There’s something about chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino that translates well abroad. I’ve seen him written up in Food & Wine, Conde Nast, Outside’s Go, and several other U.S. publications. They always call him some sort of adventurous chef because of the work he did designing the menu of the MV Aqua, a luxury cruise ship in the Amazon. Yet, whenever I talk to someone in Lima they say their restaurant experience at Malabar is bad. My wife’s uncle said his meals were horrible on the four occasions he went, though I’m not sure why he would have went four times if that was the case.

In El Salvador there are pupusas. In Mexico there are tacos. In Honduras there are Baleadas. The simple version consists of a thick flour – though sometimes corn – tortilla that has been put on a charcoal grill. It’s slathered in refried black beans and a bit of white farmer’s cheese then folded over like an American style soft Taco. It is the any time of the day snack. You can have one for breakfast and add eggs.

Ceviche, as it is taking off in Colombia, combines elements of both Peruvian and general Latin American preparations. In general, it is closer in resemblance to Peruvian ceviche with large chunks of fish flesh as opposed to finely diced pieces of fish. Flavors tend to represent the entire region though and are considerably more varied than in Peru. In Bogota, one of the best outlets is 80 Sillas in Usaquen in the north of the city.

Calypso music arose in Trinidad and Tobago around the time of the abolition of slavery in the region in the early to mid 1800’s. When recording equipment arrived to Trinidad in 1912 the genre exploded around the Caribbean and spread to laces like the Barbados, the Providence Islands, and Panama’s Caribbean coast.

This is a strong, refreshing cocktail that has been going around mixology circles in various forms, not always with Grand Marnier though. The combination of Pisco and elderflower balances really well. I like adding the Grand Marnier because it adds a bit of smoothness. Plus, everything tastes better with Grand Marnier.

Barranco, Lima’s seaside suburb to the south of Miraflores, was once a weekend retreat for Lima’ s Creole bourgeoisie built homes there in the 19th and 20th Century, as well as wealthy German and British immigrants. In the late 20th century the area became decrepit, a haven for drugs, and fell apart. The last few decades have seen resurgence in investment and in the neighborhood and many of the most prominent families, writers, artists, and celebrities in Lima now live in the restored colonial mansions that line the cliffs.

With the Andes forming the backbone of the continent, almost every South American nation can lay claim to one of the Earth’s top hiking/trekking destinations.