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Phenomenal Peruvian Potatoes
| Article
# : |
18557 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
4 / 1991 |
1,913 Words |
| Author
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Kay Shaw Nelson
Food and travel writer Kay Shaw Nelson has written for
numerous magazines and newspapers, including Gourmet, House
and Garden, Washingtonian, and the New York Times. The author
of thirteen cookbooks, she most recently published A Bonnie
Scottish Cookbook. |
The humble potato, that simplest and cheapest of vegetables, deservedly ranks high among our most beloved foods. World-renown for its versatility, the potato is flavorful, low in calories, and excellent in nutritional value. Although we may associate the potato with Idaho or Ireland, the vegetable's actual origin is in the highlands of the Andes in South America.
I've had a lifelong fascination with the potato, which has certainly led to some memorable dining experiences. But it was in Peru that I discovered the height of potato cookery.
The distinctive cuisine of Peru is considered the best and most exciting in South America by knowledgeable gourmets. It dates back to pre-Inca times when Indians created original dishes using their many varieties of potatoes, corn, beans, root vegetables, squash, peppers, and tropical fruits--all still staple foods in the area.
Today, Peru's cocina Criolla, or Creole cuisine, is a blend of Indian, African, and Spanish heritages noted for its subtle and creative combination of ingredients. Spices, herbs, and piquant sauces play an important role.
Authentic Peruvian seasoning still used in potato dishes include annatto (achiote), reddish-brown seeds of a tropical tree that impart a pungent yet light flavor and deep golden-orange color; huacatay, the dried leaves of an herb of the marigold family that gives a powerful aroma to sauces; and palillo, known as Peruvian saffron, an herb, used dried and ground, that turns the food bright yellow but adds no flavor.
Yellow Sun
During a visit to the once rich and magnificent Inca capital, Cuzco, their "navel of the earth," I was dazzled by the amazing variety of Peruvian potatoes. Their variety in color and shape is such that the Quechua language had at least a thousand words for them. In the centuries-old, bustling, open-air markets bewildering displays of the tuber are everywhere, spread out before vendors squatting on their knees. You see round, oval, small, large, long, straight, and twisted potatoes with red, black, purple, green, brown, and tan skins.
One of the most highly prized varieties is the papa amarilla, or yellow potato, with a bright yellow flesh and delectable sweet flavor. As one Peruvian said, "it tastes almost as if butter were already on it." When cooked, the tuber
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