This was our favourite experience on our trip to Peru. Immersion experience was an absolute must. The local people you meet were so kind and we learned quite a bit on this. Our guide was also great and has lived a really interesting life. Our stomachs were still off a bit so we didn’t drink a whole bunch, and, understandably, there wasn’t a massive wine list there.
by ochief19
4 Comments
OP, please share more details about the food and experience. Thanks.
I haven’t heard of this, it looks neat! What exactly was the experience? Did you forage for stuff or learn about native ingredients classroom style? All the plates look great, I’d love details on what things are
Bit of a longer story but my wife and I were supposed to go to Peru two other times, once in March 2020 and last December. Both times we had to cancel last minute and both times we had all the heavy hitters in Peru reserved, including MIL. We finally were able to make it happen this December.
For the immersion experience, you start the day at 9:30 where you’re greeted at the gates, brought into the restaurant and meet your 1:1 guide. Moray is nearly 12,000 feet and you’re up overlooking it so it, quite literally, takes your breath away.
Our guide showed us around the restaurant, discussed what we’d do, got us some tea and we kept moving. The restaurant projects were a lot to do with Central’s Mater project of sourcing ingredients, cataloguing them and using them for their restaurant. Preserving them is also a big chunk. They showed us some of the items they work on with local indigenous people, like textiles etc.
We then headed outdoors where we first start at one of the fields they cultivate where workers were hand plowing a field of potatoes. Our indigenous guide, Cleto is there and we’re greeted first with a traditional glass of chicha, a fermented corn drink. We go through a ceremony and our guide, Agnes, translates everything for us. Cleto showed us a bunch of natural plants to try, what they help with or are used for in cooking as you work your way up the hill for a view of Moray where our our traditional plant tour is finished and you walk back down to where the restaurant is.
You then get a tour of a natural textiles workshop where Elba and Seferina, two locals, showed us a process of what products they used, how they use them and what they’re making. They’re part of a collective central has created to have natural textiles made, and give the makers a fair price for their hard work.
We then headed in for a cocktail workshop with natural ingredients, like local sweeteners and bitters and herbs and mint like Muna. We had three small drinks which were all delicious.
We sat down for our meal which came out in 7 or so courses. Each course was preceded with a postcard with beautiful photos which explained the dishes on the back. Before each course, another post card which all gets put into a really cool hand died, hand stitched holder.
The food was simple but delicious. A lot of high altitude ingredients were used. You can see in the photos a lot of corn was used as it is so hearty and they have so many ingredients. Our favourite dish was an alpaca curry which came with some delicious accompanying quinoa. They would often bring out 3 or so bowls of something, tell you to try individually and then mix together.
The dessert came in two courses, one was really a refresher and the other was cocoa in a bunch of different ways by utilizing the entire fruit. The cocoa dessert was our favourite on the trip.
If anyone has any questions please comment and I’ll answer to the best of my abilities :).
What is the plant on #7?