Danielle Lane

Thanks to its hugely varied landscape and environment, and rich cultural diversity, Peru’s cuisine has shot to fame as one of the world’s most important gastronomical centers. People are visiting Peru to sample its food in increasing numbers, South American restaurants are full with Peruvian chefs and Peruvian restaurants are springing up in cosmopolitan cities around the world.

And now the flavors of this gastronomic superpower have been voted into the top five cuisines of the world, alongside such undisputed stalwarts as France and Italy.

Most recently, on March 23, 2011 the Organization of American States (OAS) honored Peru with the “Cultural Patrimony of the Americas Award” for the country’s ability to promote its unique traditional flavors and create modern fusions that push the limits of international culinary delights.

Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism described this promotion of Peruvian cuisine as a form of branding Peru’s culture. He was quoted saying, “From its agricultural products to the food offered in its restaurants, both are means of knowing Peru and the Peruvians… Peruvian food is now a brand because of the dreams of those visionaries that said we had to promote Peruvian gastronomy.”

As Peru emerges as a culinary star, gastronomy tourism has become a huge hit for visitors to Lima, Arequipa, the Amazon and Cusco. Because each region has its own culinary heritage, it is possible to sample completely different flavors each evening of your trip in fine dining restaurants as well as in small family venues.

Aji de gallina, ceviche, guinea pig, alpaca steaks, stuffed hot peppers and lomo saltado are all must-tries when visiting the country. Be sure to also slice into a selection of the many exotic fruits such as cherimoya, mana fruits and pepinos after sampling a few of the 4,000 potatoes produced in the rich soil of the Andes.

The international food festival, Mistura, is a great event to do just this. Held in September this week-long event promotes everyone from fine dining restaurant gurus such as Mitsuharu Tsumura (Maido) and Astrid and Gaston (Astrid & Gaston) to local food stand entrepreneurs such as Tia Gramanes’s Anticuchos. Locals stand in the same lines as devoted foodies to shop for produce, enjoy food seminars and sample some of Peru’s greatest treats.

All of this promotion to ‘brand’ Peruvian cuisine has clearly paid off, with Peru once more under the attention of UNESCO. This time is not for the country’s world heritage sites, but for its food. Peru’s culinary diversity is now a candidate to receive the UNESCO title of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Who would have thought the humble potato and guinea pig would ever reach such heights.

Planning on coming to experience the delights of Peruvian cuisine for yourself? Take a look at this range of Peru hotels and their collection of Arequipa hotels in Peru’s famed second city.