Andean Food Festival at San Isidro's Swissotel

Cuy, roast suckling pig, and beef play a pivotal role in Chef Escalante's Andean cuisine.
Photo: Perú 21.

According to a recent article in Perú 21, the Fourth Annual Chinchero Food Festival was recently held at San Isidro's landmark Swissotel.

Chef Mario Escalante, a native of the Sacred Valley village of Chinchero, presented the cuisine of this scenic village located in the Urubamba Valley near Cuzco. The dishes he prepared were variations of specialities prepared for special occasions in Chinchero.

Of course, any Andean special occasion requires cuy. Chef Escalante's cuy is baked and, according to him, his secret ingredient is huacatay, an aromatic herb commonly used in much Andean and Peruvian cuisine. The cuy was prepared with seasonings including garlic, cumin, pepper, and ají amarillo.

Photo: Swissotel.

Chef Mario also used various Andean legumes in his dishes. There was an Andean salad, made of wheat, haba (a type of broad bean) and tarwi (a legume known as Andean or pearl lupin), a quinoa salad, and the classic solterito de habas served with fresh cheese from the region.

Main dishes included revuelto de moraya, made with a freeze-dried tuber and meat, and tarwi puree served with roast suckling pig seasoned with ají panca, ají amarillo, and other spices. For dessert, there was quinoa con leche (similar to the traditional rice dessert, arroz con leche), sauco cake, and mazamorra de maíz, corn pudding.





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TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana