Culture Café: Peru, 23.03.2023
This time our Cultural Café was about Peru, which is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina. Our presenters, two HSE students from Peru, told us a lot about history, geography, culture and politics of this country. Right after the end of our Cultural Café, we went to a Peruvian restaurant at Belorusskaya metro station to taste all the delicious Peruvian dishes we heard about.
Fun facts we learnt about Peru:
1. The name of the country comes from a Quechua word for "land of abundance", which is a reference to the economic wealth created by the rich and highly organized Inca civilization that ruled the region for centuries.
2. The capital is Lima (means 'lime' in Spanish). It is the only capital on the South American continent with access to the sea.
3. The population of the country is about 34 million people.
4. The official currency is not peso, unlike in most Latin American countries. It is called (Nuevo) Sol. 1 Sol is equal to 21 roubles.
Festivals
Carnivals (Carnavales) in February and March are the most colourful holidays in Peru. The most famous carnival is the one held in Ayacucho. The streets and squares of the city are full of people dancing to the beats of charango and kenas, singing in the Quechua language and throwing coloured powder and ribbons at each other.
El Señor de Los Milagros (Lord of Miracles)
This popular religious holiday is celebrated in October in memory of how a copy of an image of Christ first passed through the streets of Lima after an earthquake on October 20, 1687. This earthquake destroyed Lima and Callao, but the wall where the image was placed stayed intact. Now it is a tradition that is repeated every year after the tragic earthquake.
The Virgen de la Candelaria festival
This festival is celebrated every February in the city of Puno. It brings together Catholic traditions and symbolic elements of the Andean worldview. The key event is a competition of about 40,000 dancers and musicians in 170 teams from all over the region.
Must-see places
If we travel to Peru, our hosts recommended these places:
1. Mount Vinicuna
"Mountain of Seven Colors" or "Rainbow Mountain", was discovered not so long ago, in the 21st century, when the snow that covered it melted and revealed the natural beauty of the rocks that look like marble with layered shades of gold, lavender, red and turquoise.
2. Vinicunca, also known as the Lake 69 (Laguna 69)
It is a small lake surrounded by snowy mountains near the city of Huaraz, in the Ancash region. This is one of more than 400 lakes that make up the Huascaran National Park.
3. Huacachina oasis
The Huacachina Oasis is a small lagoon fed by a natural spring and lined with green palm trees. The city is surrounded by massive sand dunes, which are scenic and perfect for adventures like sandboarding and dune buggy riding.
4. Machu Picchu
It's a mysterious city, a subject of controversy among scientists around the world for many years. This is a masterpiece of architectural and engineering thought, lost among the ridges of the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of 2450 meters.
Food
Peru was voted the best culinary destination in the world by the World Travel Awards 2018.
Ceviche is the most international Peruvian dish. It is made from raw fish marinated with lemon (or lime), onion, chili and spices. It is usually accompanied by rice, corn, yam (sweet potato) or salad. It's delicious and light, but if you're not a big fan of raw meet, it may seem "weird" at first.
Lomo saltado is meat (usually beef, although it can also be pork or even alpaca) cut into strips and fried with tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, vinegar and spices. It is cooked in a wok and served with potatoes and rice. Asian cuisine comes to mind when you see a serving of lomo saltado. Indeed, this recipe originated in the late 19th century due to the influence of Sino-Cantonese immigrants.
Aji de gallina is boiled chicken with a spicy creamy hazelnut sauce, served with white rice and boiled potatoes.