Chuyos for the Holiday!

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An Evening with Julian Rose ~ Nacional Rediscovered in Peru!

This evening I had the honor of being part of an intimate gathering at the World Affairs Council event in Portland, Oregon where Master Chocolatier Julian Rose of local Moonstruck Chocolate gave us a lesson on the process for chocolate from the harvest at the farms near the equator to the table in one of Moonstruck's 5 local cafes. Learning the journey from the correct growing conditions to the science behind mastering the 3rd highest traded commodity in the world! Julian Rose delivered an engaging and informative course with a sprinkling of stories and chocolate politics.  He demystified this historically amazing fruit.  


As the science gets closer to proving that cacao originated in Central America, Julian Rose detailed for us his crowning accomplishment this past year in rediscovering the believed to be extinct Nacionale cacao tree.  Over 100 years ago this crop was wiped out by fungi disease in Equador.  Last summer Julian Rose, through a happy accident, bought some interesting beans from a farmer in a remote wild forest in a valley of Peru. Finding the flavor to be good he questioned some of the basic structures of the cacao pod that he had not seen before.  The farmer, Fortunato, also found the pods odd with the expected "purple" beans, but also some white beans in each pod.  After examining and having the documenting of the Gnome, it was discovered that the bean was from the Nacional line and that the mother tree was actually part of this small wild crop. This news was monumental for the chocolate industry and for proving that Peru has the actual origin Nacionale, not Ecuador. For Julian it was a rare discovery and professional accomplishment already recognized as one of the top 10 Master Chocolatiers in the world.

The good news for us Oregonians is Julian Rose bought the beans and formulated two versions of single source chocolate for the Moonstruck label. Named after the farmer and the number of tests to confirm its origin, Fortunato No.4 In a 68% bar or the sophisticated Dark Chocolate Tumbled Cacao Beans, this tasting was amazing. I may be awake all night, but the smooth and fruity tumbled bean was OH so worth it!  Promising to tease our senses even further, Julian Rose is creating a drinking chocolate from Fortunato No.4 in time for Fall 2011!


Run, don't walk to experience this rare treasure or go online to Moonstruck to order the closest thing to Inca Gold available!
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Peru Videos going Viral!

Love these new branding videos coming out of Peru for the PERU image.  So many rich resources, cultures, landscape, and accomplished world contributors to celebrate. Watch, enjoy, laugh!


Peruvian Super Stars


Peru visits Nebraska 




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Chuyos, The Real Peruvian Hat! 100% Alpaca and Reversible Style!

 

Chuyos threw open its e-commerce window to bring the beautiful 100% Alpaca reversible hats to you for the holidays!  Plush, warm and ultra soft, these classic style Peruvian hats make a modern fashion statement.  The 22 year old entrepreneur and designer, Alexandra Saavedra, plans to donate a portion of her profits to the Amazon Shelter's in Peru, which works towards stomping out animal trafficking from the deepest darkest jungles of Peru to the main city of Lima.  Join MJ's Table Talk in congratulating Alexandra for her vision and caring business focus by logging on, buying a hat and spreading the word!

Enter CHUYOS Here

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Lizzy Wasi, Make it Your Next Destination!

I am running behind on posting this week, but I must pass on an exciting note I received from my friend Liz in Peru. She and her husband Bill have opened a B&B in the Sacred Valley (Urubamba by Cuzco) called Lizzy Wasi! Make sure to check out their Facebook page and website! Liz is American born with a Peruvian mother and married Bill in Peru and has called it home for over 20 years. It has been her dream to have a B&B and the location they chose is one of my favorite places in the world. So stop in next time you are in Peru and say MJ sent you! Congratulations Liz and Bill!

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LIMO Makes a Big Impression!

We spent a wonderful evening at Limo in Uptown last night with friends.  Portland weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the outdoor terrace as we toured the menu and found some new favorites!  This little Peruvian gem is always a pleasure to explore!

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Inka Kola Interview

Livinginperu.com reports 21 June, 2010 13:09:12 | in General

Jhonny Lindley, owner of Inca Kola: Our goal is to have five megaplants

TRADITION. One hundred years ago, the Lindleys, a British family, started the company that now distributes Inca Kola and Coca Cola in Peru. Here, Jhonny Lindley, current director of the corporation, poses with his grandfather Isaac.

By Azucena León Torres, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb

In 2007, Jhonny Lindley took over the seat that once belonged to his grandfather Don Isaac in the company that taught Peru what color the national beverage is. Here Jhonny talks about the industry’s performance and the challenges that they will have to face in 2010.

What is the company’s report for the first five months of 2010? This was a very cold start for many…
If we look through May, I’d say the growth was lower than expected due to a series of reasons. On one hand, there is the summer season which had a very slow and weak start. January practically went unnoticed in the coast. Besides that (climatic) problem, there was low consumption due to the continuing effects of the global financial crisis. It was not until the second or third week of February that sales began to pick up, even though they were still not enough to compensate for the first period.

The company Lindley S.A. Corporation 100 years old, headquarters in Rimac It takes care of the elaboration, distribution and sales of Coca Cola brands. It also has the brand Frugos.

How much did you expect to grow?
We had projected 8% but we only grew 5%. The highest growth was reached in March but it dropped a month and a half later due to a seasonal factor (the arrival of winter in Lima) which we’re trying to compensate for in the provinces.

What is the outlook for the rest of the year?
We think that the economic recovery will show itself progressively and that by the second half of the year this will be more evident in the domestic demand. That is why we have made important investments during the first half of the year.

How much have you invested until now?
This year we have an investment plan of US $100 million. Part of that amount (US$36 million) was invested in the development of the plant in Callao. With that, Callao will become the biggest and most modern installation out of the nine that we have.

How much is the per capita consumption?
In Peru, it is 45 liters per capita. In Lima, the consumption is 75 liters, which is very similar to the main cities of the world. Some provinces are also gaining ground. However, despite that progress, there is still a lot of room to grow.

Has any city in particular surprised you with its growth?
In some cities in the north, consumption has practically doubled in the last five years, from 80 to 160 liters. Nonetheless, there are others like Huancayo, in the south of the country, where there is still a lot of room for growth and where our products still compete with boiled water and homemade juices. 

That is one of the reasons why you decided to decentralize your operations…
Precisely. Now, a big part of our investment goes to provinces because the growth that has been registered in some cities justifies our revenue. The goal for 2015 is to have five megaplants that will replace the 9 units that we currently have and that will allow us to reach every corner of the country. The first step will be taken in Trujillo.

Have the construction works already started for this megaplant?
The construction (which will require up to US $55 million) has already begun, but it will not be inaugurated until 2011. The idea is to relocate the plant that we have in Mansiche, in the district of Moche in the north.

What will be its production capacity?
We still don’t know. It will all depend on the demand. This plant will also produce water and Frugos.

What will come next?
We have two more projects: southern Lima and south. All of our projects will be carried out simultaneously. When the construction of a megaplant is about to culminate, we will begin to build another one.

Where will be the Lima plant be?
In Pucusana. Construction works will begin in 2011.

Is a plant in Lima really needed? Isn’t this an already mature market?
The idea is to move to a larger space and work with a greater economy of scale. It is true that consumption is very high in Lima; however, there is still a small space to take advantage of.

Don’t you fear the progress of water and other products?
No, because while there may be important growths of 20% or 10%, in terms of volume, their participation is still very small compared to sodas. Besides, what is important to the corporation is to respond to the demands of the consumers of the different niches.
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Ose, Where Everything is Beautiful!

Ose opened in Barranco and is a delight to the eyes.  Here is one of my favorite desserts all dressed up and disguised as a modern escape!  Suspiro de Limena

 



OSÉ

Av. Grau 1502, Barranco, Lima

247-9666

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Peru Dolphins, A Sacred Resource!

Some of my favorite moments in Peru are observing the dolphins in the waves.  Dozens swim past on any given day, and their antics dazzle the imagination.  Pelicans often hoover over head looking to get the spoils, and one day I witnessed a dolphin emerge with a fish in its mouth and fling it up in to a pelicans mouth...amazing!  Let us do whatever needs to be done to preserve these creatures!


Dophins in Peru: A biologist sees tourism as the way to conservation

While killing dolphins for their meat was made illegal in Peru in 1996, you can still find dolphin meat for as cheap as four soles per kilo in the black market. “Now, fishermen don’t touch the bottlenose dolphin, they hunt the darker dolphins instead,” says the German biologist Stefan Austermühle. “Once offshore, they cut out the meat in the ship’s hold and throw the bodies back in the sea to get rid of the evidence.” Austermühle has identified more than 1,500 dolphins off Peru's coast between Chorrillos and Paracas. (He also takes the amazing photos, shown above.) With an NGO formed with his Peruvian wife, they hope to start dolphin watching as a option for tourists and a strategy for dolphin conservation. Read more about dolphins in Peru and Austermühle's project.

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Try Something Unique...Eating wood-grilled cuy in Ayacucho, Peru,

 For those brave enough to sample the Andes specialty, here are some sources for your next trip and culinary adventure:

Food tourism in the Andes: Eating wood-grilled cuy in Ayacucho, Peru
By Martin Huancas, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb

An unexpected purchase, a mysterious dream, but above all an immense faith and a good sazón were the first ingredients that Gloria Maria Zaga used 30 years ago to establish Las Flores, the best traditional restaurant of Ayacucho.

However, the road to get where she is now was not carpeted with rose petals. Men in ski masks and envious restaurant owners wanted to break this family business, but all they accomplished was to strengthen it, so much that the owner is now considering taking a leap and going to conquer the capital with her famous cuy, the guinea pigs and typical meat of Peru's Andean cuisine.

Here come the Guinea Pigs
The story of this business began with the purchase of 135 cuys, during a mysterious meeting preceded by a dream. Doña Gloria, a pious woman, says that divine help had to do with this unexpected acquisition, since she did not read more here.

In LIMA you can find the unique cuisine at the following location:

El Tarwi: Tender cuy, the great chocho bean and more from Ancash

By Nathan Paluck

In Peru's capital city, it's easy to enter the suculent world of seafood restaurants – ceviche, japanese, nikkei, scallops, more scallops – and never turn back. A wonderful cuisine to get lost in, for sure, but let's not forget to look east, to the highlands, the mountains, for good eats and gastronomic inspiration.

A couple weeks ago we thought of Andean cuisine and searched for something specific: the cute rodent, domestic friend and important nutritional component for highland families. The cuy, or guinea pig. read more here
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