USA Today has predicted that Peruvian food will be one of the big culinary trends of 2014.

Peruvian cuisine offers a tremendous diversity with dishes that reflect the sea, the Amazon jungle and the Andes mountains . Peru has thousands of varieties of potatoes and nearly equal variety of corn and quinoa.

Other food trends, according to the publication, include Philippines, New Nordic cuisine and “Next-Mex” (modern Mexican cooking) as becoming international food trends in the coming year. (more…)

Archaeologists have uncovered a tomb from the little-known Chimu culture. According to El Comercio they think it belonged to an elite musician from the 15th century.

Archaeologists Matthew Helmer and Jeisen Navarro made the discovery in the Samanco archaeological complex in northern Peru, in Ancash.

The archaeologists found the tomb five meters below the surface. It contained an individual with 20 flutes, as well as carvings of people playing the flutes, all believed to be members of the Chimu elite. (more…)

Sunday was a spectacular day for the teams participating in the Birding Rally Challenge’s third edition, this time in Peru. On the 4th day of competition, it was time to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.

Being a different ecosystem, the cloud forests of Machu Picchu (200 mtrs above sea level) offered to all teams new species for their checklists, many of them endemics.

Currently leading the race with 441 species, Field Guides (US) got off the bus before the entrance to Machu Picchu and walked to the citadel, birding all the way up to the famous Intipunku (‘Sun Gate’ in Quechua). (more…)

The skills and rituals related to the annual renewal of Peru’s famed Q’eswachaka suspension bridge were added to the intangible cultural heritage list of the UNESCO. The Q’eswachaka bridge – located over the Apurimac River about 11,811 feet above sea level in the province of Canas – is renewed annually in the month of June; it’s a rope bridge that needs to be renewed every year.

According to UNESCO, the list is composed of “intangible heritage elements”.

The renewal of the Q’eswachaka bridge over the Apurimac river is annually (more…)

For the second year running, Peru has won the top honor as World’s Leading Culinary Destination at the 2013 World Travel Awards held in Qatar.

Renowned for its ingredients and traditional dishes, the Peruvian cuisine won the award after beating several other candidates such as Australia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and USA.

This award is a recognition for the Peruvian gastronomy, which this year also gained another remarkable international accolade as South Americas’ Best Culinary Destination. (more…)

Over 30 museums in Lima open their doors on Friday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 10 pm in order to offer visitors a unique new experience. The involved museums will offer reduced or even free tickets for the night.

This is the sixth time that the Ministry of Culture has organized this event. North only museums but also galleries and cultural centers will participate.

Some of the highlights include the Italian Art Museum (free), the Museum of the Inquisition and Congress (free), the Lima Art Museum (also known as MALI, open for free), Barranco’s MATE (free), and the Museo Larco (special discount). (more…)

A recent report shows that food-related tourism in Peru’s southern Tacna region generates US$ 300 million per year, and most of the tourists come from Peru’s southern neighbor, Chile.

The study was conducted by PromPeru, Peru’s export and tourism promotion agency and shows. that the most important reason to visit Tacna are its varied culinary options, followed by city tours, health services and shopping.

David Rendon, head of the regional chamber of tourism, said that the average Chilean tourist really likes restaurants offering rotisserie chicken (more…)