It is a cuisine fueled by the fire of multiculturalism and biodiversity. In Peru, cuisine is the maximum representation of its cultural, ethnic and geographical wealth: tasting it is one of the best ways to get to know the country. Peruvian gastronomy is not simply a fashionable cuisine, but rather an ancestral history of miscegenation, of cultural and religious expressions, of customs, crafts and vision.

Lima, the capital of the country, is currently a lively gastronomic destination where bars and restaurants are constantly opening. The city brings together internationally recognized venues, such as Astrid

“In Lima we have a mixing center and a high level that you find both in the large restaurants and in the huarique (small places, neighborhood secrets) and in the menu of the day,” says Hirka Roca Rey, president of the Peruvian Academy of Gastronomy and winner of the Excelencias Gourmet award as a gastronomic journalist (Madrid, 2023).

For Roca Rey, the city itself provides a meeting of “cultures, traditions and blood” that adds to its gastronomic route. “Here, everyone finds a flavor with which to feel welcomed and embraced; something that is familiar to them or extraordinarily novel,” she says.

Lima, furthermore, is the only South American capital with a sea; The generosity of the coastal larder is deposited in dishes such as ceviche, an ode to simplicity and symbol of a gastronomy that is based on its inputs (immersing yourself in coastal food is possible in places like El Mercado, La Mar or La Picantería) . Ingredients that have been used since ancient times, such as yellow chili, purple corn or quinoa, or fruits such as papaya, lemon, lucuma or camu camu – beautiful to see and feel – are inspiration for an author’s creativity that Try to give them unexpected turns.

“In the culinary world you have ingredients that are the equivalent of your materials in the world of design,” reflects Melissa Herrera, of Costa Herrera Arquitectos, a studio that has designed some of the most interesting restaurant spaces in the city (such as Siete, the Peruvian-Mediterranean restaurant by chef Ricardo Martins). “Both are worlds of sensations, combinations and proportions. It’s all about the way you put ingredients or materials together to create something new,” the architect continues.

It is true that eating in the Peruvian capital is an experience defined by spaces that, increasingly, are committed to completing the culinary concept with architecture, lighting, tableware, art and music. That experience is intensified in neighborhoods with a unique personality, like Barranco. The bohemian neighborhood is one of the culinary hubs of Lima, with restaurants such as Mérito (Latin American fusion) and Isolina (homage to traditional taverns) leading its proposal.

“It is special because it is genuine,” says Ángela Kusen, art director (behind the styling of the photos in this article) and founder of KA Concept Store, an art, design and fashion store and gallery in a Barranco mansion in 1930. “As a good Peruvian, I love food and everything it makes me feel,” she says. In fact, gastronomy is usually a source of inspiration for many of her works. “The meeting point between gastronomy, art and fashion is there: creativity and feeling. In the memories that can wake you up.”

Kusen, who has Peruvian, Italian, Chinese and Japanese family, understands the roots that are generated around a table. This is what explains the birth of fusions such as Nikkei food, a mix of Japanese and Peruvian (in restaurants like Kimo, Shizen and Tomo), and the beloved chifa, which is born from Chinese food (to be tried at Titi or Shi Nua). “In Peru all the hungers have come together,” once said the Peruvian journalist and writer Jorge Salazar, whom many considered the man who knew the most about cooking. “You can eat pork rinds for breakfast; ceviche and ravioli for lunch; lunch with granny’s cakes and go to dinner at chifa. Here it is also invented day by day, because there is a movement of blood.”

Creativity, vision, identity and fusion are part of a Peruvian recipe that does not want to keep any secrets. Because the shared table tastes better.