The Food in Lima: Part 1

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How very appropriate to write about the culinary scene in Lima on a night when Im so hungry all I can think about is food. My blood sugar is so low right now that its hard to type. Even after 2 weeks and 3 days in Lima, try as I might, I still cant get used to the heavy lunch-light dinner routine that is the custom down here. At the evening hour in the States, Im used to appetizers, entree, 2nd helping of entree, dessert--all washed down with a glass (or 5) of wine. Here, do you know what I had for dinner tonight? Squash soup. I believe there may have been a crouton on top but Im too hungry to clearly think back that far. Squash soup???? It was actually delicious, but seriously? In my country of plenty that wouldnt even qualify as a first course. It would be more like an amuse bouche to prepare us for the first course. And yet, apparently squash soup is supposed to last me all they way until tomorrow...if I can even make it to tomorrow.

We have a cook in the house who makes our meals for us. I believe the meals are supposed to be typical of what Peruvians usually eat. For breakfast each day we get bread, cheese, jam, hard-boiled eggs, and some sort of freshly squeezed fruit juice. For lunch--the big meal of the day, which is served at 1:30PM--we are served a first course (usually salad) and then a main course, which usually consists of meat (usually chicken) and 3-5 starches (it seems like there can never be enough starches), followed by fruit. Dinner at 7PM, as Ive said, is very light and we usually get some sort of soup and, if we are good and finish all our soup...wait for it...more fruit!!!!

Im embarrassed to admit that at first I wasnt very open-minded about the food here. Its not the taste that bothers me--everything tastes great!--but rather the richness that doesnt always sit well in the tummy. The too-heavy lunch puts me to sleep in the afternoon. The too-light dinner elicits dramatic complaints from me on a nightly basis (see above paragraphs as evidence). Most of all, Im overwhelmed by all the starches--its not unusal to get potatoes, beans, and rice at the SAME meal. In fact, white rice is served at practically every meal--so much so that it got to be that if I even looked at a bowl of rice, my stomach immediately started cramping up.

One might think that someone who spent the last few months eating peanut butter and jelly in the library should enjoy the fact that I get three home-cooked meals a day and dont have to lift a finger. Instead, I found myself making fun of what I perceived to be crazy combinations--for example, marinara sauce atop meatballs and WHITE RICE???? Unprecedented. Do they know there is a real live Italian in the house?

I got a reality check when someone here pointed out to me that just because the U.S. deems its unhealthy to pile on the carbs doesnt mean that all those cultures whose staples are predominately rice, beans, and potatoes should automatically abandon their gastronomic traditions in order to acquiesce to the American definition of healthy. What I think he was saying in a very round-about, polite way was that perhaps I should be more respectful of Peruvian food. Or, in other words: less talking, more eating.

Since then, I have practiced being more appreciative of the food here. After all, a big part of being immersed in a different culture is getting accostomed to their food. (And for those dishes that are harder to appreciate, Ive found that a good dash of the local aji--tastebud-searing hot chili sauce--usually is enough to mask whatever flavor or texture is not exactly to my taste.) The most oft-served dish in the CCS house seems to be arroz con pollo (chicken and white rice), which is spiced and/or stewed in a variety of ways, but you get the idea. We have also had "lomo saltado"--sliced beef and red onions served in soy and vinegar with French fries (there was absolutely no complaining about the French fries); "aji de gallina", which translates to chili with hen, but is actually chicken served in a bright yellow cream sauce; "chicharrones", otherwise known as deep-fried salted pork; and papas a la huancayo, which is potatoes and hard-boiled egg in spicy cheesy sauce with olives. And my new favorite Peruvian drink is chicha morada, which is made by brewing purple maize, or corn, with pineapple and cinnamon--both delicious and refreshing (although I cant help but think how good it would taste with vodka but thats for another entry)!

Unfortunately, I was in the sick chair on the day when we had anticuchos (beef heart marinated in Peruvian spices) and could not partake. All openmindedness will stop immediately if for some reason we are served guinea pig, which is a local favorite, but Ive been assured this little critter will not be joining us at the dinner table.

And, yes, for anyone who has been adding up the calories above, Ive gained about 300 pounds since Ive been done here (although I just lost 5 from all the typing on an empty stomach after the squash soup and crouton incident.) Guess its time to go break into the peanut butter I have stashed in my room. Stay tuned next time for a roundup of recent restaurants Ive visited.

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Comments

[Maggie]

Protein!
Hi Kim! I wanted to let you know that according to the foremost scientific authority in my household (Matt), beans are actually protein! According to this authority: "where do you think vegetarians get their protein?" He also added "Mmmm...squash soup!" Despite this technicality, I agree that multiple starches in one meal seems indulgent. My mother actively tried to avoid it, so I was always jealous of families that got to eat rolls with dinner. Your Peruvian diet sounds great!