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The first thing I did on a recent visit to Tarma, a town nestled at around 10,000 feet on the way from Lima to the central jungle, was to look for some great rustic foods – all in the name of research, of course. Being a food historian I felt obliged to try as many old country plates as I could. My “research” revealed that there was not one typical dish from Tarma that I did not like. It did bring me to answer a longing question for myself; how could something so simple taste so good?

In this discovery process, it became evident that the underground of this region’s fantastic flavors and recipes lies in their simplicity. In our modern-day cooking we have such a huge selection of ingredients available; we get caught in fusion-mania in the compilation of our daily recipes. The abundance of fresh local ingredients indigenous to the area has formed many recipes that are simple, yet surreal.

My culinary expedition in this charming town called the “Pearl of the Andes”, brought about some perfect examples of simplicity in their making of Sopa Verde (Green Soup). The many different renditions of this soup have the same main ingredients, starting with the mixed green local herbs it gets its name from. Huacatay, (black mint) paico, muña, ruda, chincho, (similar to black mint) and yerba buena are very plentiful herbs in this area. All these are minced and added to a stock of potatoes, fresh cheese, onions and milk. The soup is truly fabulous.

On the weekends, the Central Plaza in Tarma is full of different vendors with regional delicacies available. It took a while, but after a few visits, I worked my way through most of the menus. Some outstanding plates included Picante de Cuy (spicy guinea pig stew), Ajiaco de Olluco (stew of Andean tubers with chili peppers), Patasca (Stew of dried corn, beef foot and tripe) and some of the best sweet humitas (small tamales made from fresh corn) I have ever had.

When inquiring about the roots of the different foods in Peru, everyone kept referring me to a dish they said I had to try. It is called Puchero. This is a dish that was common with festivals, but nowadays is made only on Sundays. In my search for this famous dish, I found myself that weekend in a quaint little restaurant that had a grandmother cooking what she had perfected over many years. It was a huge pot of cabbage, potatoes and pork that had been cooked down into a thick, concentrated and flavorful stew.

As I sat down to the bowl of Puchero, it brought back memories from living on the east coast of good ole corned beef and cabbage. Of course my mind quickly returned to Peru as I liberally enjoyed the aji molido (puréed Peruvian chili) served along with it. When my bowl was finished and there was not much more I could eat, the grandfather was insistent that I have an Anisette, made locally, to ensure the meal was complete.

My research would have been remiss had I not tried the Siete Chupes (Seven Soups). The meaning of this is more a phrase, because in reality, no one is actually served seven soups. There is not one person I know of that could hold that amount, including me. This tradition comes from trying seven different flavors of soup. Each soup emphasized a specific characteristic of its main ingredient. I did find many places that served up to five of these soups, some of which were zapallo, (large winter squash) potato, habas (broad bean), olluco (an Andean tuber) calabash, peas, cabbage and the list goes on.

Children were not exempt from experiencing their rich inheritance of the local old country cuisine. Many kids have been weaned with these simple ingredients that are brought to celestial heights in everyday cookery. I was also fortunate enough to share some of these treasures with a glass of cow’s milk heated with an herb called cedron (lemon verbena). It made the milk taste like a lemony-mint dessert, although there was no extra sugar added. Other similar milk concoctions are infused with yerba buena with equally pleasing results.

What topped off this journey for my inquisitive taste buds was that local gardeners sent me off with an armful of herbs. They did this so I might explore some of the same flavors in my own kitchen in Lima. Although I loathed entering back into the complex metropolitan fare I soon had to face, I was comforted with the fact that I traveled back with not only history in mind, but the essence of this Andean cuisine in my soul.