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How do we serve up pork in Peru? Take a whole pig, splay it out and season heavily with salt. Slide the meat between giant square racks and cook over an open fire for up to four hours. What results is an incredibly succulent slab of pork with crispy outer skin, otherwise known as chancho al palo.
Now that we have your mouth watering, you must be wondering where you can get your hands on this greasy goodness.
Beginning this Friday, the city of Huaral will host the VII Gastronomic Festival of Chancho al Palo. That’s right, you’ve missed out on six editions of this finger-licking event. From October 18-20, you can pig out (that’s a pun, not a recommendation) on one of Peru’s most popular weekend meals and make up for lost opportunities.
The festival will be held on Av. Rete along the Huaral Cultural Gastronomic Boulevard (Boulevard Gastronómico Cultural de Huaral), just five minutes from the city center. Sixty vendors will be offering up the featured pork dish, as well as artisan crafts and regional food items. There will also be live music and a kids area. Prices of chancho al palo range from S/. 5-20, making it a comfortable outing for families and large groups. Entrance is free.
For a little digestive help, keep your eyes out for stands offering pisco shots and cocktails.
This year’s edition is especially significant in that it will be dedicated to Roberto Ramírez Salazar, creator of the dish so emblematic of Huaral. He passed away last year.
Huaral can easily be reached by car following the Av. Panamericana Norte. The drive is between one to two hours. A toll booth will require you to pay S/. 8-10.
Public transportation with the company Turismo Huaral Z bus is also an option. Hop on the bus just outside Plaza Norte (at the intersection of Av. Panamerica Norte with Tomas Valle) or in front of the Rimac Municipality ( Jr: Julián Piñeyro 440). Fares run from S/. 5 -6.
Source: El Comercio