Lima - culinary paradise (03/05/2022)

Today was a true day of indulgence. We spontaneously decided the day before to explore the culinary side of Peru's capital city through a four-hour 'Food Tour' (​​https://www.exquisitoperu.com/). After a peaceful night's sleep and a small breakfast, we set off on a 20-minute walk from our district of Miraflores to the neighboring district of Barranco, where the meeting point was.

At 9:30, we met our tour guide Lourdes and started our culinary tour with a German IT developer and an American couple. The first stop was at a beautiful café in a courtyard, where we learned about breakfast and coffee culture. Similar to other countries in Central and South America, breakfast in Peru is not a big meal. Fruit juices and a small sweet treat are usually enough, and coffee consumption (and production) is not significant. Energized by two types of Empanadas, a typical snack, and a fantastic iced coffee, we continued our tour.

The small district of Barranco has become a creative and culinary trend district in the past 10 years, with numerous small restaurants and a lot of street art on house walls and under bridges, making the walk especially appealing to the eye. In an exhibition space, Lourdes gave us an overview of the country's fruits, vegetables, and chocolate, including many tastings. The variety of fruits, especially due to the country's diverse climate zones (coastal, Andes, rainforest), is impressive.

While enjoying the view of the Pacific Ocean from a terrace, we learned more about lunch at the next stop. We also had the opportunity to taste 'Inka Kola', which can be described as tasting similar to 'Hubba Bubba' bubble gum and has a unique flavor. I liked it, but Kathi did not. By the way, it is now distributed and bottled by the Coca-Cola Company. Peruvians rarely have lunch before 1:00 PM, which we noticed at the restaurant that was empty at 11:30 AM and completely full when we passed by again at 2:00 PM. Ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice with onions and corn) is practically the national dish in Peru and was, therefore, part of our tour. We learned about the dish and how it is prepared. Important to note, Ceviche is only eaten for lunch because the fish needs to be extremely fresh. You can find more information about it here: https://info-peru.de/ceviche-rezept-einfach-zubereiten/ (by the way, it's generally a good blog about Peru by a German who lived in Cusco for several years)

Just as Ceviche is to food, Pisco Sour is to drinks. Pisco is a fermented grape must made from Muscat grapes. At a traditional pub that has been passed down through generations, we finally mixed the original Pisco Sour recipe together, which requires Pisco, egg white (to create foam), lime juice, and sugar syrup. Finally, a few drops of Angostura bitters are added. It tastes even better when shaken by yourself. It is often served as an aperitif and is a fantastic drink. You can learn more about Pisco Sour, including the recipe, here: https://info-peru.de/pisco-sour/. As the grand finale of the tour, Lourdes, who also speaks German and briefly lived in Germany to learn the language, took us to her favorite place for good ice cream. Apple pie, blueberry, or chocolate, we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the ice cream was, especially after not being able to find anything comparable for the past few weeks.

During the walk back to our neighborhood along the beautiful coastal cliffs, we observed surfers, cyclists (yes, there are dedicated bike lanes here too), and locals enjoying their leisure time in various green areas. We also found a beautiful photo spot in Parque del Amor (Love Park). Unfortunately, the view was somewhat limited today due to the fog that stubbornly clung to the coast and slightly cooler temperatures. Back at our accommodation, we took some time to relax after all the impressions. In the evening, another special highlight awaited us.

Or rather, Kathi had booked a table for us at Restaurant Maido, currently ranked #7 in the world and #2 in South America. You can find all the details in a separate article (https://vakantio.de/the-bl/lima-zu-gast-im-maido-top-10-lokal-weltweit) with many pictures, but I can reveal that it was truly extraordinary and an absolute highlight.

The Daily Two:

Insight: Lima has already convinced us culinarily after just 2 days. The vast selection of restaurants, the diverse cuisine, the attentive service, and the creative creations, all at reasonable prices. It's no wonder that the daily life of Peruvians revolves around food; here, you can't do otherwise. It's a good thing we'll be coming back before our return flight..

Moments of Happiness: Today, there were several (culinary) moments of happiness - whether it was the Pisco Sour, the ice cream, or the evening highlights. Today, we don't want to pick just one; we are simply grateful.