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fandomhigh2024-09-24 08:04 am
carbsliftthespirit) wrote in fandomhigh2024-09-24 08:04 am
Food & Cultural Appreciation, Tuesday Third Period
"All right, everyone, listen up," Raiden said once his students were assembled for this week's adventure. "This week we're going to Peru, and before we go I want to remind you of the rules of the class, because there is one dish that is common in Peru that a lot of Americans have problems with. So, you don't have to try the thing, but I also do not want you to insult the thing. I want you to think with your brain about why another culture might eat the way they do. Okay? Okay.
"For those of you who aren't familiar, Peru is a country in South America, in the Southern Hemisphere, which means it's spring there right now. We're looking at highs in the mid-sixties today, should be nice. It borders the Pacific Ocean, and the Andes Mountains run through it. Peru is divided west to east into three geographic zones: the coast, the mountains, and the jungle, and Lima, the capital city we'll be visiting today, is on the coast. If you ever get the chance to come back here there are some interesting and famous ruins elsewhere in the country. The traditional staples of the area are things like corn, quinoa, potatoes, alpacas in the mountains, seafood on the coast. You may already be familiar with Peruvian food in the form of ceviche, which is seafood that's cooked by being marinated in citrus juice with other seasonings, and which we'll be trying today."
Raiden paused, then pressed on, because better to just get it out there now rather than have someone surprised by it later. "You may or may not have heard of cuy, which is the local word for guinea pig. Which, yes, is a food source here. In fact, guinea pigs were domesticated in the Andes as a food source long before they became pets." Although probably some of them were pets all along. It had always been that way with rabbits and chickens, in his experience. "Again: remember the rules. But don't worry, that's not the only meat on offer, even outside of ceviche and alpaca. When the Spanish came to the area they brought their livestock with them, and beef, pork, and chicken are all widely used in Peruvian food, along with those other tasty Old World ingredients, onions and garlic. There are also heavy influences from Africans first brought into the country as slaves, and a later wave of Chinese immigrants who invented lomo saltado, a stir-fry of beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries that sounds like just the thing after a night out.
"As far as drinks go, we'll be sure to try the local soda, Inca Kola, while we're here--it's flavored with lemon verbena; some people think it tastes like bubblegum or cream soda--and if you're after something a little harder, the Pisco sour is considered the national drink, as it was invented here in the 1920s. Now come on, let's catch our portal and go on a food tour. And after that we're going to track down a Suspiro de Limeña, the sigh of a woman from Lima. Not--not literally. It's a dessert. You'll see. It's delicious. Let's go!"
"For those of you who aren't familiar, Peru is a country in South America, in the Southern Hemisphere, which means it's spring there right now. We're looking at highs in the mid-sixties today, should be nice. It borders the Pacific Ocean, and the Andes Mountains run through it. Peru is divided west to east into three geographic zones: the coast, the mountains, and the jungle, and Lima, the capital city we'll be visiting today, is on the coast. If you ever get the chance to come back here there are some interesting and famous ruins elsewhere in the country. The traditional staples of the area are things like corn, quinoa, potatoes, alpacas in the mountains, seafood on the coast. You may already be familiar with Peruvian food in the form of ceviche, which is seafood that's cooked by being marinated in citrus juice with other seasonings, and which we'll be trying today."
Raiden paused, then pressed on, because better to just get it out there now rather than have someone surprised by it later. "You may or may not have heard of cuy, which is the local word for guinea pig. Which, yes, is a food source here. In fact, guinea pigs were domesticated in the Andes as a food source long before they became pets." Although probably some of them were pets all along. It had always been that way with rabbits and chickens, in his experience. "Again: remember the rules. But don't worry, that's not the only meat on offer, even outside of ceviche and alpaca. When the Spanish came to the area they brought their livestock with them, and beef, pork, and chicken are all widely used in Peruvian food, along with those other tasty Old World ingredients, onions and garlic. There are also heavy influences from Africans first brought into the country as slaves, and a later wave of Chinese immigrants who invented lomo saltado, a stir-fry of beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries that sounds like just the thing after a night out.
"As far as drinks go, we'll be sure to try the local soda, Inca Kola, while we're here--it's flavored with lemon verbena; some people think it tastes like bubblegum or cream soda--and if you're after something a little harder, the Pisco sour is considered the national drink, as it was invented here in the 1920s. Now come on, let's catch our portal and go on a food tour. And after that we're going to track down a Suspiro de Limeña, the sigh of a woman from Lima. Not--not literally. It's a dessert. You'll see. It's delicious. Let's go!"
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Lima, Peru
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It was definitely putting a damper on his usual enthusiasm.
Don't get him wrong, he got it. People ate all kinds of things, and that was fine! But Graham, who was pretty open about a lot of the things he put in his mouth, might have to draw a particular line on this one.
Everything else, though? Oh, zounds, yes! Even so much so that he could almost forget about the cuy entirely, until something reminded him of it and he got really sad again for a moment.
But he suspected the dessert would bring him back around when they got to it!
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She was perfectly happy to try other things though.
And when they got to that dessert she was going to need a moment.
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So she was expanding her culinary horizons by trying the grilled heart. Nobody could be mad at her now.
Oh shit, wait, why was this good?
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Meanwhile, Lydia, who was on only slight acquaintance with Sir Graham and had not yet met Triumph, was innocently asking, "Did you try the cuy? It's a bit like roast chicken, and since you said you can't have poultry I wondered if it might make a nice substitute."
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