food and drink

While the food has always been deeply rooted in the idiosyncrasies Limenos in recent years have seen a huge jump in the Lima dining scene. Not only the capital of Peru became a hit with restaurants, elegant and unpretentious, but many seem to be at full capacity throughout the week.

One possible explanation for the growth, besides the obvious quality of the food is international recognition. The Economist magazine, for example, reported in 2004 that Peru could “claim the world a dozen or so great cuisines.” Norman Van Aken, one of Florida’s most talented chefs, acknowledged that Peruvian cuisine was possibly the most enticing of those he had studied. And Patrick Martin, academic director of Le Cordon Blue, said one reason for having a branch school in Lima was the excellent quality of local cuisine.

“Better late than never,” I believe most Limenos increasingly proud of the uniqueness of its culinary heritage. However, despite the general contentment, they are still demanding and difficult to please, and expect the best from your favorite restaurants and chefs. This also contributes to the excellence of the cuisine. Indeed Peruvian cuisine, though hardly noticed abroad until very recently, is one of the world’s most varied and delicious.

Two aspects converge to give a unique Peruvian cuisine than some others enjoy. The first is the enormous biodiversity of Peru. The country is home to 80 of the 104 different areas of the biological world, which ensures a remarkable variety of fresh ingredients. Potatoes and pepper the fish Andes, and seafood from the Pacific Ocean, mangoes and limes from the coastal valleys, banana and cassava in Amazonia: a chef’s only problem is plenty of choice.

Secondly, the Peruvian cuisine is the quintessence of cultural fusion. Since the first mix of Inca and Spanish traditions, local cooks deftly incorporated the flavors and techniques of many immigrants who landed in the ports of Peru, like Italian and French. However, the strongest influences came not from Europe but from Africa, China and Japan

Although the restaurant offer in Lima is the most varied and covers a wide range of cuisines, ceviche, diced raw fish marinated in lemon juice and pepper, it is certainly number one on the list of dishes you should try. There are at least a ceviche in each neighborhood, so do not be hard to find one. Our suggestion goes to the superb fishing capital, a ceviche lunch only in Miraflores.

A second must goes to Asian restaurants in Lima, Chinese and Japanese, which, predictably, a strong Peruvian influence. Chinese restaurants, known as Chifa, can be counted in hundreds. Normally, ground-to-earth neighborhood restaurants, they offer a rich fare of seafood and chicken. Japanese restaurants and sushi bar, by contrast, are less widespread and more luxurious and expensive. His forte is a source for the entire year of fresh seafood and more diverse, which is delightfully transformed into sushi, sashimi, and rolls. Our favorites are Wa Lok for Chinese and Matsuei (where Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Nobu chef and owner, honed his skills) for Japanese.

One last word for the Creole restaurants of Lima. The kitchen is a vivid demonstration of the rich and tasty cultural fusion suffered by Peruvian cuisine over the centuries. Besides the obvious Spanish and Andean fusion (aka Creole), on their menus you’ll find a lot of Africa (Tacuara Tacuara and anticuchos), China (lomo saltado) and Japan (and ceviches tiraditos).