The Next Great Cuisine—Peruvian

by Carole Kotkin

Like Peru’s best known dish, ceviche--raw seafood marinated in lime juice and spices and served with onions, sweet potato, corn and ginger, the cuisine of Peru is the essence of the cultural and geographic fusion that defines the society and its food. Many forces, including its native population, immigrants, and natural resources, have shaped the Peruvian table. The cuisine is the original fusion food, having absorbed influences from Spain, Africa, China and Japan and melded them with ingredients and dishes that provide a direct link to the Incas. The Incas grew hundreds of varieties of corn, potatoes, grains like quinoa and barley, and of course, chili peppers. Peruvians have been cultivating potatoes for 8,000 years, and incorporate more than 200 different tubers in their cooking—intense yellow ones with firm flesh, waxy red ones, mealy white ones, sweet-fleshed orange ones and purple-hued ones. They prepare them in so many different ways that the language of the Peruvian Indians has a thousand words for potatoes alone.  Beans provided native peoples with the protein that corn lacked. Lima beans, named after Peru's capital, are among the oldest beans, which date back about 10,000 years. Particularly important to the development of the country’s cuisine were the olives, grapes, garlic, onions, rice, and dairy products introduced in the 16th century by the Spanish conquerors. Called Criollo (Creole) cuisine, the most common dishes are regional variations of papa a la huancoina (sliced potatoes, served cold, under a blanket of cheese sauce that is turned bright yellow by aji amarillo). The Spanish also added chickens, cows, pigs and goats to a culture that derived much of its meat and protein from the cuy, or guinea pig, which is eaten to this day in the Peruvian countryside. Africans introduced yams and peanuts and heavily dictated the development of dishes such as anticuchos (marinated beef heart kebabs) and tacu tacus (a blend of beans, rice and ají amarillo pepper). After Peru’s independence in 1821, European immigrants introduced French, Italian and German twists. The Chinese came to build railroads and brought soy sauce and fresh ginger as well as stir-fry cooking, creating a blend of cuisines known in Peru today as chifa. Japanese, arriving in the early 1900’s to work on sugar and cotton plantations brought their love of seafood and techniques for simple and beautiful preparations and opened cevicherios (restaurants or small stands specializing in marinated foods) and shaped nikkei, or second-generation Japanese cuisine.  Nestled in the Pacific shoulder of South America, Peru encompasses a huge variety of climates and terrains--from the frigid high Andes mountains to the tropical jungle of the Amazon River to 2,000 miles of temperate coastline.

Legendary French chef and culinary writer Auguste Escoffier called the cuisine of Peru one of the best in the world—after only French and Chinese. In view of its significance, it’s also a cuisine that has been overlooked in the United States until now. Restaurants in the United States are beginning to take an interest in Peruvian dishes and accents and to integrate them into their menus.

"There are many people in the United States looking for something new to try," says Doris Rodriguez de Platt, a native of Cajamarca, Peru, who owns Andina Resturant in Portland, Oregon with her American-born husband and three sons. “The interest in Peruvian cooking is world-wide today. In the past, Peruvian cooking was largely an oral tradition, but today young Peruvian chefs are embracing formal culinary educations in some of the finest cooking schools in Peru, such as Le Cordon Bleu in Lima. They are crisscrossing the globe to spread the word about the elaborate wealth of Peruvian food and its history.” At Andina, Rodriguez de Platt works closely with her chefs--all who come from Peru--to create classic Peruvian dishes like seco al la nortena--lamb shanks simmered in dark beer, ai armarillo peppers, served with bean stew and salsa criolla. Consulting Chef de Cuisine, Hernan Castaneda, meanwhile, is the ambassador for novoandina cuisine or “new Andean,” a modern spin on the country's Andean culinary traditions. For instance, he makes truffle-oil-spiked risotto of wild Oregon mushrooms with the Peruvian grain quinoa, and jazzes up a traditional roast chicken with a brine of Pisco (a liqueur distilled from grapes), Peruvian peppers, tomato and chickpeas, accompanied by crispy quinoa-coated potato croquettes and a corn puree. "The restaurant represents our family: two cultures together," Rodriguez de Platt says. "I love to see wonderful Oregon fish and produce cooked in a Peruvian way. The delicious dishes we make are a tribute to Oregon, and to my country of Peru." Andina's wine director and sommelier Ken Collura turns to the flavors of classic Peruvian cuisine when planning Andina's wine list. "I let the food tell me what to buy," says Collura. " I favor lighter, crisper, more finesse-driven wines that better complement the cuisine.” However, unlike the food, Collura's wine picks aren't all Peruvian. "Since Peru has little wine, it's more about finding the right wine to match the food. It’s very clear that South American wines best harmonize with the food and we probably have the finest South American selection anywhere on the West Coast.” For example, he suggests a petite syrah from Chile’s Carmen winery to pair with the braised lamb shanks. Andina's 175 bottle list represents an impressive number of wine regions beyond South America, sourced as part of Collura's efforts to obtain the best possible pairings for unique dishes, like the Dorado Al Rocoto Y Kion (roasted mahi mahi layered over an earthy shitake mushroom, smoked bacon and bok choy broth accompanied by hearty asparagus-quinoa fried rice) that Collura pairs with a crisp Pazo Senorans Albarino from Spain. “We do have about a dozen Oregon Pinots that sell quite well. But I don't believe our customers walk in this door looking for Oregon Pinot," says Collura.

At the fine-dining restaurant La Cofradia, in Coral Gables, Florida, executive chef and  owner, Jean Paul Desmaison, serves a “ rustic blend of Mediterranean and Peruvian cooking. “  Desmaison who operated La Cofradia (the brotherhood) restaurant in Lima for seven years before partner Jaime Dickinson lured him to South Florida, explains, “Lima is next to the coast and I was inspired by the similarities between the scrupulous freshness of fresh fish and seafood of Peru and those of the Mediterranean.” Desmaison, who was trained at Lima’s Le Cordon Bleu, expresses his philosophy, “I love the strong, clean, bold flavors of both cuisines. There is always balance. You get some heat, some spice, some acid, and some richness.” Thus, he prepares Risotto del Cofrade, a mélange of Italian rice with aji amarillo paste topped with a grilled Florida lobster tail in a coral cream sauce.  The spicy flavors and unusual ingredients at La Cofradia, could present a special challenge for wine pairing. But La Cofradia's manager and sommelier, Kareem Zarwi and Desmaison, reached deep into the old and new world for wines. La Cofradia offers with a traditional Peruvian ceviche—lemon sole, octopus and shrimp—that he pairs with  S.A. Prüm’s Graacher-Himmelreich Spätlese '05 Riesling from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany. “The sweetness and low alcohol of the Riesling tones down the spice of the ‘leche de tigre’, the ceviche marinade made with fresh lime juice, ginger, celery, garlic and aji limo chiles, and stands up to the seafood in the dish. Zarwi stayed with the old world with his choice for the Risotto del Cofrade of Jean Luc Colombo’s ‘La Belle du May’ 2004, 100% Roussanne from Saint Peray in the Northern Rhone of France. “This extremely aromatic and full-bodied wine compliments the texture of the risotto and the lobster, and has the acidity and balance to stand up to the cream sauce,” says Zarwi.  “I really like Champagne with the lobster risotto also.  Especially those from producers who barrel-ferment their chardonnay, such as Billecart-Salmon, Gosset, and Krug.  An excellent vintage Champagne that I recommend with this dish is a Henri Giraud 1995, Fut de Chene, Ay Grand Cru.  The mousse is rich and creamy with bubbles so small you don’t even see them in the glass, but rather feel them dance on your palate.”  

As anyone who’s ever looked inside a restaurant kitchen knows, Latinos from South and Central America are the employees that keep restaurant kitchens running. And though Latino workers may be preparing cuisines unfamiliar to them, the influence of the indigenous foods of their country of origin eventually filters onto restaurant menus. “I fell in love with the fresh flavors and the pristine presentations of Peruvian cooking when I was introduced to it by one of my Peruvian cooks, Miguel Puelles, many years ago,” says Chef Michelle Bernstein, owner of Michy’s in Miami and MB in Cancun, Mexico and consulting chef at Michelle’s at Carysfort at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. “Miguel inspired me to go to Peru. Although my palate is pretty in tune with Latin flavors I was amazed at what I found. In Lima and Machu Picchu the trout tasted as if it jumped out of the water and onto the plate.” She continues, “The most important part of cooking Peruvian food in the US is finding the freshest fish and seafood possible.” Native chiles such as aji amarillo, aji rocota, and aji panca--sold here most often in dried or paste form-- are more broadly available these days. Bernstein has sourced Peruvian products in Miami and on-line, and remarks that “You usually find a Peruvian market next to a Peruvian restaurant.” Native ingredients are a conduit to Peruvian cooking and can be found in Michy’s Chupe de Mariscos or as she calls it in her soon to be released cookbook, Cuisine a Latina, “My Latina Bouillabaisse.” At Michy’s the chupe is flavored with hot peppers, evaporated milk, corn, sweet potatoes, and just before serving lightly beaten eggs are stirred into the delicious, intense seafood mix. Traditional and contemporary takes on ceviche, have become one of the cuisine's most widespread calling cards on mainstream menus. Awakening palates with their fresh, acidic tang, the citrus-'cooked' concoctions are great vehicles for seafood, both local varieties as well as widely available types including octopus, squid, red snapper and scallops. “In Peruvian cevicherias  the seafood is marinated at the very last minute; here we marinate longer to please the American palate. We sell out of it most nights--the fish comes in the back door and out the front in a matter of hours.” Sommelier Allegra Angelo pairs Pouilly-fume, les Porcheronnes (vineyard), by Marc Deschamps, Loire Valley, France 2005 with the ceviche, “the   racy lemon/lime acidity of the Pouilly-fume matches the acidity of Michelle's ceviche, but is not overbearing,” she explains. To go happily with the chupe, Angelo suggests Rosso di Montalcino by Canalic Hio di Sopra, 2003, Tuscany. “The rosso with its lovely sweet tomato/cherry flavors is great with mariscos.”

As the flavors of Peru are becoming more commonplace, American chefs are embracing Peruvian foods and seasonings. While researching the menu for Ceiba, their Latin-inspired restaurant in Washington, DC, Executive Chef and co-owner Jeff Tunks and his partners, embarked on an extensive research and purchasing trip throughout Peru in order to create a menu of the most authentic recipes. Peru’s cuisine is the least recognized of the four regions featured at Ceiba (Yucatan, Brazil, Peru, and Cuba) which is why Tunks decided to present The Inca Trail,  cooking classes focusing on the methods of preparing Incan-inspired recipes and the history behind them.”We focus on authenic recipes that one would find in a Peruvian restaurant. Our customers know the distinctions between South American cuisines and enjoy the in depth exploration,” Tunks remarks. When Tunks smelled the intoxicating fragrance of street vendors’ grilling anticucho in a town square in Peru, he knew this was a recipe he wanted to share at Ceiba. Traditionally made with inexpensive cuts of meat available to the working-man-on-the-go - beef heart, liver, and gizzards - Ceiba’s version features swordfish marinated with flavorful and aromtic ingredients including garlic, oil, and aji panco threaded on sugar cane skewers and served atop Peruvian fried rice with an aji amarillo-soy sauce vinaigrette. Tunks and his tasting team savored countless potato preparations before choosing Papa a la Huancaína—a soul-satisfying dish in the style of the mountain village, Huancayo—as the one to bring back home. With a creamy cheese sauce infused with the golden color and warmth of the aji amarillo (yellow chili) binding tender slices of potatoes, and a traditional garnish of hard-boiled egg and Peruvian olives. “This dish is the ultimate in Incan comfort food. When served as an appetizer.

Wine and food pairings are integral to the dining experience at Ceiba and the list is heavy with fine wines from Argentia, Chile and Spain.. “However, Ceiba’s  four variations of ceviche-- grouper, shrimp, tuna, and striped bass -- which you may order individually or as a sampler; is our most popular appetizer. The fresh and vibrant ingredients and fact that it is a super healthy choice is what drives the train. Dishes like ceviche and tiradito are breaking through their ethnic origins and are becoming a part of a new American cuisine,” he explains.

It’s not only average Americans who are learning to cook Peruvian food, but those wishing to become professional chefs can now enroll in the Miami branch of Peru’s acclaimed Don Ignacio Culinary Arts School that opened in Miami recently.  Raul Diez-Canseco, former vice-president of Peru and the founder and president of the school explains, "Peru is one of the six or seven best cuisines in the world. There is a huge demand for Peruvian-trained chefs. The timing is perfect in the United States for such a program.”

Nobu Matsuhisa, Chef Owner of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants worldwide, one of the nickkei pioneers, fell in love with Peruvian food when he spent four years as a young man running a sushi restaurant in Lima in the ‘70s. Today, the Nobu menu includes several Peruvian specialties, like tiradito, a cross between ceviche and sashimi in which raw white fish, usually fluke or red snapper, is cut paper thin and fanned out on the plate like a flower. The fish is drizzled with yuzu and lemon juice and enlivened with rocoto chile (cousin of habanero) paste and cilantro. ''My food is based on Japanese cuisine, but I have incorporated Peruvian, South American and Western influences in my cooking which I call Nobu-style,” Mr. Matsuhisa said. “Having lived in Peru and eaten like the locals there, I came to appreciate ingredients like chili, garlic and cilantro. I started experimenting and over the years developed my cooking style which is still evolving,” he continues. He also includes several different ceviches and anticuchos, grilled meats served on skewers, on his menus though he makes appropriate modifications for his American clientele. ''In Peru, you use cow hearts for anticucho, and people eat it in the street,'' he said. ''We have beef, chicken scallops, shrimp etc. on skewers and serve it with anticucho sauces.'' He agrees that there is an increased interested in Peruvian cuisine in the United States and around the world, “ My base is Japanese cooking but my experience in Peru enabled me to broaden my horizon, so I would like to continue to use and promote Peruvian ingredients and flavors.  I am looking into using Peruvian potatoes now.” To pair with the Tiradito, Santiago Rodriguez, director of bar and lounge operations, recommends Champagne rose,  “My personal choice is Gosset Grande Rose, a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir grand cru, that is underlined by the presence of bouzy and ambonnay red wines. The  balance between chardonnay and pinot noir dance with the citrus and spicy flavors of the dish.” He continues, “The black pepper, leather and boysenberry  bouquet and the juicy berry and cherry fruit flavors flowing on a wave of dense tannins in Marques de Griñon Dominio de Valdepusa (D.O montes de Toledo) petit verdot work in perfect harmony with all the spices in the anticucho.”

Raymond Sokolov who wrote “Why We Eat What We Eat” in 1991, documented the blending of Old World and New World food when the Spanish and Portuguese began colonizing the Western Hemisphere. He wrote that “Peru’s traditional dishes “comprise the last great cuisine undiscovered by a world gone mad for new tastes.'' It is evident that Peruvian cuisine is the next frontier poised to explode on U.S. palates.