Food, Wine and Revoluccion

Saturday, on the way back from the sandy mountains of Nazca, our tour bus overheated and we got stuck on the side of the road. Everyone kept up a great mood despite the distressing situation. One reason was that we all had plenty of food and water. In just twenty minutes, the driver got the engine going again and we were back on the road.
Ensuring that I always have plenty of food and water in the US is hardly a chore. Walking over to a nearby restaurant and getting a tasty, nutritious meal is one of my favorite daily rituals. In Peru, there are still three meals a day, but many aspects of eating are different than back at home. Naturally as a traveler you learn to adapt and be flexible with your time. Because we partake in so many activities between classes and tours, a lot of our meals are quick, small and on-the-go. The meals I have gotten time to sit down and enjoy have been delicious.
Peruvian restaurants have a one hundred percent chance of offering this particularly plain plate of chicken with rice and potatoes. Every time I see this choice on the menu, I pick it. Before I came to Peru, I would always try different things at restaurants. Now, I have come to appreciate consistency as my stomach gets used to foreign food. Peruvians serve the chicken rice and potatoes on one of two extremes: plain and bland, or with a fiery pepper sauce called ahi. I use the ahi sparingly, but many of my friends pour it all over their food. There are also surprisingly few fruits and vegetables in our meals. Besides the occasional date or a few peas and carrots, I have not found a good complement to all the protein and carbohydrates on our menu options. Fortunately, my host keeps a veritable supply of fresh fruit, and adds broccoli, asparagus, or salad to our dinners at home. Thanks to my host, I start each morning off with juicy papaya, mango, pineapple, melon, oranges, and local Peruvian fruits such as granadillas. From talking with my classmates, the fruits and vegetables are not part of the typical Peruvian meal. That being said, any fruit you want can easily be found at a low price in the markets on the way home.
When I am in the US, I am used to eating around the clock, small snacks throughout the day between large meals. In Boston I am never more than 15 minutes away from as much food as I want, of any kind. In Peru, depending on others for my meals is quite a challenge. Often we will go from activity to activity and not stop for a meal at a restaurant for several hours. This is where it pays off to be prepared with lots of snacks. Managing the weight of my backpack, the money in my wallet, and the food in my belly while we are constantly on the move have been new responsibilities for me. I look forward to improving my management of this travelling lifestyle in an unfamiliar city. Like in Boston, food is plentiful here; I just haven’t found my favorites yet and how to get them quickly. Ordering a chorizo burger on a buttery, flaky bun in the desert oasis of Huacachina just ten minutes before departing is one of the most memorable experiences on this trip so far. Another treat I can never pass up is a chocolate milkshake-made from locally grown cacao- from Lucha Restaurante in the plaza bordering Parque Kennedy.
I could not write a blog about Peruvian food without talking about the famous drinks of the region. Peru, more specifically the town of Ica, prides itself on the production of pisco. Pisco is a grape brandy that is stronger than wine, but very similar in taste. So far we have had more wine and pisco tastings than any other activity in Ica. Many of our meals are served with variations of a glass of pisco. These have included a sprinkle of cinnamon, a splash of lime juice, and even an egg white. Another signature drink of Peru is chichi morada, which is a sweet drink made from purple corn and flavored with slices of fruit and lots of sugar. Peruvians like everything from their ketchup to their morning coffee ridiculously sweet and add mountains of sugar into all their drinks. Their wines are even made with a grape that has more sugar and less water than other grapes grown around the world. Because I have none of the corn-syrup additives from the US and a major sweet tooth, all this added sugar is one more facet of Peruvian life that I am more than happy to partake in.