Looks can be deceiving, even in food

by Magaly Chin

So far we’ve seen dishes made of chicken, beef or fish. But have you ever thought of guinea pig? Well in my country there’s a traditional dish whose star is none other than a crunchy guinea pig. I know, it doesn’t sound too appetizing but you’ll have to trust me when I say it tastes really good. To make this dish, the whole guinea pig (called “cuy” in Peru) is roasted over a spit. Usually one serving requires one cuy since its size is not big enough to be cut.

Roasted cuy is considered a delicacy and it’s mostly served on especial occasions. It’s quite messy to eat because the best way to have it is only using your hands. I tried it for the first time not long ago, because the looks of the dish used to put me off a bit until I felt brave enough to eat it. But being honest, it tasted so good that I wondered why I didn’t do that before.

This dish is so popular that it even has its own holiday celebrated in October. Recently, chefs have started to go gourmet with the cuy and have been using it in other dishes instead of main ingredients like smoked fish.

Reference:

http://libroderecetas.com/files/recetas/cuy-chactado.jpg

A matter of the heart... the cow's heart

by Magaly Chin

Anticucho is a very popular and cheap dish in Peru. It’s highly sought after in most local restaurants and can also be found in street carts or street food stalls. It originated in the colonial time and since then stayed a key part of Peruvians’ everyday life. This dish is made of beef heart marinated in vinegar and spices like cumin, chili pepper and garlic. Then the meat is skewed and grilled. Anticuchos made of chicken heart are very common too.

Usually in my family we have them when there’s any celebration, like birthdays, and we always enjoy setting up the grill on the backyard and waiting until the smoke rises carrying the mouth-watering smell. I specially enjoy it with boiled potato, corn and creole sauce (a mix of sliced onions with lemon juice, cilantro and chili), which are the common sides for this dish.

References:

http://revistavelaverde.pe/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/anticucho-3.jpg

http://hibult-static.websplanetdemo.com/var/m_2/20/20a/20440/329396-anticuchos.jpg

Peruvian food, my favourite

by Magaly Chin

When people ask me what is my favourite food I can never give a straight answer, because there are so many things that I like that it’s hard to choose one. But this time I took my time to think and came up with an answer: my favourite food is Peruvian food. For me there’s nothing like the dishes that I grew up eating at home and that are part of who I am.

Peruvian food is simply amazing. There is a huge variety of dishes made with a diverse range of ingredients and with so many flavors that can satisfy any palate. 

The most characteristic dish, and probably my favourite too, is called ceviche. There's no certainty about the source of the name but some think it could derive from the mix of ingredients or from an old Quechua word “siwichi” which means fresh fish. This dish is made of raw fresh fish marinated in citrus juice with Peruvian yellow chili. It’s usually served with parboiled sweet potato, chopped onions and corn. 

No visitor misses the chance to try ceviche, so if you ever go to Peru you now know what is the first thing to ask for.

References:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KUPvUDU9lPQ5l9EreAsKiInN-tkR-jvYq0orBtuGm1g7iMDDjH-iw4WJnSSmMvjTOxyt07R06VmqBYDWm9Dsvv5IYeWsjnyadKwHkPUyAaIU0Ic2e_KW9wXCh_c4ixD7Bb9VLQghK5Ix/s1600/comida+peruana.jpg

https://s3-sa-east-1.amazonaws.com/cdn-e360/proyectop_file_d04f2ff743dbe1fc9361516c6ecebd10_3487_.jpg