Woolworths Taste – August 2019

HOMEof thepotatoandrich
inrainbow-colouredmaize,Peruhas
alwaysbeengoodtome.It’sa country
wherethelegacyof theAndean
civilisationsis bothmysteriousand
inspiring,themulticulturalfood
complexwithnotesof chilli,coriander
andlime,andthepeoplealwayswilling
toofferadviceabouta lesserknown
huarique(hole-in-the-walldiner)
orcontemporarybar,or even take
youthereinperson.
WhenI arriveinthecapital,Lima,
foodwriterandindiebookstoreowner
JavierMasíasis waitingformeat Mérito,
a compact,double-storeyrestaurant
runbytwoVenezuelanchefswho
havebroughta tasteof theirhometo
a countrythathas,inrecenttimes,seen
thearrivalof almost 800000 refugees
andimmigrantsfromtheirhomeland.
JavierexplainsthatmanyVenezuelan
disheshavebeenadaptedandaccentuated
usingPeruvianflavours:“You’llfindlomo
saltado, a Peruvianstir-fry,servedinside
anarepa(flatbread).Méritorepresentsthe
embodimentof Venezuelanflavourson
Peruviansoil– theydoit in a very clean,
contemporary style.”

Inmarketssuchas Mercadode

SurquilloinMiraflores,it’sclearthat

thingshavechangedsincemylastvisit

threeyearsago– Venezuelancheeses,

arepasandlegumessuchas blackbeans

are now readily available here.

ChefFrancescaFerreyros,whohas

spentyearsworkingabroad,includingat

GagganinBangkok(theSanPellegrino

bestrestaurantinAsiaforthepastfour

years)pointsthemoutas webrowsethe

fragrantstalls.Havingrecentlyreturned

tohernativehomecitytoheadupIK

Restaurante,shesays:“We’vealways

hadVenezuelanslivinghere,butwith

thecrisis,Peruopeneditsbordersand

wenowseethisinfluenceinourown

cooking – these ingredients were not

availableat themarkets when I lived

herebefore.”

Francescatellsmetherearethree

notablegenerationsof Peruvianchefs:

“Wehavethegenerationof Gastón

Acurio(renownedauthorandPeruvian

foodambassador– hissublimeLaMar

CebicheríaPeruanais a chainfound

incitiesinSouthAmericaandthe

US);thegenerationof PíaLeón(Latin

America’sbestfemalechefin2018)and

VirgilioMartínez(famedforpushing

theboundariesof Peruviancuisine);and

thenyouhavemine.I’vefoundthatI’ve

beenwarmlywelcomedbackhome,with

chefsincludingMichaTsumuraof Maido

(numberoneontheLatinAmerican 50

BestAwardslist, 2017 and2018)dining

hereandofferingmeadvice:‘Dothis,

considercuttingdowna course,how

aboutthis?’Welookoutforeachother

becauseourcollectivegoalis toelevate

Peru’scuisineandyoucan’tdothat

if youonlycareaboutthestandard

of yourownrestaurant,”shesays.

Francescahastakena risk

byservinga boldfusionof Indian

and Thai flavours using small-scale,

108 TASTE AUGUST 2019

TRAVEL

TheterracesofMoray,whereMilrestaurantis

based,aresaidtomimicmultipleecosystems

atdifferentaltitudes.TheIncausedthese

fortheiragriculturalexperimentsandthis

concept hasinspiredVirgilioMartínez’swork

at Mil and at Central in Lima.

“ Francescaserves

a boldfusionofThai

andIndianflavours

usingsustainably

grownPeruvian

produce”