Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A French TV team visited Peru in 2009 and made several reports about Peruvian gastronomy, focusing dishes from different Peruvian regions.

The gastronomic expert Julie Andrieu, who stayed for a few days with a native community to learn from their lifestyle, will present the second program about Peru in France 5 channel.

Maria Elena Corvest, tourism attaché of the General Consulate of Peru in Paris, stated that it was sought to broaden the tourist offer and to increase the time of stay of the tourist in Peru by broadcasting Peru's culinary traditions.

The reports focus on the landscapes, the different cultures and the flavors of Peruvian cuisine.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian gastronomy is conquering new spaces every day, and it's a real boom nowadays; experts from La Nación in Argentina state that “Peru is the hit of the moment, with its cuisine rich in flavors and ingredients, blended in a and a fusion of many years because of the Japanese immigration.”

Specialist Esteban Brennan says, in an article signed by Emilia Subiza, that that the ethnic cuisine is going through different tendencies and there was a time when France was the protagonist, and then was Japan, and now, it is Peru’s turn.

The article picks five restaurants in Buenos Aires, “places which are able to transport, by means of flavors and imagination, to several places in the world,” and the chosen places feature food from Francia, India, Japón, Italia and Peru.

The Peruvian restaurant is Astrid y Gastón, and the other restaurants are La Bourgogne (France), Bengal (India), Yuki (Japan) and Italpast (Italy).

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Five young foreigners came to Peru and local gastronomy had a great impact on them: it was strong enough to make them change their lives, according to a report aired on local TV.

They left their countries of origin and their jobs to immigrate to Peru and learn about our food; to study how to prepare it.

“There is lots of variety here, especially because of the seafood. Peruvians should be very proud for its variety,” says Sonia Mollinedo, who used to be a secretary in Bolivia, and now plans to open her own restaurant here.

Mexican Alfonso Gonzalez tells a similar story: he gave up on accounting and now plans to come back to Mexico to establish a Peruvian restaurant.

Frey Aguilera changed his plans in Ecuador to come to Lima and study gastronomy at a local institute.

This is just a little sample that shows that more foreigners begin to see Peru not only as a gastronomic destination, but also as a source of knowledge.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Gourmet foods and beverages such as jams, sauces, asparagus, artichokes, yellow pepper, quinoa and trout, among others, will be promoted at Winter Fancy Food 2010, the largest exhibition of gourmet products in the U.S. west coast.

Peruvian Pisco will also have an important participation in this event. This fair will be held in San Francisco between Jan. 17 and 19 and is oriented expecially towards the delicatessen sector, and also restaurants and supermarkets.

This is Peru's first participation at the Winter Fancy Food. and it is expected to close deals worth US $ 100,000 and to reach US $ 7 million in a year, according to PromPeru.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The fourth edition of the “Cevicheff” contest, sponsored by Cusqueña beer, is gathering participants in Cañete, where they will show their talent and passion. The rules say teams will have three persons older than 25, who must not be professional cheffs.

Javier Neyra, Manager of Cusqueña, explained to elcomercio.pe that the contest allows the participants to prepare the classic ceviche, made with fish, lemon and onion, and they are allowed to add an additional secret ingredient.

"There will be no variations like Ceviche de Conchas Negras or the Mixto; only the classic should be prepared. Meanwhile, the contestants may bring and extra ingredient. Last year, in example, a family put camu-camu to its Ceviche," said Neyra.

To choose the winners, the jurors chefs Sebastián Cavenecia, Rodrigo Conroy and Alfredo Aramburú will consider aspects like flavor, presentation of the dish as well as the recipe source and the family barra.

Next round of the Cevicheff will be hosted at Gaviotas Beach at Asia resort. This contest will also be staged in Tacna, Arequipa, Trujillo and Piura.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian chef Martín Velasco Trojan is in charge of the Peruvian Food Festival that will take place in the luxury hotel Dusit Thani, located in the financial district of Manila (Philippines).

This time, from Jan. 14 to 28, Velasco will surprise people with Peruvian dishes such as tiradito de ají amarillo, ají de gallina and carapulcra.

The Manila Bulletin, one of the most important ones, printed an article, written by Jacky Lynne, says that Peruvian gastronomy reflects the country's “huge biodiversity and a great cultural fusion.”

The article also explains that Peruvian food “is full of surprises, and takes you to many places with only one dish,” according ro Lynne.

Peru and Philippines have been Spanish colonies, are listed in the megadiverse countries list and has had immigration from China and Japan, so they have many things is common, says the writer.

Chef Martín Velasco, the son of the Peruvian Ambassador in Thailand, is also a kind of Ambassador: he has developed his career in Asia, offering the best Peruvian flavors in that part of the world.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian roasted chicken are now a great success in China, due to the efforts of Eduardo Vargas, owner of the restaurant“Brasa Chicken” in Shanghai.

Vargas says that, only one month after its opening, the place sells some 100 “brasa chickens” per day.

“My main goal is focusing in the delivery sales; we are going to open 10 restaurants like this and create a chain,” he said to El Comercio.

Vargas had the ovens built by a Shanghai company that makes ovens for pizza, but with the specifications according to Peruvian standards, to guarantee a preparation “just like in Peru.”

He is pretty sure that the dish will be popular in China in about five years.

“A personal combo costs US$5,60, and a familiar one, only US$18,82,” he explains.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Native potatoes are known for their exquisite, unique taste, their great nutritional properties.  And now their also experiencing an increased demand in local and foreign markets.

France and Venezuela are some of the countries already enthralled by these potatoes; since a few weeks ago, producers from eight communities in Pazos district (north of Huancavelica), began exporting the tuber, but processed into flakes.

“The Municipality of Pazos is financing these organic crops,” stressed the mayor of this district, Zacarías Huachos Mendez.

Currently, this production is profitable for the farmers, because they are paid on site more that they would get at local markets: they used to earn one sol per kilo, and now they receive between 1.50 and 1.80 soles per kilo.

“Native potatoes have remained unchanged during centuries,” says María Mayer de Scurrah, from the International Center for Potato. “In the future, this tuber's mission will be ensuring world feeding,” she says.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

An article printed today in several Asian media says that Peruvian gastronomy can be considered as one of the best in the world, along with Chinese, Italian and French, after extending its flavors and influence around the globe,

The article also remarks that the restaurants income have made up for 11.2% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, and mentions the success of “Mistura,” the gastronomic fair.

It also quotes Fishing vice Minister Elsa Galarza, who reports that “the consumption per capita of fish, due to this gastronomy boom, has risen from 15 to 22 tons per year.”

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru will join two important aspects of its culture — gastronomy and archaeology — in the creation of new tourism routes, said Tourism Minister Martín Pérez.

This way, tourists will not only visit museums and archaeological places, but also will enjoy the best of regional gastronomies at restaurants located nearby.

“Peruvian gastronomy is getting more international recognition around the world. However, we still don't have tourists arriving exclusively to enjoy Peruvian food, so we need to develop more aggressive strategies to achieve this goal soon,” he pointed out.

Perez reported that the Association of Hotels and Restaurants is working along with the Tourism Ministry in the development of a quality seal, to be issued to all the restaurants that comply with all the required international standards.

Gastronomic tourism grew by 25% during 2009, reported the Lima Chamber of Commerce.

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