12 PM on 11/03/2011

I went to Lima and Miraflores in 2006, don't remember the cuisine/cleanliness being on top of the list...:-/

[ElCojonuo]

10:11 AM on 11/02/2011

Lomo Saltado is the ' King ' of all Peruvian dishes.
Make sure they use Filet Mignon and not some other cut of meat.

[jscratz]

06:01 PM on 10/30/2011

Yummy. Certainly on my future travel list. But India and Cuba is are next.

[CarlosQC]

04:08 PM on 10/30/2011

My comment was deleted, so here I go again.

This is wrong: "Lima's cultural miscegenat­ion -- a rich stew of Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese -- is reflected in its culinary fusion"

Lima is a city with thousands of years of Native history, which predated the Hispanic invasion and Peru is a nation of mostly Native indigenous peoples (including mestizos or mixed Natives). Our mother culture is Indigenous and our food is not exception.

Peruvian cuisine is a fusion not a miscegenation, of Native ingredients and recipes (the extensive variety of grains, potatoes, meats, vegetables, spices, cooking techniques, etc.) with the contributions of immigrants from Africa, Europe (not only Spain), Asia and the Middle East.

By the way I had seco de res, papa a la huancaina and Pisco Sour last night at Huascaran restaurant in Arlington, VA. It was really good.

[ontariogirl]

04:34 PM on 10/30/2011

OH man you are making me hungry. That sounds so yummy. Had it all before but I would like it all again right now.

[Niris]

09:38 AM on 10/30/2011

I usually go to a sushi place near to were I live. The restaurant is run by Peruvian people from japanese background, and I can tell you, their food is amazing. Service is excellent.

[bhalle1]

08:02 AM on 10/30/2011

Oh MY it is true. some of the BEST food came from Peru...do not forget the out of the way local places. Driving down the coast we stopped at a small, very small town had fish with the local fishermen and LOVED it! Love Peru and get out of big towns....drive the coast and really see the country!

[InsidePeru]

03:01 PM on 11/02/2011

Did you stop in our small town, Los Organos? The chances are you didin't, but we are right on the PanAm Hwy 2 hours south of Ecuaodr's border. Sun all year, food all day, smiles all around! And world class surf nearby :-:

[SouthSwell]

07:39 AM on 10/30/2011

My bro just left to spend a month there for outdoor activities and some cultural stuff for the wife. I want to go for the surf.

[InsidePeru]

03:04 PM on 11/02/2011

The bigger waves and more consistent surf are in the mid to south of Peru. But starting soon as Peru heads into the "summer," the North Coast gets world-class waves at Lobitos, Cabo Blanco, and other spots. The best part of the north coast is that it is sunny and warm to hot along with the great waves and food!

[bobo5]

07:09 AM on 10/30/2011

Eating and drinking is a big part of traveling. Peru has it. Miraflores is nice during the holidays. It's the middle of summer. Parque Kennedy is surrounded by restaurants. El Parquetito is a good one.

[Novae]

05:21 AM on 10/30/2011

Why is it that all the latest food fads are about culture A food interpreting culture B food, then culture C calls it fusion, and an arbitrarily selected authority declares some place/person from culture A 'the new best whatever'?

Isn't this just some incredibly pretentious marketing scheme? It seems like most of the time, the foods being combined and celebrated were originally popular for being inexpensive and widely available. Why are people spending an exorbitant amount of money on something like that?

I'm complaining, sure, but I'm also very interested in hearing an honest explanation. Besides, maybe when people realize meatloaf and cold pizza* are also (sort of) cheap and culturally diverse, I can make money. That or I'll go broke 'cause they'll be too expensive and I won't know what else to cook...

*Yes, it has to be cold pizza, or people will know it tastes good without having to spend $200 on it.

[PaticaDeGato]

08:00 AM on 10/30/2011

Peruvian cuisine is little known, but it has a well defined personality. Lotsa seafood! And no, it does not involve burritos or quesadillas, just in case you were wondering,

[Novae]

09:09 AM on 11/01/2011

That sounds good, actually...would've been nice if this article had mentioned it. This article made it sound like Peruvian food involved mixing other cultures' food together with no contribution of its own. Also, I know that not every country in the South Americas features Mexican food. Though from the tone of my comment, that probably wasn't clear, so thanks for pointing that out.

[Paintio]

04:20 AM on 10/30/2011

I think that maybe I h8 that guy in the video. No offense to anyone I hope, including him.

[chaiwallah]

05:21 AM on 10/30/2011

I think that you need to have a deep discussion with yourself as to why you h8 the guy in the video. It is irrational on your part probably based on your bias and maybe a bit or alot of racism on your part.

[Paintio]

01:53 PM on 10/30/2011

Irrational, no doubt. I overstated a bit also. I could have said that I find his nervous energy a little irritating, but where's the fun in that.

Racist against the British? No, I don't think that I am. I could embarrass myself further at this point, but why go there.
But besides, fish taco's without cabbage, who can think that that's a good idea?

Well....are tacos from Baja? I don't know if I saw cabbage on the condiment bar there, maybe. I always serve them with a kind of light slaw, maybe that's North American, I don't know.

[Paintio]

02:49 AM on 10/31/2011

What, you don't get back to me? That was a serious accusation. My original comment WAS kinda stup !d, but you were at least a bit harsh. You don't feel a need to clear anything up?

[me515]

01:13 PM on 11/03/2011

Yeah seriously what the heck does that have to do with Peruvian food? Stop looking for attention

[Paintio]

01:29 PM on 11/03/2011

They don't eat that much Maine Lobster in Peru, just guessing.

[Zeta]

02:32 AM on 10/30/2011

Living in Boise, we don't have Peruvian restaurants, that's one of the things I miss from CA. I'm from SF, but my favorite Peruvian is hole in the wall Mario's Seafood in Hollywood.

[CarlosQC]

02:18 AM on 10/30/2011

EXCUSE ME! "Lima's cultural miscegenat­ion -- a rich stew of Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese -- is reflected in its culinary fusion". Wrong. Lima's culture started in the Native indigenous cultures that lived there before the Hispanic invasion.

Peru is a nation of mostly Native peoples and our mother culture is Indigenous, and our food is not exception. Peruvian cuisine is a fusion -not a miscegenation- of Native ingredients and recipes (an extensive variety of grains, potatoes, meats, vegetables, spices, cooking techniques, etc.) with the contributions of immigrants from Africa, Europe (not only Spain), Asia and the Middle East.

Seriously, whoever wrote this piece needs to learn more about Peruvian culture.

By the way I had seco de res, papa a la huancaina and Pisco Sour tonight at a Peruvian restaurant in Arlington, VA, really good.

[PaticaDeGato]

08:02 AM on 10/30/2011

Indeed. My understanding is that Peru's gastronomic culture goes back to the Inca Empire.

[CarlosQC]

12:28 PM on 10/30/2011

The Inca empire (of the Quechua people) lasted less than two centuries or so, but the Native civilizations in what is today Peru are thousands of years old. The oldest city in the Americas, Caral was built 5.000 years ago and some traditions from then were continued generation after generation until the Incas.

[InsidePeru]

03:13 PM on 11/02/2011

Part of Peruvian food tradition does go back that far, and I don't thing anyone would disagree with you. But as you probably know, what is available in a typical village in the Andes does not represent Peruvian cuisine as a whole, just as what you would find in a village in France would generally not represent French cuisine as a whole.

[Seymourhiney]

01:35 AM on 10/30/2011

Ceviche is good, but at a few places I was not sure the kind of fish they used.

[plaidsportcoat]

12:42 AM on 10/30/2011

miscegenation?
"Historically the term has been used in the context of laws banning interracial marriage and sex, so-called anti-miscegenation laws. It is a potentially offensive word"