“Perú, mucho gusto”: the free fair that will bring together the gastronomy of the 25 regions of Peru in one place

There are many ways to get to know Peru, but one of the most attractive is through its gastronomy. The ingredients used in each region of the country connect us to the history of producers and ancestral recipes that speak to us in a very personal way about our culture and tradition. That is why since its creation in 2005 the fair “Peru, nice to meet you” became an unmissable alternative on the national agenda.

In 2008, the fair held its first and only edition in Lima and then traveled through the interior of Peru and made way for the now defunct Mistura fair in the capital. That is why its return is so special, as it will once again bring together the best of national cuisine in one place.

“Peru, nice to meet you” In its Lima edition, it will have the total participation of 82 exhibitors. Among them 30 restaurants that will allow diners to take a trip throughout the country through dishes such as spicy puca (Ayacucho), ribs (Cusco), cuchikanka with chuñupasi (Huancavelica), shambar (La Libertad), rice with duck (Lambayeque), patarashca with tucupí (Loreto), seafood charquicán (Tacna), inchicapi (Ucayali), pachamanca (Huanúco), among others.

The 25 regions of the country will be present at the event, which will also have stands for desserts, natural drinks, products, crafts and tour operators, since the main objective of the event is to promote domestic tourism. “In all the fairs we seek to unite the approaches of gastronomy and tourism, because gastronomy is today a powerful travel mobilizer; “People visit places taking into account the gastronomic offer that a region has,” explains Angélica Matsuda, executive president of PROMPERÚ, the organizing entity of the fair.

“Over 15 years, ‘Peru, nice to meet you‘Managed to position itself mainly in the border cities of Tumbes and Tacna to generate a flow of foreign tourists from Ecuador and Chile, respectively,’ highlighted Matsuda, who believes that the return to Lima will be a vital driver of domestic tourism. “This 24th edition of the fair aims to motivate and generate travel flow from Lima to the other regions of the country through gastronomy, considering that the capital city is the main source market for national tourists and that the gastronomic offer is a decisive factor in the organization of trips,” added the PROMPERÚ spokesperson.

News 2023

Although there will be restaurants serving seafood, Amazonian, country, grilled, and fusion food (as well as desserts and drinks), this Lima edition of “Perú, mucho gusto” will give greater prominence to the spicy restaurants, so four women who are representatives of these cuisines in different regions of Peru will be recognized: Doña Benita Quicaño (La Benita, Arequipa), Doña Gladis Ballón (La Lucila, Arequipa), Doña Juana Zunini (El Cántaro, Lambayeque) and Doña Rosmery Melendez (La Nueva Chomba, Cusco).

In addition, within the program there will be spaces for the live preparation of classic dishes of national cuisine, by prominent chefs such as Fransua Robles, Betsi Albornoz, Israel Laura, Arlette Euler, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and Dante Cossio (barista), and outstanding figures of gastronomy in the regions of Peru, such as Blanca Pérez (Ucayali), Garhy Nogueira (Loreto), Rocío Orihuela (Áncash), Benita Quicaño (Arequipa), Agustín Jordán (Lambayeque) and Richard Flores (Puno).

Ecological message

Upon its return to Lima, the fair will also have a message of environmental conservation. In this edition, there will be a service for the collection and processing of solid waste generated at the event and a ban on the use of plastic bags, plates and cutlery. And also, in coordination with MINAM, the “Recycle Now” campaign will be implemented to promote environmentally friendly behavior on the part of citizens.

“At PROMPERÚ, we have a firm commitment to implement and improve sustainability practices, therefore, the fair will be offsetting the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated in order to support the fight against climate change. After knowing the carbon footprint of the event, it will be neutralized in a reforestation and conservation project in the Peruvian jungle,” explained Matsuda, who said that this year

“Perú, mucho gusto” will obtain the Carbon Neutral Event certification.

This edition of Lima will be the third “Perú, mucho gusto” fair that will take place in 2023. Previously, they were in Tumbes (in August) and in Tacna (in September). In Lima, an attendance of 40 thousand people is expected during the 3 days that the event will last. The “Perú, mucho gusto” fairs demand considerable logistics. Your organization is worked on at least 10 months in advance. An effort that is reflected in each of its editions. Do you dare to go?

Where to eat

These are some of the main participating restaurants in “Perú, mucho gusto” – Lima, 2023: