Peru's cuisine is on everyone's lips, and it's no coincidence. Peruvian cuisine is experiencing a great boom thanks to chef Gastón Acurio.   The Inca effort has a name, and that is Gastón Acurio; this man is the perfect example of how gastronomy can change a country. It is no secret that Peru has gone through difficult economic times, but today its flagship dishes have made it one of the most visited countries in America, and this is thanks to chef Acurio, a global promoter of Peruvian cuisine. He has propelled his country as a culinary brand. It's no joke; they created a logo, a slogan, and even a documentary about their markets and how food is a factor for social change. To say that the plan is working would be an understatement. If you want to see this video, click here. At its core, Peruvian food is a combination of indigenous traditions, Spanish influence, and touches from African races that arrived in the country. It is because of this mix that traditional cuisine is called Creole, a blend of flavors and textures from all over the world that come together. This is not very different from our Mexican cuisine, and just like in Aztec land, Peruvians have various types of dishes depending on the region you are in. The magic of their current proposal is that they united as a nation, and through a massive international communication program and their very popular annual gastronomic summit called Mistura, they have shown the world what they are capable of. Ingredients and preparations that were only known on the coasts of Lima three years ago are now sought after and used by chefs around the world. Aji, choclo, carapulcra, and the more than 2000 types of potatoes that exist in their territory are now in vogue, and the entire culinary world demands them. The percentage of visitors who consider it a culinary destination worth visiting has increased by 250% since 2009. An interesting characteristic of Peruvians is their patriotism. They have a pride in what they live and prepare in the kitchen like few in the world. Just in 2011, as part of their global campaign, they prepared an experience that would travel the world through social media. In a red truck adorned with their own logo, they traveled to Peru, Nebraska, a small town with just over 500 inhabitants in the middle of the United States. Latin American Peruvians had a concern; those North American Peruvians were not living as Peruvians should, and they would teach them how. Chefs and cooks entered the cafeterias and kitchens of various families' homes to teach them how to cook; Gastón Acurio himself shared recipes with housewives, and in the end, they painted the accent on the “u” of Peru on the classic water tank that stood in the middle of the town.  

The Best Peruvian Recipes

Recipe for Peruvian Sole Ceviche

Ingredients: - 800 grams of sole fillet - 2 tablespoons of chopped orange pepper - 4 ice cubes - 1 cup of lemon juice - 1 cup of finely sliced red onion - 1 cup of corn kernels - 4 cups of cooked sweet potato - salt To see the procedure for this recipe click here.  

Recipe for Shrimp and Mango

Ingredients: - 500 grams of large shrimp, peeled and cleaned (no veins or intestines) - 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced - 1 cucumber, peeled and diced into small cubes - 1 jicama, diced into small cubes - 1 red onion, diced into small cubes - 2 serrano peppers, sliced thinly (taste for the desired level of spiciness) - 4 limes - 2 teaspoons of chili piquin - 2 teaspoons of olive oil - salt to taste If you want to see the steps for this recipe click here.  

Recipe for Classic Peruvian Ceviche

Ingredients: - 800 grams of fish (sole or corvina) - 1 red onion, julienned - 1/2 red aji limo, finely chopped - 1/2 yellow aji limo, very finely chopped - juice of 16 limes - salt - 1 cooked corn, sliced - 1 cooked sweet potato Click here to learn the steps to prepare this recipe.   This example of communication and boasting is a valuable lesson for other countries that have the same potential. A couple of years ago, Mexican gastronomy was named an intangible cultural heritage of humanity above French and Italian culinary traditions. This is an extremely important achievement that still needs to be exploited, as just like the Peruvians, we should take trucks full of chefs and go to Monterey, California, or the city of Mérida in Spain to teach them to eat like Mexicans. To see more Peruvian food recipes click here.  

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