In Planet Food Peru, presenter chef Bobby Chinn uncovers a country of incredible bounty and gastronomic diversity. From its capitol city Lima, to its indigenous heartland in the Andes Mountains, to its lush Amazonia Rainforest, Peru offers the intrepid foodie a fantastic adventure of the senses. It’s no wonder Peruvian cuisine is taking the world by storm!
Bobby begins his journey in Lima exploring some of the plentiful produce on offer. With the help of local Chefs and Restaurateurs, Bobby learns how the discovery of the Americas transformed the kitchens of the world and how in turn the Spanish influenced the Peruvian palette.
 Bobby then heads deep into the Andes Mountains to the ancient city of Cusco to explore the traditional flavours of the country.
Cusco was once the capital of the Incas, an indigenous people who presided over a vast pre-Columbian Empire. After a visit to Cusco’s central market Bobby heads into the mountains with star Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez to understand the Incan contribution to Peruvian food.
Bobby and Virgilio explore an ancient Incan food laboratory called the Moray before attending a Pachamanca, a traditional barbeque, put on by an indigenous group of Quechua people, direct descendents of the Incas.
Potatoes feature prominently here and it would be hard to over state the importance of the potato to traditional Peruvian cooking.
They are believed to have originated in the Andes and today over 2000 varieties are grown. Bobby and Virgilio sample just a few before gorging on other ancient delicacies like roast Guinea Pig!
Armed with some knowledge of Peru‘s traditional offerings, Bobby returns to Lima to sample the national dish, a raw fish salad called Ceviche, before delving into some of the country’s outside influences.
Back in the 19th century Peru hosted thousands of Chinese and Japanese immigrants who not only made their home in the country but contributed to its rapidly expanding gastronomy.
 Bobby wanders the streets of Lima’s Chinatown in search of the quintessential Chinese and Peruvian dishes and meets world renown Japanese Chef Toshiro Konishi, to learn how to make his classic Japanese Peruvian fusion dish.
For the final leg of his journey Bobby heads to the Peruvian Amazon and the city of Iquitos where he explores the incredible variety of ingredients on offer with one of the country’s most cutting edge chefs, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.
The Amazon is one of the last frontiers on the planet and continually offers up new and plentiful food sources. Bobby dives right in encountering ingredients and flavours he’s never experienced before.
After some tasting and cooking, cooking and tasting, Bobby concludes that the future of gastronomy is without doubt Peruvian and its heading for a kitchen near you!
Recipes:
Paiche with Aguaje and Chorizo Salsa
Aji de Gallina - Spicy Creamed Chicken
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