We knew that we wanted to go to one of two places and our fixer at Amphibia Travel got us reservations here first. All that was left was to hang a two week trip around dinner at Central.
ROCK MOLLUSCS - SEA SNAIL · MUSSEL · SARGASSUM · LIMPET - -10m
DESERT PLANTS - HUARANGO · CACTUS · SWEET POTATO LEAF · LOCHE - 180m
LOFTY ANDES - POTATO · TREE TOMATO · ALPACA · MUÑA MINT - 3900m
THICK STEM - OLLUCO · CHINCHO · ONION · FIELD MUSTARD - 3400m
WATERS OF NANAY - PIRANHAS · COCONA · ACHIOTE · HUAMPO BARK - 450m
Yep, those are piranhas.
FOREST COTTON - RIVER SHRIMP · LLANTEN · HUITO · PACAE - 300m
HIGH JUNGLE - MACAMBO · CASSAVA · COPOAZU · AIR POTATO - 1900m
MARINE SOIL - SEA URCHIN · PEPINO MELON · RAZOR CLAM · SEAWEED - 0m
TREE POINTS - AVOCADO · KIWICHA · ARRACACHA · LAKE ALGAE - 1200m
LAND OF CORN - KCULLI · PURPLE · CHULPI · PISCORUNTO - 2010m
AMAZONIAN PLAIN - CHURO · CECINA · BLACK CHILI PEPPER · BELLACO - 600m
COASTAL HARVEST - SCALLOPS · YELLOW CHILI PEPPER · MILK · TUMBO - 20m
SEA CORAL - OCTOPUS · CRAB · SQUID · SEA LETTUCE - -10m
HIGH ANDES MOUNTAINS - PORK · BLACK MASHWA · MACRE · KAÑIWA - 4100m
HUMID GREEN - CAIGUA · CUSHURO · SWEET LEMON · CHACO CLAY - 3700m
AMAZONIAN WHITE - CACAO · CHIRIMOYA · BAHUAJA NUT · TAPERIBA - 400m
MEDICINALS AND PLANT DYES - CONGONA · MATICO · MALVA · PILIPILI - 3050m
A singular experience. We went into the evening actually a little nervous. The trip had, to this point, been essentially perfection and this was the moment that we had hung the entire thing on. What if we didn't enjoy it? If the concept fell flat? It didn't. each round moved smoothly into the next. Each course telling another chapter in a story.
I never would have believed that this was an experience that I could ever have. People look at me sideways when I say we went to Peru to eat. But the truth is, what better way to meet a place? I mean we saw Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, weaving, salt pans, and the rest - but every day, multiple times, we had to eat. It astonishes that people can travel all the way to a place so foreign to them and not just not emphasize, but often actively shun the local food. We could have, for most of the trip, eaten at places familiar to any mall or suburb in America. I know people who would. But I don't think you've visited a place if you haven't tasted it.
