It's great to see Peru finally moving up in the foodie world - historically, destination sites for gastronomic tours have been chosen from regions in France and Italy, or other commonly-visited European regions. Google "gastronomic tours" these days, however, and Peru actually pops up on the first search page!
Peru's not the first result (yet) but it's on the list now.
Peruvian cuisine is, IMHO, awesome - an organic outcome of Peru's rich history and a melting pot of the best that the cultures and races that have made Peru their home have to offer. It is an inter-weaving of ingredients and traditional dishes prepared by the descendants of the Incas, the heirs to the Spanish conquistadors, the sons and daughters of the African slaves, and more recent immigrants from Italy and France. The waves of Chinese and Japanese laborers brought to the Americas in the railroad days have contributed as well, making the land into a culinary equivalent of a military superpower.
Lomo Saltado: a gorgeous example of comida criolla
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Google's top gastronomic search results include Peru, since legendary chefs like Georges Auguste Escoffier have ranked Peruvian cuisine among the top three cuisines of the world since the 1920's.
Still, maybe Peru won't become the next "hot" gourmet destination, but I intend to add as much to its popularity as I can, so stay tuned!
¡Buen provecho!
Full disclaimer: I am the American-born daughter of Peruvian immigrants, so I may be a bit biased and more inclined to point out the finer aspects of llama gasbag soup than your average reviewer.
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