But culinarily speaking, Peru is the Hope Diamond of Latin America, home to dishes and flavors you won’t find anywhere else. While this is hardly a secret—there are more Peruvian restaurants outside Peru than ever before—it’s one we don’t give enough credit. Few places on earth offer such a variety of indigenous ingredients, let alone a jumble of flavors and techniques from Europe, Africa, and East Asia. Rather than remain culturally segregated, these foreign additions have blended seamlessly with ancient Peruvian cuisine into something utterly unique.
A Peruvian Primer
Peruvian cuisine has only recently exploded onto the international culinary stage, but Peruvians have always been crazy about their nation’s culinary heritage, and they steadfastly cling to the traditional, multi-culti flavors of home —pit-roasted feasts and all, even in the face of modern gastronomic innovation. A range of climates, from high altitude to low, offer an impressive diversity of produce. Yes, that means potatoes—over 3800 kinds—but also a variety of corn and other grains, to say nothing of the country’s native aji chilies that are often puréed into sauces.
