“Arequipa might be Peru’s next great food city,” reads the title of the National Geographic Travel portal’s extensive article on Arequipa’s cuisine.
The U.S. portal’s news story highlights picanterias of the region and the iconic dishes offered there such as rocoto relleno, ocopa, and chupe de camarones (river shrimp chowder), as well as a traditional drink like chicha de güiñapo.
Another aspect highlighted is the millennia-old techniques that are still used today: cooking over wood fire and the use of batan. In these establishments, picanteras play a very important role, as they are “seen as symbols of female empowerment and upward mobility,” the text points out.
By strengthening the role of women in tourism, a contribution is made to diversity and sustainable development of local communities.
Arequipa’s cuisine has remained faithful to tradition but has also reinvented itself through its younger generations of chefs.
From pisco sours blended with sancayo cactus fruit to an 18th-century-style pork adobo in a sour chicha sauce, the article highlights that picanterias have been able to adapt to the modern context without losing their essence.
It is worth mentioning that, in 2000, the Historic Center of the city of Arequipa was declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO for its architectural beauty and the landscape reserve of the countryside.
Likewise, in 2019, it was recognized as a Creative City by the same organization.
This coverage managed by the PromPeru in National Geographic Travel, as a result of its international strategy, has reached over 8 million people and is valued at USD 74,963.
Journalist Mark Johanson, a travel writer based in Chile, was in Peru last March and had the opportunity to visit and firsthand experience the cultural and gastronomic richness of Arequipa.