made with love : food in Peru
1 + 2. Ellena sells two things: fresh orange juice and chocho. Chocho is a type of legume that only grows at certain altitudes. It takes a lot of preparation and needs to be soaked for days to remove its natural bitterness. The texture is bouncy and crunchy, and it is packed with nutrients. Lime juice, red onion, tomato, and salt form the basis of the juice/marinade, and some toasted choclo offers another flavour and texture altogether. 😋 A slice of chilli is optional. For me, it was the perfect breakfast, and I loved my encounters with Ellena—my casera in Huaraz.
2 + 3. After an overnight bus to Trujillo and then to our accommodation in Huanchaco, we were like zombies. We floated away from the touristy streets and into the proper local area, where we found Sylvia. Sudado is considered a soup—the base is ají, tomato, and garlic—then with local fish, lovingly prepared and served to two weary souls. We sat and had long conversations with her about when she lived in Chile, and shared some philosophy. We left nourished, and before we left the area, we went back for exactly the same dish. 😂
4 + 5. Iván has been a coffee grower for over ten years, with stockists all along the Pacific coast of the U.S. He recently opened up his café in Jesús María, Lima (two weeks ago). I’ve got no photos of the coffee, as we were straight into profound conversation 😂 but it was an excellent capuccino.
6 + 7. Honorary mention: the papa rellena place in the centre of Huaraz is excellent! Again, they serve only two main things:
Papa rellena
Chicha morada (the drink)
