Peruvian cuisine, a gift for the heart

The special thing about Peruvian cuisine is the use of many fresh fruits and vegetables combined with fresh, healthy ingredients from South America, creating a variety of flavors while adding a large amount of fiber and vitamins to the diet. In particular, for Peruvian chefs, in addition to fresh ingredients, dishes must always be created with joy, enthusiasm and love from the chef. Only then can diners fully enjoy the flavor of the dish. That is why Peruvian cuisine not only brings simple dishes but also gifts for the heart.

Post:Thao Phuong

Image:Milivista and many other sources

Pisco Sour, a pure start

Pisco Sour is a traditional Peruvian cocktail. In many historical documents about this cocktail, the main ingredient to create the Pisco Sour flavor is Pisco wine, distilled from a grape grown in Peru during the time when Peru and Chile were Spanish colonies. And so, when the Spanish were no longer in control, both countries considered Pisco Sour as their specialty.

But what makes Peruvian Pisco Sour different is Pisco Peruano, a wine distilled from grapes from different vineyards in Peru to create the characteristic flavor of the name Peruano. The grapes are carefully selected, distilled for the first time to produce a wine with an alcohol concentration of about 50 - 60. Then, the wine continues to be distilled a second time to achieve purity at 40 - 47 degrees. This is the appropriate concentration to mix refreshing Pisco Sour glasses.

Pisco Sour is an impromptu blend of Pisco Peruano with grape aroma, pleasant sweet and sour taste from lemon and sugar water, smooth white foam when whisking egg whites in a shaker, and finally to make the cocktail leave an unforgettable aftertaste, add a little Angostura bitters and a pinch of fragrant cinnamon powder sprinkled on top of the glass.

In Peru, Pisco Sour is a popular drink. Before every meal, Peruvians always take a moment to enjoy the slightly bitter but extremely pure taste of this drink as an appetizer. If you have the opportunity to come to Peru and visit any restaurant, Pisco Sour is also the first name that the waiters ask to fill in your order, don't miss it!

Ceviche, the salad of pride

With a long coastline, the ocean provides Peru with an abundant source of fresh seafood. Perhaps that is why Ceviche has become the culinary pride of Peruvians in the way they prepare ingredients from the ocean. Ceviche is a combination of fresh seafood (traditional Ceviche often uses white fish), orange juice, lemon, spices, fresh chili, pepper and salt. When enjoying Ceviche, Peruvians often eat it with sweet potato and fried corn. The sweetness of Peruvian fried corn contrasts with the spiciness of chili, creating a unique flavor for the dish.

Today, Ceviche is so popular all over the world that many people mistakenly think it is a modern dish. However, the true origin of Ceviche dates back to the Inca period, even before the Spanish colonization and the introduction of lemons and citrus fruits to Peru. The secret to the sour taste of Ceviche at that time was a sour fruit from the Amazon forest - tumbo (same family as passion fruit). However, when using tumbo, the time to marinate seafood in the juice of this fruit often lasts up to several hours. Therefore, today chefs often use lemons or oranges to reduce the processing time. When enjoying Ceviche during the Peruvian Cuisine Week at Hilton Hanoi Hotel, diners who love this dish are also given specific instructions by the chef on how to have a delicious Ceviche meal if they want to make it at home. In addition to seasoning all the ingredients, the time to marinate seafood in lemon juice should not be too long because it will ruin the whole dish.

With the cultural import from immigrants, Ceviche, in addition to the traditional Peruvian recipe, has many interesting variations. No Ceviche dish can be repeated because it only takes a little improvisation in changing the ingredients, sometimes a little sesame, sometimes a little mustard or simply a few drops of vinegar oil. Ceviche is simple and friendly but always ensures the quintessence of the dish while retaining the true flavor of each ingredient. The sour taste of lemon juice and sugar, the sweet taste of seafood combined with the spicy aroma of chili, all together permeate every taste bud, making Ceviche not only a simple dish but also a symbol of the culinary art of the Inca land.

Arroz con Pato, the story of the “happy” ducks

To enjoy Arroz con Pato, don't start with the cutlery or the tablecloth with the vivid Inca motif, take a few minutes to listen to the story of the "happy" ducks of Inca.

Peru is a country filled with sunshine. And a happy duck is one that is free to bask in that sunshine every day to grow best. The tropical rays of sunlight will penetrate through its shiny feathers and melt into its firm muscles as it splashes around in the cool water. That is something that caged ducks do not have, because the limited living space will make the ducks stressed. A “sad” duck is usually not the choice of Peruvian chefs when they want to prepare Arroz con Pato.

After being lightly fried in hot oil, the duck meat will be stewed with peas, spices such as garlic, pepper, a little beer and Pisco Peruano. This is the secret of Peruvian chefs to remove the bad smell and make the duck meat more delicious. Next, the chef will add water and rice to start the cooking process. To make the dish truly Peruvian, long grain rice will be used so that the rice does not stick to the other ingredients being stewed. Finally, when serving, the chef does not forget to add coriander leaves and a special spicy sauce made from bell peppers and onions, so that the dish does not make diners feel full.

Arroz con Pato is a dish made from “happy” ducks. When talking about Arroz con Pato, Peruvian chefs always talk a lot about family, about love in their own family kitchen. The chef has prepared the dish with love, so when enjoying this interesting duck rice dish, experience it with a joyful spirit!

Mazamorra Morada, childhood memories

For many Peruvians, the taste of this purple dish is a constant reminder of their childhood, and the head chef of the Peruvian Gastronomy Week even told me that every Peruvian child can eat several meals of Mazamorra Morada a day because they love it so much.

While Arroz con Pato is traditional, Pisco Sour is a Peru-Chile debate, Ceviche is an effective innovation in using imported ingredients, Mazamorra Morada is an extremely interesting combination of Peru’s unique purple corn and fresh and dried fruits from all over the world. All of this makes it really difficult for diners to determine whether this is a traditional or modern dish. Perhaps that is why Mazamorra Morada attracts more diners, from street vendors to high-end restaurants.

If before enjoying Arroz con Pato, diners should spend time on the story of the "happy" duck, then with Mazamorra Morada, follow the chef to discover the ingredients that make up the unique flavor of this dish. First, Peruvian purple corn is stewed on the stove, the feeling of excitement when watching the color of the corn gradually turn purple after each minute is extremely interesting. Then, the chef will add different ingredients depending on the season such as apples, mangoes, peaches, apricots, plums, pineapples... to create a sour but not harsh taste for the dish. To soften the taste of the fruits as well as make the dish suitable for children, the chef will add a little sugar, grape jam and dried peach jam. Finally, cinnamon powder is an indispensable flavoring for each street vendor to attract customers without any form of advertising.

Mazamorra Morada is a “messy” dish, but trust me, just once enjoying the dish with the chef’s improvisation, with the characteristic purple corn color, cinnamon smell, sweet and sour taste from seasonal fruits mixed together in a lovely way, most likely in your dream, you will wish you could turn into a Peruvian child to enjoy Mazamorra Morada every day!

The Thanh