A Taste of Peru for Foodies
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RESERVE MY TOUR
"We have had an absolutely superb time. What a fabulous way to sample fine food and wine in such a warm and relaxing atmosphere. You have inspired us to host a dinnr party when we return to Dublin. Thank you for the delicious food, wine and company." Gemma S. and Heath B., Dublin, Ireland |
Lima and Cusco, Peru - 7 nights
The tour starts in Lima, where you will visit a local market to discover the exotic products Peru has and then you will learn how to make Ceviche -the Peruvian fish delicacy. You will also spend a morning learning the basics of Peruvian cooking with the most representative chefs in town. Dining highlights include a 7-course Tasting Menu at the renowned Rafael restaurant and the opportunity to learn how to make exotic fruit Pisco Sour Martinis. 
Three nights are spent in Cusco, where Chef Luis Alberto Saccilotto will host a dinner with highland specialties at La Cicciolina Restaurant. Tour members will also have a guided tour of Cusco; travel by rail to Machu Picchu; and spend a day in the Sacred Valley with visits to Inca fortresses and country markets. There’s another culinary highlight: a Cusquenian lunch highlighting potatoes and regional vegetables (of which Peru has hundreds of varieties) at the Hacienda Huayoccari, plus a tour of the owner’s art collection. At your return to Lima, you will discover the exotic taste from the Amazon Rainforest at the trendy Malabar restaurant and an exquisite Dessert Festival at La Trattoria di Mambrino. You will finish your discovery with a Nikkei lunch: a mixture of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines.
After breakfast, you will personally experience the richness of the Peruvian natural resources at a local market. You will discover a huge variety of conventional and exotic fruits, vegetables and seafood. Then, you will have your first hands-on class on how to prepare the most popular Peruvian dish: El Ceviche.
After class, we will head to an operating ranch where you will see an exhibition of the “Peruvian Paso Horses” or dancing horses and take a short class on how to ride for those with equestrian experience and interest. The non-horseman will be able to do the excursion in dune boogies or horse drawn carriage, which includes touring a working “lucuma” farm, which grows the “lucuma” fruit, native from Peru and great for Ice creams and desserts, or a working olive farm, or a fig farm and then ends at the beach where we will enjoy a famous Pacific sunset. As if you did not experience enough, you will end your day with a wonderful dinner at Rafael, one of the trendiest restaurants of the capital where you will have a first taste of Peruvian fusion food. In this dinner, we recommend closing your eyes and “experiencing” each bite and let Rafael’s Author’s cuisine take you into a personal culinary journey. You will ask yourselves questions and comments like: how did he achieve this texture? or “I did not know you can mix these ingredients together”. A unique experience not to be missed.
After breakfast, you will experience your next hands-on class: Basics of the Peruvian Cuisine. You will learn from our chefs how to prepare the classic Peruvian dishes, which are popular in Peruvian homes and restaurants around the world. From selecting the ingredients to actually preparing the dishes, this class will teach you the best of the popular local fare. You will learn how to prepare a “Causa Limeña”, “Lomo Saltado” and “Suspiro a la Limeña” 
Today you will travel to Cusco, the City of the Incas. Upon arrival to the hotel, you will have some time to get used to the altitude before your first excursion. A guided City Tour of Cusco includes a tour to Sacsayhuaman and all the important sites downtown such as the Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), the Main Square, and the Cathedral. After the tour, you will take a Classic Cusquenian Class. This class will give you the overview of a typical Cusquenian lunch using Andean Ingredients with classic home-style cooking recipes and the use of traditional techniques still used in local homes. The class will finish with a tasting menu that will include the recipes you just learned.
Early wake-up to take the train to Machu Picchu “Lost City of the Incas”. There are no words to describe this amazing experience; however our guide will provide special insights about Inca astrology, anthropology and history. A trip to Machu Picchu is truly an once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will dazzle at this outstanding UNESCO World Heritage Site, while also having the chance to enjoy the beauty of the cloud forest and the National Park. That night back in Cusco, you will enjoy the wonders of the Mediterranean-Novoandina cuisine at La Cicciolina. This cuisine is Mediterranean style cooking mixed with Andean ingredients. This dinner will open your mind to new textures and sensations. This is a 5-course tasting dinner.
In the morning you will visit the Sacred Valley, the town of Chinchero, the Ollantaytambo Fortress and the Pisac market. The Valleys surrounding Urubamba hold endless mysteries of the Inca culture. The trip from Cusco offers a unique view of the regional scenery, including spectacular mountain views. For many tourists, this tour is the most meaningful part of the program due to its impressive landscapes. In this wonderful journey, we will stop at La Hacienda Huayocari for a Demonstration of Local Vegetables & Home Style lunch. Here you will learn, touch and taste some of the main vegetables farmed in this area. You will then learn about the special techniques that Chefs apply to the great variety of natural products including an endless variety of potatoes and other delicious vegetables. You will have the rest of the night free to enjoy the City of Cusco at your leisure.
After breakfast, it is time to go back to Lima. After leaving your luggage at your hotel, get ready for a “virtual tour to the jungle”. You will enjoy an Amazonic Lunch at Malabar, where renowned Chef Pedro Miguel Scchiafino will prepare fusion dishes made with exotic ingredients from the Amazon. You will not be able to compare this dinner with any one you have ever tasted. This is an unforgettable experience of delicacy and perfect balance. You will have free afternoon to relax and get ready to our last activity of the day. This will bring back your inner child, because this night, you will just eat desserts in our Dessert Festival. Chef Sandra Plevisani transforms each of her dessert into beautiful art pieces. The idea of this night is to experience a wide array of desserts and get ideas of what you can create and mix.
Transportation from the hotel through Lima for last minute grocery and souvenir shopping. Depending on your flight time, you will either have a Nikkei Lunch or early farewell dinner at Costanera 700. Here you will experience the Japanese and Asian influence in the Peruvian Cuisine. Japanese taught Peruvians how to eat fresh fish and the use of seafood and the next generation of Japanese adopted Peruvian ingredients and fusion them with their techniques. The result was a wonderful Cuisine that takes the best of both worlds. After this, you will be transferred back to the airport.
