The Haywariquy or Offering Ceremony takes place in the Korikancha esplanade on the eve of July 28th. Celebrated every year by the Incas, the ceremony’s aim was to honour Pachamama (Mother Earth, in Quechua) with the offering of various goods, as well as to invoke better times for the empire.
The current representation is an amazing nocturnal show featuring ritual dances, music, artificial fires and luminous effects.
Thursday, July 27. For reservations contact EMUFEC (Calle Santa Catalina Ancha 333, Phone 084-244504)
July 20th, 2006
Although gastronomy has always been, since the days of the Spanish viceroyalty, an essential aspect of life in Peru’s Capital, the last few years have seen a huge leap in Lima’s dining scene. Not only it is tapped with restaurants, both sophisticated and low-key, but many of them seem to be at full capacity Monday through Sunday.
The boom has persuaded many restaurant owners to open abroad, a tactic that has often proved successful, as in the case of chef Gastón Acurio’s Astrid & Gaston, recently considered the best restaurant in Santiago de Chile.
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 enormous biodiversity. The country is home to some 80 types of the world’s 104 different biological zones, which assures an amazing 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 been capable of incorporating the flavours and techniques of the many immigrants that disembarked in the country’s ports, in particular African, Chinese, and Japanese.
Although the restaurant offer in Lima is most varied and covers a wide range of cuisines, both regional and international, ceviche 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 cuisine, both Chinese and Japanese, which, predictably, has a strong Peruvian influence. Chifas -that is, Chinese restaurants-, which can be counted by the hundreds, are usually down-to-earth neighbourhood eateries, offering 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, of course, 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 few Tips for Dining in Lima
Most of the best restaurants in Lima are located in Miraflores, though some are to be found in San Isidro, Surco, and Barranco. Although most restaurants aren’t usually crowded during weekdays, it’s a good idea to make reservations for Fridays and Saturdays. Limeños tend to have dinner a bit late for North American and European standards, between 9pm and 10pm. While food is most reasonably priced -at least compared to North American and European standards- wine is still quite expensive in Lima, specially imported bottles. Nothing to worry about: beer is the ideal drink for Ceviche, Criollo, Chinese and Japanese fares.
July 20th, 2006
