The Nation

As APEC meeting approaches, I thought it might be a good time to write about food from one of the delegate countries. In fact, it was about one month ago that both my father and myself were invited to an evening of Peruvian Culinary fare by the Charge d’Affaires of the Peruvian Embassy and his charming Thai wife at the Embassy Residence. There were quite a few Thais there as well as the Peruvian Ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. and Mrs. Bustinza, our hosts had prepared various culinary delights for all of us. It was indeed very helpful that the Embassy also provided us with recipes and press kit to help us understand and appreciate Peru. I must admit that I have not traveled to Peru before but only know that this was the land of the Inca. I know just bits and pieces, that the Spaniards invaded them. They had a very rich and grand culture before the arrival of Westerners. As for the food culture I was totally blind. I was surprised to learn that there are quite a few Asians amongst the Peruvian population. This probably accounted for the consumption of rice as the main starch in Peruvian food. This is indeed a land rich in culture, antiquity, and beauty. I certainly hope that one-day I will be able to visit Peru myself but we would have to take time getting there and stay long enough to make to trip worth while.

Inca Kola, Peruvian drink made from lemongrass

Let’s get back to the food. Our host and hostess had prepared a wonderful buffet with a wide variety of typical Peruvian food. We all started off with a few select dishes of appetizers. Peru has many kinds of potatoes and corn and these items are featured quite often in Peruvian dishes. Our first starter was called Causa Limena, a mashed potato mold stuffed with fish. It was delicate and light with some pickle and sourness to the fish stuffing. The combination of the mashed potato and the stuffing went very well together. I could have eaten this dish as the main course and would have been quite happy. There was the Choros a la Chalaca, or mussel salad in its shell. The mussel is poached and tossed with a salsa like dressing and spooned back into the shell.There is a hint of chili peppers and Thai herbs which I was informed that Peruvians used quite a bit of chili peppers and coriander in their food.

The next dish I knew very well and the Peruvian version is very refreshing. This was the Ceviche or a raw fish salad that if cooked in limejuice. It taste very good, a little like Thai Yum or spicy salad but not as hot or with such pronounced taste. I would have added fish sauce and chopped Thai chili peppers to it and it would have been a Thai salad. Had I done that I think our host would have been mortified and insulted! The main dishes consisted of a thick seafood stew with various fresh seafood in it. But what I found very tasty was the Seco de Cordero or Peruvian braised beef in coriander. It had a wonderful strong aroma of fresh coriander and the sauce is made think by the disintegrated leaves of the coriander. It was rich and flavorful.

Seco de Cordero, Peruvian braised beef

The Aji de Gallina or shredded chicken cooked in fresh chili sauce did not look very appetizing because it looked like a a bowl of mush but I was assured that it tasted great and after trying it I had to agree that it was really wonderful. You could taste the aroma of the cooked fresh chili peppers, which was not hot but had that chili fragrant to it. Another Andean dish is the Pollo al Mani or peanut chicken that our host had adapted from the original recipe, which used pork. It was tender and very crunchy with a great smell of roasted peanuts. I was surprised that Peruvian eat all these dishes with steamed rice like us Thais. I was particularly partial to Peruvian desserts. Mazamorra Morada or purple corn pudding with mixed dry fruits was abosolutely delightful.

Mazamorra Modara, Purple corn pudding with mixed dry fruits

It had thought that would be starchy and heavy but it turned out to be very light and delicate and not too sweet. Had my doctor been with me and witness how much I ate have this pudding and the rest of the desserts I would have been admitted to the hospital and put on a sugar free diet! Their short bread cookies called Alfajores was also very good especially as an accompaniment to coffee. The pastry just crumbled and melted in your mouth. The last desert is probably my favorite. I am not allowed to eat too much sugar but I could not stop myself when it came to Turron de Chocolate or Peruvian chocolate fruitcake. It was not too sweet but very rich in chocolate flavor almost like a Christmas pudding in texture and taste. While enjoying this wonderful meal I also had the opportunity to taste Inca Kola which is a carbonated drink made from lemongrass. They even have it in light form which really completely my enjoyment of this meal. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Bustinza the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Peru for inviting us and introducing us to the many splendid culinary delights from Peru.

Ceviche, Peruvian Raw fish salad