I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: food is love. I believe the best way to start to understand a new culture is to try all of the local foods and experience the biodiversity through the combination of rare and exotic flavors. This may be why I have dedicated quite a bit of this blog to food…
Well, I’m back at the food blogging again! But this time, I ventured to the only Michelin Star restaurant in Perú. This restaurant is ranked number 4 in the whole entire world and number 1 in all of South America. It is Chef Virgilio Martinez’s Central Restaurante located in Miraflores in Lima, Perú. I went big and took a tour of 17 different ecosystems in Perú in a 17 course meal entitled Mater Elevations. Each course featured foods found at certain altitudes of Perú and highlighted rare and local ingredients that were paired to perfection. Check out my journey through my photos of the experience!
COURSE 1 – Rock Molluscs (-10 meters): Sea snail, muscle, sargassium, limpetCOURSE 2 – Desert Plants (180 meters): Huarango, Cactus, Sweet Potato Leaf, LocheCOURE 3 – Lofty Andes (3500 meters): Potato, tree tomato, alpaca, muña mintCOURSE 4 – Thick Stems (3500 meters): Olluco, chincho, onion, field mustardCOURSE 5 – River Scales (680 meters): River shrimp, Doncella, Achiote, HuampoCOURSE 6 – Forest Cotton (300 meters): Churo, Gamitana, Pacae, LlantenCOURSE 7: High Jungle (2800 meters): Macambo, Cassava, Sachaculantro, Air PotatoCOURSE 8 – Marine Soil (0 meters): Sea Urchin, Pepino Melon, Razor Clam, SeaweedCOURSE 9 – Tree Skins (1200 meters): Avocado, Huacatay, Kañihua, MacreCOURSE 10 – Land of Corn (2010 meters): Kculli, Purple Corn, Chulpi, PiscoruntoCOURSE 11 – Colors of Amazonia (450 meters): Paiche, Yacon, Guanabana, LemongrassCOURSE 12 – Coastal Harvest (20 meters): Scallops, Yellow Chili Pepper, Borage, TumboCOURSE 13 – Sea Coral (-10 meters): Octopus, Crab, Squid, Sea LettuceCOURSE 14 – Low Andes Mountains (1800 meters): Pork, Black Mashwa, Panca Chili Pepper, KiwichaCOURSE 15 – Human Green (3700 meters): Caigua, Cushuro, Sweet Lemon, Chaco ClayCOURSE 16 – Amazonian White (400 meters): Cacao, Chirimoya, Bahuaja Nut, TaperibaCOURSE 17 – Medicinals and Plant Dyes (3050 meters): Congona, Matico, Malva, PilipiliAfter completing the 17 courses, the restaurant gifted us a book of the natural ingredient hand painted by a local Lima artist. The book also shows the altitudes in which each plant grows. It was a beautiful finishing touch!We sat right next to the kitchen and got to watch as the chef’s prepared each of the dishes. It was a truly wonderful experience!
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Love and art.
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That’s extra. So beautiful!
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