About Peru, a marvellous place

Charming, magical and culturally rich, Peru is a large territory country located in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

In fact, this land was home to the Chavin and Mochica civilizations, some of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America.

The Spanish Kingdom reach these lands to conquer the region in the 16th century. The King established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, July 28th, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic success.

Info and Facts:

Capital city: Lima
Important cities: Trujillo, Piura, Cuzco, Arequipa
Official languages: Spanish
Independence declaration: July 28th, 1821
Land surface area: 1,285,220 km²
Population estimate: 29,180,900
Currency: Nuevo Sol
Currency symbol: S/.
Time zone: PET (UTC-5)
Car traffic: Drives on the right
Internet TLD: .pe
International Calling code: 51

Labels: capital, city, country, cuisine, currency, facts, info, languages, lima, peru, peruvian, profile, regions

Peruvian Cuisine: The Project

Sitting in front of a delicious ceviche, Julio - the founder of Kiniro and all of the following projects - thought of a web that would spread the peruvian cuisine taste all over the world. That was the first step for the creation of this web site, which is now one of the most important sites dedicated to the gastronomy in Peru.

With the right tools and knowledge, we made "Peruvian Cuisine" the most prominent and ambicious project of its kinds. And it's a pleasure for me to invite every peruvian cheff, student, restaurant owner and tourists in general, to enjoy and participate of it. Buen provecho!

Inca Kola: "the drink of Peru"

One of the most emblematic brands in Peru, Inca Kola is a comercial drink that stands as a pride symbol for the peruvians. It is also known as Inca Cola or "the Golden Kola", and it's a soft drink with a sweet soft flavor from a herb called "Hierba Luisa". It was made by the Lindley family in Rimac, Lima in 1910, and today the brand is 60% owned by The Coca-Cola Company.

It's important to say that Inca Kola is common in parts of South America, and while it has not enjoyed major success elsewhere, it can be found in Latin American specialty shops worldwide. This delicious soda is yellowish-gold in color, and sold in glass and plastic bottles of various sizes and a can of the same color with an Inca theme.

Inca Kola Ingredients
The company has released public information about the ingredients:

• Carbonated water
• high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose
• citric acid
• sodium benzoate (to protect taste)
• caffeine
• artificial and natural flavors

Recipe: Lomo Saltado

A delicious modern dish from the coast of Peru, the Lomo Saltado is made with beef, onions and fried potatos to make a delicious combination.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Onion -- sliced
2 Cloves Garlic -- minced
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Red Or Yellow -- chopped
1 1/2 Cups Potato -- cubed and cooked
1 Tablespoon Jalapeno Pepper -- diced
1/2 Pound Sirloin Steak -- sliced thin
1 Tomato -- chopped
1 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano
Salt And Pepper -- to taste

Preparation:
In the first place, you must heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute onion, garlic and bell pepper. Add potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato just begins to brown.

Add chile and steak. Saute a few more minutes. Stir in tomato, oregano, and pepper.
Serve with steamed rice.

Recipe: Peruvian Caldo de Gallina (Chicken Soup)

A soup from the coast of Peru, made with chicken and noodles. It has a strong taste and people usually eat it in the morning, specially after a party night.

Ingredients:

1 5–6-lb. stewing chicken or hen
2 leeks, trimmed, roughly chopped,
and washed well
2 ibs celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 1" piece ginger, peeled and smashed
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled
and left whole
6 oz. dried egg noodles
Kosher salt, to taste
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, quartered
1 fresh red chile (such as fresno), stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

Preparation:

We must start by rinsing the chicken under cold water and remove and discard giblets (or set aside for another use). Put chicken, leeks, celery, carrots, ginger, garlic, and 5 quarts cold water into an 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, skimming occasionally, until the broth becomes rich and golden, 3 1⁄2 hours.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to a large plate; set aside. Set a fine sieve over a clean pot and strain broth into pot; discard vegetables. Add potatoes to broth, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.

As you do the last step, you also have to remove and discard skin from chicken. Pull the chicken meat from the carcass; discard carcass. Tear chicken meat into at least 6 large chunks.

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken pieces and allow them to warm through. Season soup with salt. Divide soup between 6 deep serving bowls. Garnish each portion with eggs and some of the cilantro, scallions, limes, and chiles. Serve immediately.

Drink recipe: Chicha Morada (Purple chicha)

The delicious Chicha morada is a traditional beverage of the Peruvian Coast. It is made from a curious type of cereal calle purple corn, which is exactly the same as the regular corn, but in a very dark purple color. It is a very refreshing drink, and mixed with a little ice, it's perfect for summer.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb (¾ k) purple corn
• Peelings from 2 lb (1 k) cooking apples
• Peelings from 1 large pineapple
• 4 key limes
• 1 cup sugar, or to taste
• 4 whole cloves


Preparation:


To prepare it, bring to a boil the well washed apple and pineapple peelings, the corn and cloves with 3 quarts water. Simmer for half an hour, and then strain.

Repeat simmering process with same ingredients and 3 quarts clean water. We have to strain and mix both liquids.

Finally, add sugar and lemon juice. Serve chilled.

Note: Add sugar and key lime to the Chicha only when ready to use. In fact, before adding sugar and key it can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days.

Recipe: Arroz con Leche (Milky Rice pudding)

The popular "arroz con leche" is one of the most traditional dessert in Peruvian culture. Part of the gastronomy in the coast of the country, this dessert in made with rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon and a secret orange tip. Pay attention:

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup of rice
* 3 cups of water
* 2 1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk (2 cans)
* 1 3/4 cups of evaporated milk
* 1/4 cup of port wine
* 1 stick cinnamon
* Skin of 1/2 orange
* Powdered cinnamon

Preparation:

First Boil the rice with the orange skin and the stick cinnamon for 15 minutes; the rice must be well cooked. Remove from the fire and take out the cinnamon and the skin.

Later, you must add the two types of milk. Boil on a low flame for 5 minutes, stiring all the time with a wooden spoon.

We should add the port wine and continue boiling for 3 minutes more. Then let it cool down.

As we know, some people like to eat the "arroz con leche" warm; others, cold. Serve in a glass and sprinkle with the powdered cinnamon.