-By Kristin V. Montalvo

South America, stretching from Venezuela down to Chile's Cape Horn, is a vast continent with contrasting landscapes, climates, people and cultures. An extensive cross section of ethnic backgrounds influences each country's foods. And although a common thread of ingredients runs throughout these Latin American "foodways," each country's cuisine differs based on its culture and geography.

Depending on where you live, you might savor the clean, cool taste of an Ecuadorian ceviche of mixed seafood "cooked" in the tart juice of the Seville orange, mixed with hot chiles and accompanied by toasted corn. Or enjoy Peruvian papas rellenas, deep-fried potatoes stuffed with spicy meat, eggs and olives. You might eat fruits and coconuts cultivated at the ocean's edge or grains grown a mile above sea level. Your seafood could come from the Atlantic, Pacific or the Caribbean, and might include commonplace shrimp or exotic conger eel.

You might eat beef from some of the world's most prized cattle, or you might eat guinea fowl (or even guinea pig). Dessert could range from familiar flans and crepes to exotic tropical fruits. And you might wash them down with a pisco sour (grape brandy with cane sugar, egg whites, lemon and a dash of Angostura bitters) or world-class wine from Argentina or Chile.

Take a tour of Chile and Peru (neighboring Ecuador is featured exclusively  here), and discover the distinctive cuisine of each country; discovering along the way a revival of indigenous ingredients, served with Western-style plate presentation. Kuy or cuy (guinea pig), for instance, has made a big culinary comeback in Peru and Ecuador where it's in such demand that they're breeding a super-sized version for the dinner table. Quinoa (a seed that's used like a grain and has been a main dietary source in the Andean countries for thousands of years) is also de rigueur. Buen provecho!

Chile
For a nation that averages merely 125 miles in width, Chile boasts a mind-boggling array of natural environments, ranging from the driest desert to lushest rainforest; icy blue glaciers to fiery volcanoes; and gushing rivers to farmlands and vineyards.

Chile stretches over 2,600 miles from Peru in the north to the Strait of Magellan in the south. The western coast borders the Pacific Ocean, while much of the eastern edge of the country shares the world's second highest mountain range, the Andes, with neighboring Argentina.

From north to south, Chilean cuisine is as varied and unexpected as the country's marvelous geography. Chilean cuisine reflects the cultural evolution of a country in a constant search for its essence and ancestral identity. It is noted for its herbs and spices, great variety of fish, shellfish and meat dishes, and wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Chilean cuisine fuses the Spanish influence and indigenous roots in regional dishes strongly influenced by the Aymara of the north, the Mapuche of the center and south, and the Polynesian culture of Easter Island. In fact, today's most well-known Chilean chefs are rediscovering and reinventing traditional foods from these regions such as pumpkin, quinoa, and the Mapuche spice merkén -- an aromatic mixture of dried and smoked cacho de cabra chiles, toasted coriander seeds, cumin, and salt.

In addition to Spanish influence, German immigrants also brought with them various styles and traditions in cooking, heavily influencing the cuisine of Chile. For example, German-influenced curanto, or Chilean stew, consists of layers of meat, sausage and cabbage baked slowly in an oven. The kuchen, a German fruit custard, or the kuchen de quesillo, a type of cheesecake, are both found in Southern Chile where the Bavarian influence is quite strong.

Food isn't the only aspect of Chile's local flavors to reflect a European influence -- a variety of grapes native to Europe have been planted in Chile's fertile valleys over the past 150 years, and a number of varietals have flourished. From Merlot, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, to Syrah and Carmenere, Chile is known for its inexpensive reds. And while Chile's red wines steal the spotlight, white wines have come a long way in the past few decades as the centuries-old Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon grapes mature at some of the newer vineyards, less than 50 miles south of Santiago.

Fruits of the Sea … and Land
Because of its long coastline, Chile's seafood forms the basis of many dishes and is unequalled in variety and quality. What beef is to Argentina, seafood is to Chile, and Chileans eat it all -- from sole to sea urchin to conger eel, the list of fish and shellfish goes on and on:

Machas (razor clams), the delicious but hard-to-get loco (a meaty, thick abalone), choros or choritos (mussels), ostras (oysters), ostiones (scallops) and the outstanding centolla (king crab) are familiar. Less familiar are picorocos (barnacles), the much-loved erizo (sea urchin) and the exotic piure, an iodine-rich, alien-looking red blob that attaches itself to rocks and is served in soups. The most common fish you'll see on the menu are salmon, the buttery congrio (conger eel), merluza (hake), *corvina (sea bass) and, increasingly, mero (grouper), lenguado (sole), and atún (yellowfin tuna). Popular Chilean-style seafood dishes are paila marina (shellfish stew), ceviche (fish cubes and onion "cooked" in lemon juice), chupes (a creamy casserole made with crab or abalone) or caldillo de congrito (a fish stew made with onions, potatoes and carrots.). Another savory delight is ositones a la parmesana (scallops on the shells, covered in melted butter and grilled parmesan cheese).

* We should note that much confusion and controversy surround the famed "Chilean sea bass," served less and less frequently in U.S. restaurants because over-fishing has brought the fish to the brink of extinction. Its real name is a lot less glamorous: Patagonian toothfish. Sea bass is really corvina.

Though not as well-known for meat as their neighbors to the north, Chilean meat dishes are quite delicious and tend to be Spanish-based with local modifications. Lamb dishes (such as lamb ribs or lamb shish kebabs), baked deer dishes and cakes stem from Welsh influence, for instance. Popular dishes include curanto (indigenous seafood stew with chicken, pork, lamb, beef and potato); chupes de camarones (shrimp stew with potatoes, corn and milk); porotos granados; pastel de choclo (corn pie), charquican (mashed potato with squash, ground beef and corn) and pastel de papas (potato pie with a sprinkling of salt or sugar). Pebre (garlic, lemon juice, chiles and cilantro) is a popular Chilean condiment served with stews, and grilled seafood and meats.

Gourmet Specialties Rich With Tradition
Chileans are known for their old-world hospitality. It's an important part of daily life to assemble family and friends over a good meal -- and this makes for a rich culinary tradition steeped in the flavors of native Mapuche cooking as well as those of Spanish Europeans who arrived in the 16th century. Now this wealth of recipes has spawned a specialty food industry that puts an amazing variety of ingredients to best advantage. In the U.S., we are just beginning to explore the exotic gourmet flavors coming out of Chile such as lucuma (a fruit with a sensational caramel taste), cherimoya (a custardy fruit reminiscent of papaya, banana, mango, passionfruit, lemon and pineapple), myrtle berries (a delicate wild berry from the Andes Mountains), the Chilean hazelnut, coquitos (mini coconuts), emerald-green extra-virgin avocado oil, the smoky spice merkén, Ulmo Tree Honey, piñones (giant pine nuts), and elephant garlic from the island of Chiloé. Foodies take note!

Peru
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world and is on par with French, Chinese and Indian cuisine. In January 2004, The Economist said that "Peru can lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines," while at the Fourth International Summit of Gastronomy Madrid Fusión 2006 -- regarded as the world's most important gastronomic forum -- Lima was declared the "Gastronomic Capital of the Americas." Norman Van Aken, one of Florida's most gifted chefs, acknowledged that Peruvian cuisine was possibly the most enticing of those he had studied. And Patrick Martin, academic director of Le Cordon Bleu, said that one of the reasons why they had a branch of the school in Lima was the excellent quality of local cuisine.

The quality and variety of dishes in Peru are due in part to two main reasons. First, Peru's ecological and climatic diversity has given rise to a major supply of fresh produce, any chef's dream. In fact, a chef's only problem would be an abundance of choice.

The rich Peruvian fishing grounds abound in fish and shellfish species, the heart of the succulent coastal gastronomy; rice, fowl and goat, meanwhile, are the key ingredients of Peru's north coastal cooking. In the Andes, delicious ingredients such as the potato, quinoa, sweet corn in all its varieties, plus cuy (guinea pig) and ají chili pepper are the basis of highland cooking, and are to be found across the country. The jungle adds its own touch: wild game with a side serving of fried banana and manioc root. Local fruit varieties such as chirimoya (custard apple) and lucuma produce incomparable desserts.

The second reason for Peru's culinary diversity is the rich mix of Western and Eastern cultural traditions. Over the course of centuries, Peru has felt the influence of Spain in stews and soups; Arab sweets and desserts; African contributions to Creole cooking; Italian pastas; Japanese preparations of fish and shellfish; and Chinese culinary methods which have given birth to one of the most popular gastronomic traditions in Peru: chifa (Peruvian-style Chinese restaurants). Today, there are some 3,000 "chifas" in Lima. But the originality of Peru's cuisine does not stem just from its traditional cooking; rather, it continues to incorporate new influences, producing exquisite and impeccable dishes that have been dubbed the "New Peruvian Cuisine."

Experiencing Peru Through its Cuisine
This "land of the Incas" is the world's potato capital, with numerous varieties and colors (including purple, blue, yellow and shades of brown to pink), as well as various sizes, textures and flavors. Many dishes are served with boiled potatoes. Papas (potatoes), which played a religious role with the Incas, are made into many dishes, including: papas a la huancaina (sliced potatoes with spicy sauce and cheese), ocopa (boiled and sliced yellow potatoes covered with a sauce of walnuts, ajis and white cheese), papas rellenas (deep-fried stuffed potatoes with ground meat, eggs, olives and spices) and papas arequipena (potatoes in peanut, cheese and aji sauce).

The cuisine along the north coast includes dishes such as arroz con pato (duck and rice), seco de chavelo (fish stew with roasted green bananas), cabrito con frijoles (goat and beans cooked in the fermented corn beverage "chicha de jora"), shambar (beef and bean soup) and the sudado de cangrejos (steamed crab).

In Lima, meanwhile, gourmets can enjoy a wide variety of dishes that are the result of a wide range of foreign influences, as well as all the regional gastronomic variants. Three fusion dishes stand out among the many main courses: Creole ají de gallina (chicken stewed in a spicy milk, bread and hot peppers sauce); Chinese-inspired lomo saltado (sautéed beef and potatoes with hot peppers and soy sauce); and African tacu-tacu (a mouth-watering dish that uses rice and leftover beans, and is usually served with fried eggs and bananas). Another local specialty usually served as appetizer is causa, a cold pie of mashed potatoes, spiced with hot peppers and filled with seafood.

The areas surrounding the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon River and Lake Titicaca have abundant seafood and turtles. In fact, no experience in Lima -- or any other coastal city -- is complete without ceviche: raw fish or shellfish diced in small cubes and marinated in lime juice and hot chili peppers, served with raw onions, sweet potato and corn. Ceviche (or cebiche), Peru's flagship dish, is the epitome of fusion: Inca hot peppers, Spanish limes and onions, and the Japanese approach to preparing fish.

Peruvian Ceviche comes with many different flavor variations, served with boiled potato, sweet potato or cancha (toasted corn kernels). Ceviche de conchas negras (black clams), ceviche de Huachinango (with red snapper and ajis), and mixed seafood ceviches are popular. Tiradito is a subtler, younger version of ceviche without onions and with fish cut similar to sashimi.

Highland cooking maintains a pagan relationship with the earth, a notion that is ever present in all the local celebrations. The most typical Andean dish is the pachamanca, which is cooked in a hole in the ground over hot stones. Ingredients include green beans, potatoes, corn and several types of meat seasoned with herbs and spices.

The food served in the jungle has a lot to do with man's harmonious relationship with nature. Recipes such as the juane (chicken and rice tamale), inchi capi (chicken served with peanuts and toasted corn) and tacacho de platanos a la brasa (barbecued bananas) are a delight, surprising the uninitiated with their ingredients. The local game is also unusual: sajino en cecina (wild boar), lomo saltado de majado and apichado de gallina de monte (wildfowl) are just some of the magical specialties of the jungle and Peru's cooking in general.

For dessert, Suspiro de Limeña (Sigh of a Lima Woman) is the most classic among Criollo desserts. It's a sweet milk caramel topped with meringue, and flavored with cinnamon and port wine. Actually, many coastal desserts have caramel (or manjar blanco) as their main ingredient. Such is the case of Arroz con Leche, a rice and caramel pudding, and alfajores, two soft round cookies filled with manjar blanco. Similarly, cinnamon gives flavor to a large number of Peruvian desserts.


Recipe Corner

Peruvian Recipe:
Cauche de Camarones
Peruvian-style fondue with shrimp and yellow potatoes. Serves 4.

This award-winning recipe was provided by Chef Alcario Callyahua at Sol de Mayo, the oldest picantería in Arequipa.

Ingredients:
8 ounces small yellow potatoes (Yukon gold, for example)
2/3 cup chopped onion
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt to taste
8 ounces cleaned shrimp
1 pound melting cheese, shredded*
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:
Peel and boil potatoes. Cut in half when cooked, and set aside. Sauté onion in butter until limp. Add tomato sauce and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and the bottom of the pan can be seen when a spoon is drawn across it. Put oil and salt in a frying pan and fry shrimp. Set aside. Add cheese, evaporated milk and salt to the tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently. Add potatoes and shrimp. Serve hot in individual bowls, garnished with parsley.

*Some melting cheeses available at many Latino and specialty food markets are queso quesadilla and queso asadero. Although commonly found at these markets, queso fresco is not a melting cheese.

Recipe courtesy of Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt, authors of the indispensable Eat Smart in Peru: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure (Ginkgo Press).


Chilean Recipe:
Salmon Ceviche With Carica (Chilean golden papaya)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 oz. wild salmon, diced into small cubes
1/2 cup Chilean carica, diced into small cubes
1/2 cup hearts of palm, sliced into 1/8" thick rounds
1/2 of small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin avocado oil
Zest of 2 lemons and reserved juice
1/4cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons torn mint leaves
4 medium-sized plates (refrigerated)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Ceviche should be served cold. Make sure to refrigerate all your products including the serving vessels. Combine zest of both lemons with Chilean extra virgin avocado oil, then toss with salmon cubes. Marinate the salmon mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to two hours. In a bowl, combine marinated salmon, lemon juice, lime juice and orange juice, and mix well. Marinate for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Combine remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Distribute the ceviche evenly among the four chilled plates. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Chef Erio G. Cavalieri, Chef/Instructor for the Institute of Culinary Education and Chef for Pro Chile New York.

For more on Chilean products discovered by Senior Associate Editor Kristin V. Montalvo on her tour of the country, click  here.

Comments? kmontalvo@gourmetretailer.com