Written by Gloria Trainor, Team Member
The food of Peru is different, exciting, delicious, and nothing like the culinary treats of the Pacific Northwest. Compare the handful of potato varieties we find in our state of Oregon (even though we are Idaho's next-door neighbor) to the hundreds of types of potatos and yucca available here in Peru.
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| Ocopa |
"Ocopa" is a yellow potato served skinned and baked with a green "salsa" (more like a creamy sauce) and topped with a hard-boiled egg and an olive - it's a delicious Peruvian staple and different from anything we've tasted in the US. And yucca frita (think French fries) are to die for dipped in picante aji (spicy chile sauce). As the vegetarian of the group, it's a bit complicated at times, as Peruvians do love meat (even "cui" read: guinea pig) but everyone has been incredibly accommodating in helping me to find the veg treats this country has to offer. My simple favorite? "Tacu-tacu" - beans, rice, and regional spices fried together in a patty, topped with aji, of course.
Dessert might consist of "picarones," donuts made of sweet potato flour and served out of a street cart with honey drizzled over the top.
And I would be remiss to leave out the beverages: fruit juices of all types are readily available; chicha morada is a delicious punch made of purple corn boiled with pineapple husks, apple slices, cloves and cinnamon and cooled before drinking; and fresh chamomile flowers steeped in hot water with added lime juice make a refreshing beverage called "manzanilla."
Peruvians are proud of their food and drink, and with good reason! I'm sure our group will be attempting to recreate much of it after we return to our own Oregon kitchens.
