Peruvian Power Palate

If you are what you eat, then Peruvian cuisine is your ticket to becoming a modern-day mountain-scaling, Neo-Inca warrior! As the world’s leading culinary destination, the South American country boasts of stunning biodiversity, which has revealed some of the 21st century’s superfoods. We travel from coast to highland and an attempt to score some tips on a wonder diet, healthy and modish in equal parts.

It’s an unusually sunny day when I land in Lima. The capital of Peru, the second largest desert city in the world after Cairo, is renowned for its grey skies, resembling panza de un burro (the belly of a donkey). At the swish Miraflores district, joggers are up early. There are more cyclists and Tai Chi enthusiasts than cuddlers at the Gaudi-inspired Parque del Amor or Love Park. There are also free exercise machines installed all over the park, so locals can tone their limbs, while gazing at the Pacific Ocean and contemplate a jump off the cliff (this entire stretch of gardens is a prime spot for parasailing), Brazilians may be the most body-conscious people on earth, with Venezuelans, Argentineans and Colombians as close competition, but it’s easy to see that Peruvians are hot on their heels. And getting them ahead in the millennial fitness race is a secret weapon that’s rivalling Machu Picchu as the hottest Peruvian phenomenon to dazzle the world. As ancient, exotic and divine as it is health-conscious (while the Incas were a warrior clan, modern-day Peruvians are no couch potatoes either), I’m all set to dive head first into this gastronomic journey.

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Fine-dining luminaries

My first tryst with Peruvian cuisine immediately betrays its ‘fusion’ heritage: the classic lomo saltado, tenderloin strips sautéed with onion, tomato, soya sauce and ají peppers, served with corn rice and potato fries. It’s a comfort chifa (Chinese Peruvian) dish, a staple at every Peruvian restaurant, even one as glamorous as Tragaluz at the luxurious Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel. Lined with rustic-themed murals by Lima artist Mateo Liébana, the restaurant features an international menu with Asian and Mediterranean influences. Alongside Thai Tuna Curry Linguine, they have other Peruvian homegrown classics like Arroz Con Mariscos, a seafood hot pot with fresh scallops, shrimp, octopus, clams and squid snug on a creamy bed of rice and the ubiquitous chubby kernels of corn. Typical of the high-profile Peruvian fine-dining scene, local star chefs are adding au courant Peruvian flourishes to Western classics. Here, chef Jean Paul Barbier’s Tabbouleh de Quinua con Calamares a la Parrilla is a big hit with patrons. An upscale version of the hearty ‘surf and turf’, it stars grilled calamari sitting atop a bed of multicoloured quinoa tossed with tomatoes and sprouts (I soon learn that quinoa is not just a superfood, it is wildly versatile). Also very trendy and typical of the country’s hotshot chefs, Barbier offers vegetarian and vegan options to most of his dishes, right down to the most sinful crowd pleasers.

Scaling new heights

Travelling from the coast southwards, I arrive at Cusco, the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, capital city of the gargantuan 13th century empire, which at the height of its power stretched 2,500 miles across Quito, Ecuador and Chile. Here in the highland, the food is less flamboyant and fusion, but equally versatile and nutritious. Before heading off for Machu Picchu, there’s a fine lunch to be had in the centre of the city. Set in a cosy colonial bungalow, Chicha is owned by the godfather of Peruvian cuisine, Gastón Acurio Jaramillo. The hugely popular celebrity chef runs a global empire of 44 restaurants (including those in the United States) and can be found shooting episodes of his television show at Lima’s artsy Barranco neighbourhood, when he isn’t hobnobbing with presidents and royalty.

From the May 2020 issue of L’Officiel India.