Kefta!
Warak Dawali!
Hummus!
Tabouli!
The land where rivers flow with goat milk and garlic cloves are a popular pre-date breath-freshener.
Replacing the nutritional mecca of my youth seemed impossible to beat, but deep down, I nourished hope that something tasty could come out of Chimbote.
My first week at the mission La Parroquia de Perpetuo Socorro did throw a speed bump at my meeting with Peruvian food. Since I first arrived with a missionary group from various churches in the Minnesota/Fargo area, all the kitchen staff wanted to do (and wonderfully they did of course) was make us feel at home with dishes like spaghetti, pizza, and BBQ chicken. And why complain? I mean. How can you say no to the goods of your hood? But yes. The inevitable occurred. The group left and the transition began. And my 15 new pounds can tell you the rest.
Before Picture
After Picture
Well, you can't really tell with this picture... but it did happen.
In all honesty, learning about and trying Peruvian food has been a humbling experience. A culture with many crossroads over the years has created a gastronomical diversity so immense that my taste buds are simply on overload. Although the journey still continues, I can account for wonderful experiences with the following dishes:
Pachamanca.
Look at the plethora of those ingredients
And after stuffing them in the ground with a bunch of burning rocks, you get a plate that looks like this!
Benjamin Franklin did deem God a good God for creating beer but if He is so good, why give us such small stomachs? Tinges of ecstasy in a temporal existence...true pity. Speaking of ecstasy..I do recommend Ceviche. Just down below!
and of course, you must order the Parihuela to wash it down with. 
The journey has been brief...but at least we figure...this Lebo is being taken care of. Until next time. Volunteer: Charles (Carlos) Ashou
