Category Archives: Food

Peru’s fruit & Veggie exports increased 5.1% in January, Fruits You May Never Have Even Heard of

 

Although overall export trade has been falling, one bright spot for Peruvian exports is the commerce in fruits and vegetables. As the drought intensifies in California, it’s quite possible that Peru may become an even more important source for US consumers in the future. Particularly hard hit by the dry weather has been asparagus which Peru produces in abundance.

In addition to fresh vegetables, Peru has a number of wonderful fruits that are largely unknown here. See below…
Continue reading Peru’s fruit & Veggie exports increased 5.1% in January, Fruits You May Never Have Even Heard of

Peru Coffee News, Clips – Goodbye Coke

 

I try to keep up with the news as much as I can, and Yrma often points out things that may be of interest. We watch with particular attention to news that affect the Peruvian economy, and we tend to focus of course on agricultural imports, in particular coffee & chocolate. Here’s several translated articles that you may enjoy.

 

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US is Largest Consumer of Peruvian Quinoa

 

The Lima Chamber of Commerce recorded a six-fold expansion of the crop. (Photo: Andina/Melina Mejia)

6 Fold Increase in Production

From Peru This Week:

Growth in the quinoa market increased from 8 new markets in 2013 to 18 new markets in 2014. These markets include major importers such as Poland, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, China, and later Malaysia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Romania and Portugal in 2014.

According to Carlos Garcia, manager of CCEX, the main market for Peruvian quinoa above all is the United States.

Of the varieties of quinoa, white quinoa is the most commonly exported making up 85%, followed by red quinoa at 10%.

In 2014, quinoa finished fourth in major agricultural products exported after grapes, asparagus, and avocados.
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Recipe: Want a cremolada to beat the heat? Learn how to prepare it! – Peru this Week

 

Recently, a family member started preparing cremoladas in Tarapoto, Peru. Cremoladas are what we would call fruit smoothies. The best part of a Peruvian cremolada is the amazing fruits that are available. Very delicious! Here’s an article about a cremolada shop in Miraflores.

I realize for many in the US today, the thought of icy cold drinks may not be appealing. Think summer!
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The Joy of Heirloom Seeds

 

There is nothing more fun & heartwarming (and bone warming too) this cold time of year than planting what will become the year’s garden harvest.

I’ve mentioned our favorite seed company – Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds before (see Peruvian Heirloom Seeds Arrive in the US)

We’ve used their seeds (and seed saved from these rare varieties,) for many years now. This year we decided to go all out and replenish what has been an aging supply of seeds. We purchased their Large Southern seed collection of 50 packs with over 30 varieties, and here’s what we have:

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2015 Resolution: Avoid GMO Foods

 

We find ourselves at a crucial moment in time. This is a moment where many of the policies that regulate our food and its future are being decided. It is key that we not only as consumers but most importantly as residents and stewards of the planet be educated on this subject, so we can be active and effective participants in these decisions. Otherwise the decision will be taken from us and will most certainly not be in our interest.  – Mathieu Asselin

via Monsanto: A Photographic Investigation.

A New Year

It’s the time of year where many of us reflect on our lives & some consider taking a more active stance in our own well being. It may be exercising more, quitting tobacco use, eating healthier, or maybe even making financial changes in our 401K or household budgets.

One thing for sure is that it is difficult to discover which foods contain GMO ingredients here in the US. Since food companies are not required to disclose the inclusion of GMOs in their products, we are forced to stick with organic items to even have an idea that we are eating healthy. In an environment such as this, having a garden is self defense.

Although gardening can fill an important part of our food consumption, most of us will have to continue to eat what we buy, here’s some tips on how to avoid GMOs:

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Holiday Reads: Some Great Links, Year in Review

Christmas 2014

Ahhh, 2014 is quickly coming to an end, and once again I wonder what happened to the year. It went by so fast.

Between watching world & financial events with open eyes & shuttling back and forth to Peru, I managed to accomplish a personal first, successfully importing over 3,600 pounds of specialty grade Peruvian coffee from the Chanchamayo region.

Now that really isn’t that much in the coffee world where the goal is to fill containers for shipping, each weighing 42,000 pounds, but for me it was quite an accomplishment to wade through the maze of customs regulations, not only in the US, but in Peru as well. It took quite a bit of time, and the jury is still out on how profitable it will be (if at all.)

It’s a little (actually a lot) of fear to overcome before moving ahead into the unknown. For years I had  been thinking that it would be an interesting business, that is providing high quality imported stuff to what I imagined to be eager buyers in the US. The problem was always that the sense of being generally clueless kept me at bay. I always thought about doing my taxes when I thought of Customs. Up there with getting a root canal.

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World Travel Awards 2014 Names Peru The ‘Best Culinary Destination In South America’

From The Latin Times:

The 2014 World Travel Awards has awarded Peru as the “Best Culinary Destination in South America” for the third consecutive year. The country, which has become a famous tourist destination for Machu Picchu, beat other Latin American competitors, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

 

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