Mention Peru, and most Singaporeans will think of Machu Picchu, an Inca citadel situated high up in the Andes Mountains. They might also think of sprawling Amazon rainforests, colourful ponchos and Alpaca wool.
Now, you have a chance to delve a little deeper into Peruvian culture through their food. Ola Cocina del Mar’s limited-time menu, available from Nov 23 to Dec 18, feeds your wanderlust and allows you to indulge in the sights, sounds and smells of the South American country.
The menu comprises four Peruvian dishes crafted by Lima-born chef-owner Daniel Chavez and head chef Tamara Chavez, and is supported by Promperu, an agency responsible for the promotion of Peru in exports and tourism.
Using ingredients under the Super Foods Peru label, the menu pays homage to Peru’s tremendous biodiversity and hugely varied geography, which includes the Pacific coast, mountain ranges and jungles. They allow the country to supply a wide range of top-quality fresh produce all year round.
The dishes are a labour of love from the chefs to reflect different facets of the country’s history and culture. In particular, they showcase the bounty of nutrient-dense Peruvian ingredients like chia seeds, sweet potato, tricolour quinoa seeds, camu camu berry powder, and dried Inca golden berries.
Kick start the meal with Ceviche Inka, which can be likened to what chicken rice is to Singapore—a national dish. Classic raw fish is served with passion fruit tiger’s milk (a citrus-based marinade), criolla (onion relish), purple sweet potato and chia seeds. It’s zesty and tangy, perfect to whet your appetite as you look forward to the next dish, Causa Los Andes. This is a refreshing salad chock-full of yellow potatoes, prawns, avocado puree as well as quinoa seeds.
The surprise is the Peruvian version of Chinese fried rice, Arroz Chaufa. According to chef Chavez, this dish was first introduced by Chinese immigrants to Peru and is now a familiar sight in the country. Ola’s version consists of red and white quinoa grains, which are stir-fried with calamari, octopus, pork and peanuts and served with tartar sauce.
For dessert, the Ola Suspiro Limeno is a lovely organic dark chocolate tart baked with dulce de leche, camu camu berry powder (a sour berry native to the Amazon rainforest) and antioxidant-rich dried Inca golden berries.
End the Peruvian feast with two drinks, Peruvian Pisco Sour made with pisco, lime juice, egg white and chia seeds, and Chichamorada made with purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon and chia seeds. These are iconic drinks that will surely get you celebrating the spirit of Andes.
More information available here.
