By Sebastian Ortiz
Special Envoy
Ham stew, lamb stew, grilled trout with hominy, watercress stew with pork, guinea pig pachamanca, pork cracklings with lima beans, pumpkin and llaghuari mazamorra are some of the dishes that demonstrate the great variety of flavors from this part of the highlands.
Yesterday, more than 30 communities from Huari gathered with a single objective: to showcase their gastronomy and seduce the palates of the more than 2,000 people who gathered in the Plaza de Armas in the town of San Marcos.
TEAMWORK
This festival, organized by Sodexo in coordination with the Peruvian Gastronomy Society (Apega), was literally a new experience and, as its name suggests, each stand unveiled a different and never-before-tasted flavor.
A small example of this was the seven-color trout, that is, with different types of chili peppers such as limo, yellow, and even rocoto, or a juane with potatoes and guinea pig, in addition to the chocho ceviche and the holy broth, which is a soup that does not require any seasoning.
The Marketing Manager of Sodexo Peru, Tommy Muhvic-Pintar, stated to elcomercio.pe that local chefs and producers have a great opportunity in these festivals to revalue their cuisine and make it known to locals and foreigners alike.
SILVER CHEFS
Parallel to the festival, three contests were held in which the best restaurant, best popular dining hall, and in a special category, the person who has best preserved their traditional premises were awarded.
With young chef Dario Vargas at the helm, La Tranka restaurant was chosen by a group of Apega chefs as the best establishment in the area.
"I'm from San Marcos and I'm proud to have achieved this recognition. I always use ingredients that are grown and harvested here. I know we still have a lot to learn, but we are on the right track," he said.
GOING TO MISTURA
Yanet Reaños, winner of the popular dining halls category, and Rosa Qunia, from traditional cuisine, never thought they would win, especially considering that it was their first time participating in a contest.
They had always cooked for their community and family, but never for a jury composed of professional chefs like Alfredo Aramburú, Andrés Ugaz, Rocío Orihuela, José Montes, and Rodolfo León, all members of Apega.
However, the surprise was even greater for both of them when, in addition to finding out that they were the best, they learned that they would go to Mistura to represent their town in the contests that will take place at the international gastronomy fair.
"I feel good because my mustard stew, which I make with onions, china peppers, huacatay, yuyo chili pepper, hominy, and pork meat, made an excellent impression," said Yanet, who was accompanied by her entire kitchen team from the popular dining hall in the town center of Santa Cruz.
Rosa, who has published a cookbook with the best of her seasoning, expressed that she will bring her entire repertoire to Mistura and hopes that her chicha en caldo, a soup made with chicha de jora (maize beer) and chicken, will be one of the favorite dishes among the attendees at the fair taking place in Lima.
EXPERT OPINION
Chef Alfredo Aramburú, from Apega, explained to elcomercio.pe that this type of regional festivals achieves an exchange of knowledge between local chefs and them, both in terms of techniques and the use of new ingredients.
"The cuisine of the villages is millenary. There is much we must learn based on dialogue with the communities. The exchange enriches us. They become more competent and we can see it in the type of service they provide. They are trying to integrate and I am sure they will succeed," he added.
Rocío Orihuela, from El Tarwi restaurant, highlighted that the chefs from San Marcos have complemented their classic dishes like guinea pig stew or sautéed trout with local products such as herbs and flowers.
"Despite being from the region, I have been surprised. There are many ingredients I was not familiar with and the way they use them is creative. I have seen several dishes with guinea pig, but prepared in different ways. The rolled ones and the pachamanca are an example. It's amazing how a small town has developed its gastronomy in this way," she added.