Papa a la Huancaína de CarolinaToday, let's take a look at Peruvian cuisine, which has recently garnered worldwide acclaim. In 2004, the respected, albeit sometimes boring, magazine The Economist, said Peru "can lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines."
While the most headline-grabbing dish, at least in the U.S., is cuy, or fried guinea pig, posh restaurants around globe are introducing people to ceviche, the only fish dish this registered picky eater will eat.
But Peruvian food is so much more.
With 2,000 varieties of potatoes (not including 2,016 types of sweet potatoes), 25 types of corn, 2,000 species of fish (more than any other country in the world), and 28 of the 32 world climates, there's an unbelievable range of dishes in Peru, with each region home to distinct staples. And much of it is not exotic to North American palates. There's a plethora of chicken, steak, rice and potatoes on the menu.
There's also a wide range of ethnic influences, including Spanish, African, Chinese and indigenous.
The increasing popularity in Peruvian food is evident by the number of Peruvian restaurants popping up around the country. And it's not just in big cities. Even my little Greenville has a good one, Pisco Sour.
While the most headline-grabbing dish, at least in the U.S., is cuy, or fried guinea pig, posh restaurants around globe are introducing people to ceviche, the only fish dish this registered picky eater will eat.
But Peruvian food is so much more.
With 2,000 varieties of potatoes (not including 2,016 types of sweet potatoes), 25 types of corn, 2,000 species of fish (more than any other country in the world), and 28 of the 32 world climates, there's an unbelievable range of dishes in Peru, with each region home to distinct staples. And much of it is not exotic to North American palates. There's a plethora of chicken, steak, rice and potatoes on the menu.There's also a wide range of ethnic influences, including Spanish, African, Chinese and indigenous.
The increasing popularity in Peruvian food is evident by the number of Peruvian restaurants popping up around the country. And it's not just in big cities. Even my little Greenville has a good one, Pisco Sour.
The best blog online about Peruvian food is at perufood.blogspot.com. Go there and enjoy.
If you want to see the exotic side of Peruvian food, watch all five parts of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on Youtube. Here's the first:
If you want to see the exotic side of Peruvian food, watch all five parts of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on Youtube. Here's the first:
Cuy photo above by Alejandra the Great
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