THE MILLENIAL WISDOM OF THE POTATO

Peruvian food is determined by the geography of the country, its climate and the customs of their people. There are several regions with completely different climate that allows several different typical dishes depending on the region were people live.

By its location near the equator line, Peru should have a very hot tropical weather, but the reality is that the weather is defined by a big mountain chain, the Andes, which flows along all Peru as well as whole Southamerica. This chain of mountains divides the country in three geographical regions, The Coast next to the ocean, where the capital Lima is located, the High Lands or Andes where the old capital Cusco is located and the Amazon jungle, which occupies more than a half of all the Peruvian territory.

The mayor of the ingredients found in every Peruvian dishes are: rice, potatoes, chicken, pork, lamb, and fish. Most of these meals include one of the different kinds of "aji", or Peruvian hot pepper, which mainly are: yellow aji pepper, red aji pepper, red rocoto pepper, and many other which are impossible to translate.

Most of these ingredients, like chicken, pork and lamb, where introduced to Peru 500 years ago, when Spaniards came to America. Other ingredients, like potatoes, which is maybe the most worldwide known Peruvian food, were found by the Spaniards in the Peruvian Andes at that same time and carried to Europe. There are maybe 5 very common kinds of potatoes found in the every day Peruvian dishes, and among them, the white and pink potatoes, due to their facility to grow in most kind of weathers, are the ones which are found in many other countries in the world.

POTATO HISTORY
The earliest such remains of potatoes date to 400 B.C. They were found at archeological sites at Chiripa, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, in the city of Puno, in the east of Peru, next to the border with Bolivia. After its discovery by Spanish conquistadors, the potato was taken to Europe.

However, the potato's acceptance in Europe was not met with open arms. Because the potato was not mentioned in the Bible, the clergy deemed them unfit for the human diet. Spanish records show that it entered Seville in 1570 and was used to feed hospital patients in 1573. It then traveled to Italy, Germany, and into the Orient. Later a royal Swedish edict compelled Swedes to grow the crop. It took nearly two centuries, following the potato's introduction from South America, before it really achieved common acceptance.

Bill Pitzer and Earle Holland wrote in the New York Times; Peru is the world's potato capital. Two-thirds of the world's potato crops originate in Europe, but the production there cannot compare with the diversity of tubers found in this South American country. They range in color from purple to blue, from yellow to brown. Sizes and textures vary as well. Some are smalls as nuts; others can be as large as oranges. The taste of different potatoes varies broadly, explaining why these vegetables are used in all kind of dishes from appetizers to desserts.

DIFFERENT PERUVIAN DISHES
The dishes Peruvians use to eat can be divided in 2 main groups, the dishes eat in homes every day, and the dishes usually eat in restaurants, due to the long time it take to prepare this dishes. Among this second group, there are 4 different kind of restaurants they use to go: Cevicherias (typical sea food), Comida Criolla (Typical peruvian food), and of course, fast food (junk food such hamburguers, fries, etc.). Want to Try? Check this receipt and try our exquisite and unique taste:

PAPAS RELLENAS
4 c Mashed Potatoes
1 c Flour
1 Egg
1 lb Hamburger
1 c Onion, finely chopped
Garlic
Salt & Pepper
3 boiled Eggs, chopped
Black Olives
Oil

Mix together potato, flour, and egg. Be sure it's cool. Mix hamburger with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, and olive. The hamburger and onions should be fried with the spices before you add the other ingredients. Heat 4" of oil in frying pan. Flour the palm of your hand and put in it a heaping Tbsp. of the potato mixture. With a spoon, scoop out a hole in the center. Place a Tbsp. of meat mixture in the center, and with well-floured hands, fold top of potato over to completely close it up. Gently roll it in your floured hands and lower in the very hot oil. Fry until golden brown.