The national dish of Peru is, without doubt, the spicy marinated fish dish that is Ceviche! As diverse as the peoples of Peru, Ceviche can be prepared according to various recipes. No matter which recipe you follow, the common elements will always use a combination of fresh fish, citrus and some spice. Pretty much all the cultures of Peru stake a claim to the invention of Ceviche, whether you believe it goes back to the Pre-Hispanics, the Inca's and their salted fish or the Spanish and their lemons, no one really knows. Despite its complex lineage, the dish is beloved all around Peru. It's important to eat ceviche immediately and always prepare it with the freshest fish possible. The marinade, known as 'leche de tigre' (tiger's milk) among Peruvians, will 'cook' the raw fish as you bring it to the table. If you like, you can use a small spoon to enjoy the marinade juiced the remain after eating the fish. Peruvian's say the tiger's milk has the power to cure a hangover. Below you'll find the ingredients and recipe for the dish, which Aracari's gastronomic advisor Maria Julia Raffo will be demonstrating in a video on Aracari's Instagram channel. We'll be publishing the video at 12 midday CST (Lima Time) on Friday 13th November, so why not stock up on these ingredients, watch our video and prepare yourself a Peruvian treat for the weekend! Ingredients: 1 3/4 Ib (800g) of Fresh Scallops (Alternatively you can use Sea Bass or Flounder fillets) 1 red onion (sliced very thinly) 1/2 teaspoon red ají limo paste 1/2 teaspoon yellow ají limo paste Juice of 16 key limes Salt To serve: 1 boiled ear of corn (cut into rounds), Boiled sweet potato, Lettuce leaves Method: Cut fish into bite-sized pieces and mix together
The national dish of Peru is, without doubt, the spicy marinated fish dish that is Ceviche! As diverse as the peoples of Peru, Ceviche can be prepared according to various recipes. No matter which recipe you follow, the common elements will always use a combination of fresh fish, citrus and…
Pandemic Tales From Peru: Angie Pelosi Whilst international travel remains largely restricted, Aracari is still bringing you inspiring tales of people and culture from Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos. Last month, Aracari spoke with Peruvian Chef, Penélope Alzamora, about pandemic initiatives that are supporting those working in Lima’s world-famous gastronomy and hospitality sectors. This month we're talking to another inspiring woman about how the Pandemic has effected people from some of Peru's poorest communities. Specifically, single mothers living in the Lima district of Callao, which until recently was considered too dangerous for tourists to visit. You may recall a story Aracari published back in April about how a project called Callao Monumental, combined tourism and urban art, to help rejuvenate the Callao community. However with less tourism than before it seems new rejuvenation initiatives are required, which is why we decided to get back in touch with our friend Angie Pelosi one of the founders of Callao Monumental. Over the years Angie has frequently gifted her time, in aid of giving Aracari travelers the most authentic experience of Lima's modern and urban arts scene. AT: Angie, tell us what's happened since we last spoke back in April? AP: Sadly, I lost my job, as did 90% of the workers at FUGAZ [the organization that ran the Callao Monumental project]. The project gave local people an outlet for their creativity and opportunity to become creative entrepreneurs. Guided urban art tours and tourism, in general, created income streams for this community, but now the pandemic has put a stop on that and I fear people in the community are becoming less able to take care of themselves. Unemployment has risen and in the worst cases, some people are going hungry. AT: What are you doing now then? How have you adjusted? AP: Alongside a group of volunteers and friends from FUGAZ, I have set up
Pandemic Tales From Peru: Angie Pelosi Whilst international travel remains largely restricted, Aracari is still bringing you inspiring tales of people and culture from Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos. Last month, Aracari spoke with Peruvian Chef, Penélope Alzamora, about pandemic initiatives that are supporting those working in Lima’s world-famous gastronomy and hospitality sectors. This…
Causa is a Limeño classic, that’s great to share amongst friends as an appetizer or small individual plate. No food is welcome on a hot summers day than cool mashed potatoes stuffed with fruits of from the sea. Below you'll find the ingredients and recipe for a simplified version of the dish, which Aracari's gastronomic advisor Maria Julia Raffo will be demonstrating in a live Instagram cook-a-long. So why prepare your pantry and join us at 12 midday CST (Lima Time) on Sunday, October 11th to discover how Peruvians cook potatoes. Ingredients: For the Causa: 2 yellow potatoes 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 lb (1/4 kg) fresh white cheese Juice of 1/2 key lime Salt and white pepper 1 can of tunafish 1 avocado For the salsa golf mix (optional): 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup ketchup 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp worcestershire sauce Method: Scrub the potatoes and place them in a saucepan with plenty of salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender. Strain the potatoes when warm, but cool enough to handle, peel and mash them by pressing them through the back of a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon. Alternatively use a ricer. Add vegetable oil, ají amarillo paste, lime juice and salt and white pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Lightly oil and line an individual cup mold with plastic wrap. Line the base of the mold with an even layer of the potato mixture, followed by flakes of tuna fish with a spoonful of the Salsa golf mix. (Optionally you can use crayfish instead of tuna). Add another layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of sliced avocado with a sprinkling of salt and dash of lime juice on top. Finish off
Causa is a Limeño classic, that’s great to share amongst friends as an appetizer or small individual plate. No food is welcome on a hot summers day than cool mashed potatoes stuffed with fruits of from the sea. Below you’ll find the ingredients and recipe for a simplified version of…
Interview with Mark Green, Aracari Travel Planner Machu Picchu is Peru's most popular tourist attraction, receiving close to 1.6 million visitors in 2018. Hiking to Machu Picchu, either on the Inca Trail or via one of the alternative trails, is a truly awe-inspiring way to journey to one of the 7 recognized new wonders of the world. Furthermore, the Inca Trail affords travelers the unique possibility of visiting 4 significant and beautiful Inca sites along the way. This is a unique feature of the Inca Trail. So, whilst the global pandemic may have put many people’s travel plans for 2020 on hold, it certainly hasn’t diminished their plans and aspirations for one-day visiting the lost city of the Incas. That's why we decided to interview Mark, one of our expert travel designers, who has kindly shared with us an update about hiking to Machu Picchu. Mark moved to Peru from Great Britain over a decade ago. After several years exploring every hidden corner in the southern Andes and a lengthy spell accompanying tour groups along the hiking trails near Machu Picchu, Mark joined the Aracari team in 2013 as one of our expert Travel Designers. As an avid trekker, he has hiked most the trails in Peru. Mark’s unique in-depth knowledge and first-hand experience of the trails make him the ideal person to discuss your plans to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Given The Ongoing Pandemic, Is It Possible To Hike The Inca Trail To Machu Picchu? Pre-COVID, we would expect tickets to Machu Picchu to go on sale in December for travel in the following year. Similarly, Inca Trail permits for both the 4-day and 1-day trails would normally be released for sale in October for travel in the following year. In March 2020, when the pandemic
Interview with Mark Green, Aracari Travel Planner Machu Picchu is Peru’s most popular tourist attraction, receiving close to 1.6 million visitors in 2018. Hiking to Machu Picchu, either on the Inca Trail or via one of the alternative trails, is a truly awe-inspiring way to journey to one of the…
Papa a la Huancaina is a classic Peruvian Recipe, that originates from the magnificent city of Huancayo, high in the Andes. Below you'll find the ingredients and recipe for the dish, which Aracari's gastronomic advisor Maria Julia Raffo will be demonstrating in a live Instagram cook-a-long. So why not stock up on these ingredients and join us at 10 am CST (Lima Time) on Sunday, September 13th to bring some Peruvian flavor into your kitchen. Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tbsp vegetable oil 5 ajíes amarillos 3-4 saline crackers 1/2 lb (1/4 kg) fresh white cheese 1 cup evaporated milk Juice of 1/2 key lime Vegetable oil 6 boiled white potatoes (cold) To serve: Lettuce leaves, cooked corn kernals, hard-boiled egg slices, black olives Method: Seed, devein and chop ají amarillo. In a small skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and, over a medium heat, saute the onions, garlic and ají amarillo until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove onion mixture from the heat and, in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend together with the crackers, white cheese, evaporated milk, and salt, adding just enough vegetable oil to give the mixture a smooth creamy consistency. Add the juice of 1/2 key lime and blend for a few seconds more. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt if necessary. Let sauce cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge. To serve, pour the sauce over sliced cold boiled potatoes and garnish with boiled egg slices, olives, cooked corn kernals and lettuce leaves. Cooks note: The ají amarillo is the most commonly used hot pepper in Peru. It is also known as ají verde, ají fresco, and ají edcabeche. It is a long finger-shaped chili pepper,
Papa a la Huancaina is a classic Peruvian Recipe, that originates from the magnificent city of Huancayo, high in the Andes. Below you’ll find the ingredients and recipe for the dish, which Aracari’s gastronomic advisor Maria Julia Raffo will be demonstrating in a live Instagram cook-a-long. So why not stock…
Pandemic Tales from Peru: Penélope Alzamora Whilst international travel remains largely restricted, Aracari is still bringing you inspiring tales of people and culture from Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos. This month Aracari spoke with Peruvian Chef, Penélope Alzamora, our close friend and associate who for many years has looked after Aracari’s VIP guests on culinary experiences and cooking classes in Lima. In recent months she has witnessed first-hand how Lima's world-famous food scene has been affected by the global pandemic, whilst simultaneously observing the values that triumph in adversity. Peru's Food Culture "To understand food is to understand culture", declares Penélope. Undoubtedly, Peruvian food reflects the melting pot of cultures that the country is. Before we delve into the effects of the pandemic, it’s important to understand how the gastronomy of Peru came to be; "First there was the Incas, who harvested quinoa, amaranth, cacao ... then the Spanish, who brought with them ingredients like tomato, onion, peppers ... the African population, who cooked with chilies, pulses, offal ... and the Japanese, who fished the ocean and even introduced our modern way of preparing Ceviche." New Andean Cuisine Contemporary Peruvian cuisine, the dishes served up in some of Lima's best restaurants, is a (re)discovery of the native ingredients and exotic flavors found across Peru - an area that features 28 of the UN's 32 recognized climates in the world. This diversity of environments is reflected in the array of cooking ingredients and produce to be found in markets across Peru. It was whilst touring the food markets in Peru for the TV series, Aventura Culinaria, that Penélope’s former business partner, Chef Gastón Acurio (Astrid y Gastón), saw the opportunity to put Peru on the gastronomic map of the world. Penélope says "No person has been more influential in creating this
Pandemic Tales from Peru: Penélope Alzamora Whilst international travel remains largely restricted, Aracari is still bringing you inspiring tales of people and culture from Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos. This month Aracari spoke with Peruvian Chef, Penélope Alzamora, our close friend and associate who for many years has looked after…
