Tambo Rural, the story of the breads that stop traffic on the Panamericana Sur

Every year I travel with my family to the south of the country. It is a tradition that, in turn, is full of gastronomic traditions that we fulfill along the way. The first, as if to start the odyssey early, is to visit Tambo Rural, buy firewood buns, drink coffee and watch the sunrise. This establishment, located at KM. 52 of the Panamericana Sur, starts its operations early to receive diners from 6 am and is a meeting point for travelers, trucks that transport various products and other personalities.

“We have a property in the south and my father, whose name was Reynaldo Baldini, in addition to having a poultry farm, planted about seven hectares of olive trees to take advantage of the land. He took about three to four years to bear fruit and once it happened, he processed them and the idea was to sell them,” he explains. Reynaldo Baldini, general manager of Tambo Rural and son of the founder.

They put up a small stand on the road – where we can now find the restaurant – but they only sold black olives. People stopped to shop from time to time, but they weren’t as successful. “Many of the poultry workers are from Huancavelica and they, who lived next door, usually prepared their bread in a wood oven. That’s where it occurred to us to prepare it to offer it to people, so that they eat it with the olives, ”he adds.

Thus, they began to prepare chapla bread in a very simple way and little by little more people became interested in their proposal. “What is said about that time is that the former mayor of Lima, Mr. Alberto Andrade (1943-2009), used to spend a lot there. It seems that he was a well-known customer and he always asked to have a little bread with the olive inside ”, comments Baldini. This aroused the creativity of the owners and they began to sell the breads with olives, to later prepare them with the olives as a filling.

Pandemic challenges

The rest is history and currently, despite the difficulties they have had to face due to the pandemic, they have managed to stay afloat and continue to conquer the palates of hundreds of travelers.

“With the closure of all the establishments and the quarantine, one did not know what was going to happen and it was very difficult to predict what would happen. Luckily, the type of product we offer was considered a primary activity and as soon as they gave us the permit we opened, but the recovery was very slow”, admits Reynaldo.

As a business, they had to make a lot of changes and adjust in various ways to keep all the staff, because they decided not to make any kind of cuts or changes. The most difficult thing, being a small space, was the implementation of biosafety protocols, but they managed to comply with them.

“Fortunately, many people have been encouraged to enjoy the beaches and leave Lima, and being located on the same road has been a great benefit for us,” he says.

BREAD CULT

If you go through Tambo Rural, the (almost) obligatory thing is to try the delicious serrano bread that they prepare, as well as the versions stuffed with ham, cheese, cabanossi, chicken and other flavors. They are soft, fluffy, with a very tasty taste and the balance between dough and filling is perfect. They’re the kind of homemade snack that reminds you of simpler times.

“We have a team that is dedicated to preparing the dough and the boleo that is done to give them the correct shape, which is done manually. In addition, we have another group in charge of making the fillings and preparing these breads. Finally, they are put into the clay oven and cooked until they are golden brown”, explains Baldini.

Although these breads are the stars, Tambo Rural also offers other perfect options to start the day off right. “We offer fugazzas prepared in the clay oven, which can be enjoyed with the classic complements, such as onion, salt and oregano, or we also have a mixed version, which includes olives and peppers. Another favorite is the firewood-fired pork sandwich, forceful, juicy and crunchy at the same time”, says Reynaldo.

As is obvious, you cannot miss the juices, a good chicha and emollient and its past coffee, perfect to complement the experience.

Data:

• rural tambo It is located at KM 52 of the Panamericana Sur. It is open from Monday to Sunday, from 6 am To pick up at the store, you can call 948057409. In addition, they make delivery to southern beaches on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on WhatsApp 994014890. If you would like to know more about their delicacies, you can visit their Facebook page.
• In addition, they have an office in Breña (Av. Venezuela 1288), where they are open from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 4 pm.