JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JANUARY ISSUE 2016 #Issue 14 | Page 68

PERU
GASTRODIPLOMACY
ペルー料理
peruvian
cuisine
In healthy body,
healthy spirit
健康 な身体 にこそ
健全 な 精 神 は 宿る
Peru is known as one of the world’s
10 “megadiverse” countries, for its
rich diversity in ecosystems, species,
genetic resources and culture. Peru’s
biodiversity is one of the pillars of
its national economy, which plays a
direct role in sustaining a large part of
the population, has an important role
for culture, science and technology
and provides essential environmental
services in terms of soil fertility, air
quality and water supply.
ペルーは、世界で10本の指に入る
「超多
様性」国家、すなわち非常に多様性の豊
かな国として知られています。
生態系や
生物種のみならず、遺伝資源や文化も実
に多種多様です。ペルーの生物多様性は
国家経済の柱のひとつで、人口の大半を
維持するのに直接役立っているほか、
文
化や科学、技術の面でも重要な役割を果
たしています。
また、土壌肥沃度や大気
環境、水の供給といった欠かすことので
きない環境改善にも貢献しています。
P
eru has about 25,000 plant species
(10% of the world total) with 30%
endemism. Out of these, 4,400
species have known properties
and are used by the population.
In terms of fauna, Peru is first in number of
fish species (close to 2,000 species, 10% of
the world total); second in bird fauna (1,736
species); third in amphibians (332 species).
There are about 5,528 plant species.
Peru produces potatoes, maize, chili, asparagus,
mango, avocado, and quinoa - called the golden
grain of the Incas. Quinoa was one of the most
important elements of the pre-Hispanic Peruvian
diet, along with potatoes. Quinoa is worldwide
appreciated because it contains proteins and it is
gluten free. Peru is the first world producer and
69 // JANUARY 2016
Danza de las tijeras or “Scissors Dance”–Peruvian cultural expression.
exporter of asparagus, quinoa and maca, and third
in provision of Hass avocados and artichokes. Also
Peru is the fourth largest exporter of dried peppers;
and fifth of grapes and beans; sixth of mangoes
and seventh in mandarins, coffee (second largest
exporter of organic coffee) and ginger.
Peruvian cuisine is considered among the best
in the world. Its richness besides the native
cuisine comes from the variety of influences like
European, Spanish and Italian; African; and from
Asia, with two important contributions from the
Chinese and Japanese communities that settled
down in Peru. Peruvian food is recommended to
consume with pisco the national grape brandy.
Three Peruvian restaurants are placed in “The
World’s 50 Best Restaurants” of San Pellegrino
list 2015. “Central Restaurant” of Virgilio Martínez
ranked N°4, “Astrid y Gaston” which is best known
for the celebrity chef Gaston Acurio who put
Peruvian cuisine on the world map and “Maido”
where Peruvian nikkei Mitsuharu Tsumura
proposes a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary
traditions. Hilton Tokyo, supported by the Embassy
of the Republic of Peru, organized the “Peruvian
Gourmet & Cultural Promotion: Fascinating Peru”
for the ninth consecutive year in November 2015
with the Peruvian chefs Guido Gallia and Clint
Martín Ramírez. In Japan, there are about 50
Peruvian restaurants, among them “Bepocah”—
the best restaurants announced in Tokyo in 2013.
It’s an important Peruvian policy to support the
spread of Peruvian cuisine through restaurants
and products. Peru is the country with the
world’s largest number of culinary schools
and gastronomy university faculties because
there is a large demand for national cooks for
overseas restaurants, cruisers, etc. since the
Peruvian gastronomy boom.
“The International Food Fair of Lima: Mistura”
strives to make Peruvian cuisine a key part of
boosting Peru’s gastronomic image internationally.
Mistura creates a space of unity for Peruvians
and helps to increase Peru’s cultural presence
on a global scale. Gastronomy is a powerful tool
for strengthening the value of Peru as a brand.
Peruvian cuisine was the first cultural expression
on the American continent that has earned the
distinction of Cultural Heritage of the Americas
for the World, awarded by the Organization of
American States (OAS). Also recently Peru won
the World’s Leading Culinary Destination 2015
by World Travel Awards (WTA) for the fourth
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