While
Peruvian cuisine is finally being recognized internationally, Lima’s
restaurant scene is becoming one of the world’s most surprising.
Although gastronomy has always been deeply rooted in Limeños'
idiosyncrasy, the last few years have seen a huge leap in Lima's dining
scene. Not only Peru's capital has become tapped with restaurants, both
stylish and unpretentious, but many of them seem to be at full capacity
all week long.
One possible explanation for the boom, besides obvious food quality, is
international recognition. The Economist magazine, for example,
reported in 2004 that Peru could "lay claim to one of the world's dozen
or so great cuisines". Norman Van Aken, one of Florida's most gifted
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 that one of the reasons for having a branch of
the school in Lima was the excellent quality of local cuisine.
"Better late than never", believe most Limeños, increasingly proud of
the exceptionality of their gastronomic heritage. However,
notwithstanding general contentment, they are still demanding and
hard-to-please, and expect the best from their favourite restaurants
and chefs. This, too, contributes to gastronomic excellence. Indeed
Peruvian cuisine, though hardly noticed abroad until most recently, is
one of the World's most varied and delicious.
Two aspects converge to give Peruvian cuisine an uniqueness that few
other enjoy. The first is Peru's huge biodiversity. The country is home
to 80 of the world's 104 different biological zones, which assures a
remarkable assortment of fresh ingredients. Potatoes and hot peppers
from the Andes, fish and seafood from the Pacific Ocean, mangoes and
limes from the coastal valleys, bananas and manioc from the Amazon
jungle: a chef's only problem is abundance of choice.
Second, Peruvian cuisine is the quintessence of cultural fusion. Ever
since the first blending between Inca and Spanish traditions, local
cooks have skilfully incorporated the flavours and techniques of the
many immigrants that disembarked in Peru's ports, such as Italian and
French. However, the strongest influences didn't arrive from Europe,
but from Africa, China, and Japan.
Although the restaurant offer in Lima is most varied and covers a wide
range of cuisines, Ceviche -diced raw fish marinated in lime juice and
hot peppers- is surely number one on the list of dishes you must taste.
There is at least one cevichería in every neighbourhood, so it won't be
hard to find one. Our suggestion goes to superb Pescados Capitales, a
lunch-only cevicheria in Miraflores.
A second must goes to Asian restaurants in Lima, both Chinese and
Japanese, which, predictably, have a strong Peruvian influence. Chinese
restaurants -known as Chifas-, can be counted by the hundreds. Usually
down-to-earth neighbourhood eateries, these offer a fare rich in
seafood and chicken. Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, on the
contrary, are less widespread, and more upscale and expensive. Their
forte is a year-round supply of the freshest and most variegated
seafood, which is delightfully transformed into sushi, sashimi, and
rolls. Our favourites are Wa Lok for Chinese, and Matsuei (where
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Nobu's chef and owner, perfected his skills) for
Japanese.
A last word for Lima's Criollo restaurants. Their cuisine is a vivid
and tasty demonstration of the rich cultural fusion undergone by
Peruvian gastronomy over the centuries. Besides the obvious Spanish and
Andean fusion (a.k.a. Criollo), in their menus you'll discover much
Africa (tacu-tacu and anticuchos), China (lomo saltado), and Japan
(ceviches and tiraditos).
Bon appétit!
