Eating Peru ! Some more pics !

                    Beetroot and Lentil Burger from Chakana restaurant - Paz Y Luz - Pisac

                   Mixed quinoa salad with roasted veggies

                  Warm Strawberry Tea - hmmmm def an acquired taste

                 Cusco Street BBQ - with a Potato on top

                  CHurros - so good !

            Pantastico bakery in San Blas - Great cakes !

         And empanadas !

More Cake - Lemon, Passion fruit, Chocbanana,quinoa topped with Caramel and coconut !

          Heart cafe in Ollantaytambo - Amazing Hot Chocolate!

Uruchate restaurant Ollantaytambo - Excellent steak with 3 Peppercorn sauce and Mashed potato !

Peru -the Land of Carbs !

Corn - Potatoes and those pesky Pisco sours ! 

Corn , the most sacred re-hispanic crop is found in as many colours as potatoes .Corn was used as food as well as a commodity to barter with - often in the streets and sometimes ladies hop on the bus selling hot corn (choclo) with slices of white andean cheese (queso) and sometimes chilli sauce. The purple corn here is converted into a drink called Chicha Morada and the quality varies from place to place-it can be served hot or cold and is definitely an enquired taste. Not for me ! 

Corn survived the Spanish conquest as many other grains was banned by the Vatican and disappeared from the Peruvian diet . 

Potatoes ! Called Papas here , they say  Peru boasts at least 200 varieties - although a chef I met says at least 4000 varieties. 

Farmers will  grow many varieties in their fields .Potatoes come in various forms, colours - and even dried ! 

Purple inside and out , yellow small potatoes , there are even frost resistant potatoes that can keep for up to 4 years . There are too many dishes to even mention with potatoes - from fried, mashed, stuffed with vegetables, cheese , meat. Potatoes , potatoes everywhere ! 

In cultural tradition potatoes are ritually stuffed with coca leaves and then buried as an offering to the earth in ope of a good harvest. So much respect here for the earth and its bounty ! 

The chilli peppers here are hot - be warned - even for me ! 

They often dry the peppers and use in sauces etc. There are many varieties and are used especially to spice up potatoes.

Let’s drink !

And of course - it wouldn't be right if they didn't make beer from the corn here in Peru. In 

ancient Inca times the Chosen women in the court would make the beer  - the beer was drunk as well as used in  ceremonial work as an offering to Pacha Mama  ( mother earth )by pouring it onto the earth doing ritual alongside other offerings.

This beer is thick - off white and looks like soup - many little hole in the wall cafes serve the beer in LARGE glasses . Sometimes it looks like a strawberry milkshake , thick and pink with a thick white foam top. MMMMmmmmmm - not so sure ! 

I’ve enjoyed the Quinoa beer of Bolivia  more and Cusquena - a pilsner like beer made in Cusco. 

Then there is Pisco - Is it sad to love this drink - too easy to ingest - tastes like a margarita but better ! That's a lot for me to admit to ! Sorry tequila -  I will make it up to you ! 

Pisco is the national drink - it is a distilled brandy usually drunk as a cocktail called Pisco Sour. Although Chile also claims the fame of the Pisco brandy - Im here in Peru and I give it to them - they know how to make this  one good . 

The cocktail is made with Pisco, lime juice,egg white and simple sugar syrup - garnished with angostura bitters.There are many variations of the Pisco sour and my favourite is the Passionfruit Sour - or called Maracuya Sour - DELICIOUS!

Fried corn snacks are popular to drink with your beer or Pisco and are called cancha. 

And one acquired taste is Mate de coca - tea made with coca leaves - helps with the altitude ! There are many cafes serving fantastic jugos' ( juices) as fruit is plentiful here ! 

So you want to eat the meat ? 

I must admit despite many meaty temptations in Peru , the vegetarian options have been phenomenal .Especially Cusco boasts amazing restaurants which are either vegan or vegetarian with world quality food in presentation and flavour. And as there are many on ayahuasca diets or other plant medicines diets - the restaurants especially in the Sacred Valley cater for those on these limited diets . Convenient ! As its a no salt , no sugar,no spice and a another long list of not have ingredients ! 

 Often seen next -to- the- road BBQ ’s  offer anticuchos - beef hearts - like a shish kebab of beef heart! Ive tried chicken hearts in Beijing and don't really feel comfortable eating any heart of any animal . Chewy and feels slightly barbaric ! 

For the more adventurous there is cuy - guinea pig - served with head, paws etc . In the sacred valley on the road to Urubamba there is a massive statue of a guinea pig and a half dozen so stalls serving BBQ guinea pig on a  stick .

Alpaca features strong on menu’s as an alternative to beef and in Pisac I saw lamb on the menu for the first time. LLomo Saltado is a traditional dish and popular dish made with strips of beef,onions,tomatoes,spices,rice and french fries. 

Llama jerkey or salted Llama is widely available in the markets and the very odd appearance of donkey snouts ……. and pots of hot boiling frog soup ! 

In the higher altitude areas there are more stew like dishes and on the coast duck,goat is eaten. As Ive not visited these regions I have not tasted any of these dishes. 

In the jungle piranhas are popular as well as a fish called - paiches. Piranha - once you get over the fact that its staring at you with its teethy grin does not offer  much to eat but as their volume in the rivers are huge make a good option for food .The paiche fish is wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the coals but can also be fried or boiled served with yucca, palm hearts and freed bananas. In the Jungle the following are also popular.

Sajino- roasted boar - Juanes - a tamale stuffed with chicken and rice - turtle soup and of course bananas , bananas - fried !

Ceviche - the coastal regions are more safe to enjoy ceviche - here they use white fish marinated in lemon, onion and hot hot peppers! Its served with yucca and corn traditionally and also potatoes. I tried it at my brief volunteering position at the Portal of Light restaurant . I must admit Ive enjoyed scallop ceviche in Scotland more ! 

 

Chef at Portal of Light preparing Ceviche 

                                             Delicious Roast pork at San pedro Market

Purple corn - Beautiful 

Potatoes ! 

                                                  Frogs boiled in soup for Breakfast

                                                   Corn sheaves for Tamales

                                          White Andean Queso ( cheese) Its good !

                                                Piles of fish roe !

                                             Would you buy your ceviche here ?

                                       Fried pork ribs on the street

                                                        An oven on wheels filled with baked bananas ! 

Magical Peru - Gentle calibration of the heart

Cusco swallows you - it seduces you with its ancient Inca charm , in its warm embrace , there is a magic here - soft and gentle like a mothers love. Cusco makes you feel nurtured and supported .
A gateway to much magic - The portal to travel to magical Macchu Picchu - a portal for those seeking plant medicines, a place for healing, learning and growth.
The cobbled stones, the market places, the food, the plaza's , the friendly smiles,the steep walkways, beautiful cathedrals and life, life, life - its easy to succumb to its charms.
I start out at Kokopelli hostel which is set in a 200 year old building-its beautiful , the vibe is good, the food excellent but I need more peace.Especially after a 16 hour bus journey from Puno which should have taken 7 hours - but due to protests and roadblocks we were stuck.Yet another lesson in patience and surrender.

On the way to find the meditation group at the Healing House I meet Enrique - a small recognition in this street artist selling his beautiful stones set in silver.Im not sure what attracts me to him but the whole time we converse in broken English and some Spanish - I feel a faint recognition -like in a dream - an earth angel . The same day I meet Leita - who incidentally (or not )met Enrique earlier the same day. Humble soul - connecting others .
On the second day in San Blas I run into him in a different ancient alleyway and gift him with my turquoise and leather bracelet - Ive not been able to wear it for some time now - and it seems right to give it away.He is astounded at my generosity - a small gift for his open heart.

These connections come fast and thick in Cusco - Peru is magical - its all heart - and its all very real - the illusion is shattered here - for some and most I hope.
Vipassana meditation at the Healing House leads to a sacred ancestral sound journey - I am moved into a space of knowing that I have to move to this house to rest, rejuvenate and re align myself with my true being. Somehow here it seems simpler. Two days later I move to the Healing House .

My space is serene. I feel content. There is room to be and meditate .Yoga.Healing circles,massage,reiki.And fabulous beautiful , happy, shiny people - Not all - but hey this is reality !
I meet new friends as we cook together, eat together , share celebrations and heartfelt moments.
The garden is bright and the light catches the red tiled roofs of San Blas . Im at peace - this is harmony - this is what I want for my life now. This moment is perfect.
We spend thanksgiving - in gratitude - feasting - simple beautiful vegetarian food, laughter and good company.The days here seem so long and bountiful - Is it a dream ?
But then its time to go - heading to the sacred valley - where my choices are quickly re aligned to suit my path - to aid my growth and my current process. All so effortlessly- let this be a lesson in trust and surrender and not planning absolutely everything.