NJ-Peru

PERU

El Perú, situated on the west coast of South America, is a country of great mysteries, ancient cultures and wonderful geography.

General Facts

Official Name: Republic of Perú
Area: 496,222 sq. miles
Population: 24 million (approximate)
Administrative Division: 12 Regions, 24 Departments and one Constitutional Province (El Callao)
Capital: City of Lima
Other Cities: Arequipa, Cuzco, El Callao, Iquitos, Trujillo
Languages: Spanish and Quechua (official languages), Aymará and amazon dialects
Literacy: 87.2%
National Holiday: July 28 - Independence Day

Other Facts

Perú, name origin: The Spanish conquistadors arrived to the Kingdom of Virú, which was part of the Tahuantinsuyo or Empire of the Incas, in 1530. When they asked the natives about the name of their land, they were told, "Virú", but they understood "Pirú". Every land that they conquered, was given that name: Pirú. As time passed, the name changed to Perú.
Cebiche, national dish: Cebiche is the national dish of Perú. It is prepared with fresh fish cooked in lemon and condimented with salt, pepper and garlic. Also added is, rocoto (a hot pepper from Perú) and sliced onions. Cebiche originated in colonial times. Peruvian fishermen were used to dice cut fish and used them as bait or cebo (spanish for bait), in order to catch more fish. When they were hungry while waiting for the catch, they added salt and lemon to the dice cut fish and ate them. As years passed the practice became more popular and a new dish was created. The Cebiche is almost the same as a few centuries ago but in the second half of last century, the seafood (shrimp, squid, octopus and more) cebiche became popular. The preparation of cebiche has extended to other latinamerican countries but it is the Peruvian Cebiche the most internationally known and the most delicious.
Pisco Sour, national drink: Pisco Sour is the national drink of Perú. It is prepared with the Pisco brandy, lime juice, sugar, egg and crushed ice. Pisco Sour became very popular in the 1870 decade in the United States as the Pisco Punch. Origin of the word Pisco. The Incas called Pishco (bird in their quechua language) the site where the actual Port of Pisco is situated, due to the great variety of local birds they found when they conquered that land. Pisco is situated in the department of Ica. Pisco brandy origin. The department of Ica in Perú is where the Nazca and Paracas cultures flourished. The natives were excellent agriculturists and also were famous for preparing "chicha", a fermented drink made of maize. When the Spanish conquerors settled on this land, they brought many produces to cultivate, one of them were, grapes. Due to the great quality of the land and good climate, grapes from the Ica's valleys became well known. The Spanish also produce a brandy from these grapes, "it took the name of Pisco because of the port where it was shipped" (Fray Reginaldo de Lizárraga, XVI century). The Pisco today. The Pisco is processed with the Quebranta grape variety which only grows in Perú and the reason the peruvian Pisco is different from other types of brandy. The Pisco and Pisco Sour are known all over the world as one of the many contributions of Perú to the international gourmet.
Potato: Peru's gift to the world: The potato is a native plant from the Andes. The ancient peruvians discovered it as a wild plant. It is unknown how they made it eatable but it was cultivated for many centuries before the Incas. Numerous tubers have been found in precolumbian tombs. The Incas learned how to cultivate potatos and taught other andean people that they conquered. Soon, it became the basic food of the andean population. The potato to the world. The spanish conquistadors that arrived in Perú called it: "native's bread". The conquistadors took it to Spain and made it known to the rest of Europe. The europeans then took it to other continents. The potato in actual times. The potato in our times is one of the most important foods in the world. Peru is the country with the widest variety of the plant. In Peru functions the International Potato Institute, organism dedicated to the scientific study of the plant.