Podcast Episode 97: Bolivian Cuisine with Chef Cesin Curi

 
In this episode of the Find Dining podcast, we talk to Chef Cesin Curi of Los Andes in Providence, Rhode Island about Bolivian cuisine.   We discuss opening a restaurant with his brother, the differences between Bolivian and Peruvian food, and what makes a great ceviche.
 

• Sample Cesin’s food at the 2014 Food and Travel Expo
• Quinoa and potatoes are staples of cuisine in the Andes Mountains
• Chuno is an ancient South American method of preserving potatoes
• Los Andes Restaurant features a 475 gallon coral reef fish tank
• Come see the replica of Tihuanaco when it opens on the restaurant’s second floor
• “Chifa” is the blending of Chinese and Peruvian food traditions
• Gaston Acurio has been instrumental in bringing Peruvian food to the rest of the world

 
 

Food for Thought

• Q: How many different varieties of potatoes exist in the world and of those, how many come from the Andes?
• A: Approximately 5000; about 80%

 

RELATED: Explore the Jungles of Peru with Chef Jose Duarte

 
 

How to Make Ceviche

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Best time of year to go to Bolivia: April or May
• Dish to use a basis for comparing restaurants in Bolivia: Salteña
• Drinks to try: Chuflay or Yungueno
• What’s wine like in Bolivia: Excellent quality, but made in very small batches
• Dessert to try:  Gelatin de Pata, flan, or tres leches
• Food Festivals to visit: Copacabana in La Paz, second Saturday in August
• Restaurant customs that may surprise an American tourist: Many dishes are meant to be eaten with your hands
• Must try dish(es) at Los Andes: Ceviche, beef heart (anticuchos)