Stay updated with breaking news from Aji limon. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
peru is a country that s historically driven men mad, mad for gold, for coca, for its magical, ancient history. but now, there s something else drawing outsiders to its hidden mountain valleys. we love this stuff. we obsess about it, gorge on it, and fetishize it. i m talking about chocolate. once a common treat, it s now becoming as nuanced as fine wine, making the pursuit of the raw, good stuff all the more difficult. i m joining that hunt in remotest peru, but not before i ve re-immersed myself in the booming lima food scene. i took a walk through this beautiful world. felt the cool rain on my shoulder. found something good in this beautiful world. i m in peru with this guy, eric ripert. the guy was looking at us. he went into the tree. that s funny. chef of the world-famous restaurant, le bernardin, in new york, to look at where chocolate comes from, particularly our chocolate. so that s why we re in peru. but before we get all indiana jones, we re spend ....
eric: wow. anthony: a torrent, a deluge of traditional peruvian favorites. marissa: this is a causa with crabmeat, the yellow potato, and avocado, and we love avocado. anthony: causa de congrejo is like a tureen of crabmeat, eggs, avocado, and mashed yellow potatoes. eric: okay. marissa: this is a tiradito, ceviche from the coast. anthony: beautiful. tiradito de pejerrey, basically raw king fish filets dressed with aji amarillo and lime juice. perfect. marissa: and that s scallop ceviche. coque: a ceviche. eric: ceviche for sure. anthony: ceviche de conchas, fresh scallops with lemon juice, garlic and aji limon. [ coque speaking spanish ] anthony: drum fish braised in chichi de jora, a corn-based beer. eric: they look fantastic, huh? marissa: this is a rocoto. eric: spicy or not? marissa: it is very spicy. eric: very spicy, okay. anthony: oh, that sounds good. oh, and stuffed rocoto peppers filled with ground beef and raisins served with parilla chee ....
Flounder, dressed with pecans, lime, aji limon, and sesame oil, which, clearly, eric likes. eric: ah, this is totally going to le bernardin. anthony: oh, really? eric: yeah. anthony: yeah, i see you re not like, foraging in the catskills for your inspiration. eric: um anthony: you basically just rip your ideas off of small businessmen? eric: javier. es stupdendo. javier: it s okay, tres bien? eric: si. it s anthony: oh, superb. [ javier speaking spanish ] eric: you want, uh, another little thing? anthony: sure. eric: si. [ javier speaking spanish ] anthony: chinese and japanese immigrants came to peru in great numbers in the 19th and 20th centuries as contract laborers and farmers. and their influence is felt here, particularly in the food, to a greater degree than anywhere else on the continent. it s that influence, and the ingredients of amazonia and the andes, that really distinguishes the food here as something special. whoa, what is this, a tofu? ....
First up, an octopus and flounder ceviche. eric: i don t know what to tell you, man. it s damn good. anthony: mm. oh, that is good. eric: is this one very spicy, or no? anthony: you ever been spanked in your life and enjoyed it? yeah, me neither. i don t like pain. eric: except anthony: except eric: if you re spanked with a pepper. anthony: brutalized with a pepper, i like. eric: oh, that s that s really hot. anthony: tiradito of flounder, dressed with pecans, lime, aji limon, and sesame oil, which, clearly, eric likes. eric: ah, this is totally going to le bernardin. anthony: oh, really? eric: yeah. anthony: yeah, i see you re not like, foraging in the catskills for your inspiration. eric: um anthony: you basically just rip your ideas off of small businessmen? eric: javier. es stupdendo. javier: it s okay, tres bien? eric: si. it s anthony: oh, superb. [ javier speaking spanish ] eric: you want, uh, another little thing? anthony: s ....