Quinoa, ceviche and Chinese fusion on menu as Peru hosts Biden, Xi

By Marco Aquino

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru is hoping its famous cuisine will live up to its reputation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, serving world leaders its iconic ceviche, quinoa and Chinese fusion dishes.

Peruvian cuisine is a source of national pride, highlighting local ingredients like corn, thousands of varieties of potatoes, kiwicha and a range of fruits, blended with aspects of its culture.

"Our gastronomy was born 5,000 years ago, first from a fusion with the arrival of the Spanish and then Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Arab migration," said Sylvia Dalmao, in charge of catering and dinner for the two-day summit ending on Friday whose attendees include U.S. President Joe Biden.

A variety of tasting menus, including vegetarian and Halal options, will be offered, organizers said. As chefs prepare for the closing dinner, they are also cooking up gastronomic delights for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte's bilateral dinners with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei.

SACRED GRAIN AND CHIFAS

Chef Raul Manrique has concocted a special quinoa salad for the summit, using the sacred grain of the Incas that is now recognized as a superfood with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Apart from the summit, Lima also offers a wide range of eateries that include some of the world's top-ranked restaurants and popular "chifas," which serve Peruvian-Chinese dishes.

Lima's Chinatown, decorated with red paper balloons, dragons and multicolored walls, is a monument to Chinese migrants who started arriving in the mid-19th century and made rice a Peruvian staple.

"Peruvians now love the rice brought by the Chinese," said Luis Yong, a doctor and well-known chef who owns the chifa San Joy Lao in Lima's Chinatown, which first opened its doors in 1920.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Alexander Villegas and Richard Chang)