PERU: "For the Culture"

“If you haven’t eaten ceviche, You haven’t been to Peru!”

Students wearing traditional highland attire at a culture discussion in Huancavelica, Peru.

​One of the English tutoring students at a Lima Binational center was going down the list of the things I must experience in order to enjoy the best of Peru. According to the locals, I only missed one or two essentials during my stay in Peru. This post is dedicated to my love for Peruvian culture. First of all, I’m NOT claiming to be an expert nor do I think I could possibly communicate all that Peruvian culture entails in such an ethnically diverse and large nation. These are merely the reports of the things that stuck with me after spending three weeks in the Miraflores & Comas districts of Lima and Huancayo & Huancavelica of the highlands.

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 “Food!”
One of my favorite things to do is to eat, so naturally that’s the aspect of a culture that I’m most interested in. Below I’ve compiled a gallery of some of my favorite meals and snacks from this trip along with a description or name in each caption. Peruvian cuisine is a beautiful mix of native tradition & Spanish influence with modern American updates, and just to be clear, it’s ALL good to me! Changes in ingredients and preparation styles are apparent as you move from the coasts to up into the highlands of the Andes. I’m sure it’s different in the Amazonian jungle regions as well, but I’ll have to save that experience for when I revisit Peru. Double and triple starches are coming in most meals, but the two items you’ll eat the most of are corn and potatoes. However, there are thousands of types of potatoes, and so many different ways that corn is prepared that you’ll never get bored with eating there. Rice and quinoa are the popular grains, and fresh bread and cheese fill you up in between meals. The best bread and cheese are in the highlands being sold in the streets by the farmers. I ate the fanciest in Lima, but I ate the finest in Huancavelica. The cold mountain air called for some hot drinks and comfort food. There were so many pleasant surprises, including my willingness to try some of everything! I had guinea pig or cuy, sheep, llama, and many traditional or ceremonial drinks for the first time. I missed out on eating the highland  famous pachamanca, a meat and vegetable medley that’s cooked underground, but that just gives me something to look forward to when I return. The lunch culture was the most surprising to me. As told by my host teacher, lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the Peruvian day. The portions are huge and many students leave school to meet their families for a big meal at home or in a nearby restaurant. We usually had a 2 ½ hour break from the school for lunch! They seemed so disappointed to hear that lunch is usually a myth for many teachers in the states or else rushed and unhealthy. Most days I didn’t need dinner after such a big lunch, but what I did need was a nap. 

“Faith”
The temple ruins from the Incan and Pre-Incan civilizations remain for our admiration, but the religion that permeates much of Peruvian society is Catholicism, directly credited to Spanish colonization.  The beautifully, ornate 15th century colonial cathedrals stand tall against the elements, most of which still house active parishioners. On the day I left Huancavelica, they were celebrating the Pope and other leaders of the Catholic church with parades of floats and dancing and plenty of ceremonial acts. Despite the dominance of one monotheistic religion, the customs and legends of the native faiths live on through the individuals who pass down the stories or even still pay homage to the gods of the Incas and those before them. I learned the legends or certain mountains and islands, how they came into existence. I learned the names of some of the key deities in Quechua culture such as Pachamama, which translates to Mother Earth, as well as Viracocha, the creator, and Inti, the sun god. One of the English teachers assigned to help translate for me gave a pained testimony of the complex clashing of faiths in Peru. He pointed around us at the mountains and explained that the natives believed each mountain to be a sacred protector of the people, each having their own respected name and legend attached to it, but now each peak bares a cross or for some even a small chapel planted there by the Spanish to “christen” their new territory. I could tell by the look on his face that even as a Catholic, he had mixed emotions about such a forceful cultural conquest.  In spite of it all, the customs of old are either memorialized in museums and ruins or resurrected through the people who haven’t forgotten.

“Fun”
First of all, soccer is life! Futbol or whatever name you prefer is definitely the most popular sport in Peru. I had the privilege of being there during two of Peru’s matches in the World Cup. School shuts down when Peru in playing! Everybody stops and gets to the nearest TV. The stores and cafes with TVs are full but motionless as everyone’s eyes are locked into that screen. I was in Lima for the first match. We went downtown for lunch and saw a sea of people gathered in front of the president’s palace for the game. I hate that they lost that day. I can only imagine what kind of celebration that would have been with the thousands filling up that square. Even in their disappointment, their solidarity was so impressive to me. In Huancavelica, I watched the second match at a café and then finished it at the home of one of the teachers, enjoying the hospitality of his mother. The excitement was contagious; they made a soccer fan out of me, and not just because they won that day!
Aside from soccer, they also play quite a bit of volleyball, tennis, and basketball from what I observed at schools and sports complexes. I was questioned by one boy on how he should go about getting into the NBA which was a bit of a surprise to me, disrupting the soccer only stereotype I had in mind.  There are garden and play parks, just like the States. Peruvians enjoy a diverse collection of music and entertainment. I was surprised to see a dance company perform spoof routines designed to make fun of the Spanish colonizers and then perform Spanish influenced choreography in the very next set. Just another instance of the complex culture clash this land withstands. 

“Foundation”
The Incas governed their four regions with three distinct moral codes which are displayed in every classroom in COAR Huancavelica in Spanish, Quechua, and English: Do Not Steal, Do Not Lie, and Do Not Be Lazy. Even though the Peruvian government has long since expanded on these laws, I believe that they remain to be the three pillars that secure their society. There is without question a culture of hard work and diligence in Peru from the small child to the 90 year old farmer still harvesting in the fields with her husband. There is a resourceful, entrepreneur spirit that fuels the local businesses. As a foreigner in the remote highlands, I stood out for sure! I’m an English speaking woman with African-American features, strange hair and fashion/self-expression choices, yet I felt welcomed and respected by all. Questions about my culture or appearance all seemed genuine. I will elaborate more on this in my personal reflections. Kindness is engrained into their culture, regardless of anyone’s ethnic background or lingual limitations. 

Learning some Quechua phrases and stew cooking wisdom from some Andean women in Huancavelica, Peru.