I recently read an interesting article in a newspaper about Peruvian food and being Peruvian it is only fair that I write an article about it! Peruvian food reflects local practices and ingredients and it’s no wonder that people refer to it as Fusion.
That word means “joining of two or more things together to form a single entity”. Synonyms are: blending, joining, union, marrying, bonding and integration. One hears that word very often in Australia these days, in reference to immigration, especially that coming from Syria. In terms of food, fusion refers to the incorporation of diverse cuisines. One must also remember that Peru can be subdivided into three definite areas: coast, mountains (Andes ) and jungle (Amazon), each with its own practices and ingredients.
Regarding its inhabitants, Peru has a native population, including the Inca and also cuisines brought in by immigrants from Europe in this century (Spain, Italy, Germany mainly); historically from Asia (China, Japan and West Africa in the 18th century mainly. Without their familiar ingredients to cook, newcomers modified their traditional food by using those available in the country they moved to.
Traditional Peruvian staples are corn, potatoes and other tubers, quinoa and legumes, (beans). Immigrants also brought rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken). International food critics have described Peruvian cuisine as one of the world’s most important cuisines and an example of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history.
I would also like to include future sections about typical Peruvian food, which will include local and international critics, restaurants, small shops and diverse eateries, but this will be published in the near future under the title: Exciting and authentic Peruvian fusion .