Interview about Bolivian Cuisine with Chef Cesin Curi of Los Andes

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)

Join Master Chef and Historian Walter Potenza in the discovery of great foods and history of Federal Hill in Providence. Our Premiere Food Tour will take you to different locations where you will be sampling Cheeses, Charcuterie, Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars and many more ingredients present in the repertoire of Italian Cookery. You will also learn food terminology, products information, how to shop, how to store and anything that may be of interest in expanding your culinary horizon. Throughout the walking event you will meet the people who make it possible for Federal Hill to be recognized as a food and historical destination in the USA. Your walking tour will end at Chef Walters Cooking School where Chef Walter will present the “Pasta or risotto of the day”, paired with the “Wine of the day“. Of course samples are offered. After the tasting you will visit the Federal Hill Heritage Center Photo Exhibit of early Italian Immigration in Rhode Island located on 286 Atwells Avenue. Only collection in Rhode Island