Herald on Sunday

PURE HEAVEN IN PERU 5

Grace Ramirez finds Lima a foodie’s paradise.

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Peru is one of those places you go to once and fall head over heels in love. It will surprise you, enchant you and have you craving for more. It is in western South America and its neighbours are Colombia, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia. The west side of the country has a wonderful geographic­al ally — the Pacific Ocean. That’s why Peruvian seafood dishes are among the world’s best.

My stepfather is from Lima, Peru’s capital, and I’ve been to that wonderful country many times. Every time I go, I make fascinatin­g discoverie­s. It seems the food just keeps getting better. For those of you who might not know, Peru is considered a gastronomi­cal revelation and people around the globe go there for inspiratio­n.

Your trip to Peru should start by eating your way around Lima. Yes, you can then head to Cuzco and visit the famous Machu Picchu and drive through the truly spectacula­r Inca Valley. But first, please go to Lima. It’s a fun city full of history and culture, where you can also go dancing, paraglidin­g, surfing and visit some impressive museums. But before you do all that, just go and eat, eat, eat.

My Lima suggestion­s are varied. Even though I love Central Restaurant­e (centralres­taurante.com.pe), regarded as the number 4 restaurant in the world and run by the most adorable couple, I also enjoy eating with the locals in the many and varied hole-inthe wall places.

Here are my top choices:

“Before you visit Lima’s sights, just go and eat, eat, eat.”

 ??  ?? Grace Ramirez and Virgilio Martinez of Central Restaurant­e.
Grace Ramirez and Virgilio Martinez of Central Restaurant­e.
 ??  ?? Ramirez enjoys some time with traditiona­l Peruvian musicians.
Ramirez enjoys some time with traditiona­l Peruvian musicians.

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