I have to confess to being a little hazy about Peru. As a child it was one of those South American countries I always wanted to see (well, how cool is the highest lake in the worldwhere people drift around on woven rafts?) then as an adult I have listened in awe as fitter folks recount tales of  climbing the multi steps to Machu Picchu.

Yet if pressed I’d find it hard to say exactly where it is and name any town other than Lima. As for its food, well I guess it is Spanish? Portuguese?  Nuh!

That’s why when I received an invitation to attend a Peruvian Fiesta at Sydney’sInterContinental hotel I accepted immediately.

The hotel’s lovely Cafe Opera has had a makeover recently I’d been told. It has always been attractive as the sandstone former Treasury Building overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens, dates from 1851 and provides gracious indoor areas.

I found it hard to see for sure what had been done, though, as the place was packed when we dined there on Thursday night. There was an energy to the room, too, and it seemed that most of the diners somehow seemed to know each other. Tables laid with bright woven Peruvian fabric set the scene, and it was soon obvious that there had been some clever marketing throughout the local Latin community – and they were definitely giving it their vote of approval.

In line at the expansive buffet where dozens of authentic dishes (more of those later) were on display, the woman next to me explained the dish I was about to serve myself. It turned out she is a caterer at ethnic festivals in Sydney and knows her Peruvian food. Her take on the spread? Excellent!

International guest chef Marisa Guiulfo, herself a highly respected caterer in Peru, and her son Jorge,  a restaurateur, have been brought to Australia specially to cook for this weeklong Peruvian Gastronomic Festival which has been coordinated by the Peru Export Tourism Promotion Board and endorsed by the Consul General of Peru and finishes with lunch this Sunday, March 23rd. I know, I know, there is not much time left, but it’s well worth rearranging your Easter schedule if at all possible, to attend.

“I have been very impressed by the produce here, ” Chef Guiulfo said when I met her after the meal, although she lamented that she could not get the right olives here for one dish. “In Peru, they are very large, and the sauce becomes almost purplish,” she said with a smile. I told her, regardless of this, I thought the octopus in black olive sauce was one of the best dishes on the cold buffet.

We had begun our meal with a Pisco sour, a regional brandy cocktail mixed with lemon juice and bitters with an amazing crushed ice texture before checking out the amazing buffet. It groaned under authentic traditional hot dishes such as lamb seco de cordero, another subtitled ‘chicken stew’ topped with cheese and unlike any chicken dish I have eaten, and taco taco – again not a taco as we know it but a superb red bean and rice cake.

On the cold buffet, the chef told me they the ceviche was so popular they had had replaced it six times. Peruvian prawn chowder, a ‘terrine’ of prawns, avocado and yellow potatoes, cheese and corn tamales, plus much, much more kept us busy. And all this before the dessert table!

It seems those Peruvians have seriously sweet teeth! Dulce de leche (sweetened caramelised milk) custards, tarts, cakes, cream and pastry made the little treats (almost) irresistible.

Why so good? Chef Guiulfo explained that Peruvian food combines elements of several cuisines – Incan, Spanish, Basque, African, Japanese, Italian and French, and ingredients from four continents – to create a magic melange of flavours. In the hands of these two chefs and their team it guarantees a meal to remember.

Now all I have to do is find my way to Peru for some more of this fare!

- by Sally Hammond