Fresh from the Farm

There are many assumptions on the part of Peruvians about how they view the United States. Some true, some funny, and some adopted from TV. It is our job as Peace Corps volunteers to abolish those stereotypes and teach Peruvians how the United States really is. Some examples of stereotypes are: everyone is white, everyone gets divorced (One of my teachers has mentioned Britney Spears as an example), everyone is rich, no one is racist (because we elected Obama), and everyone eats food out of cans. 

Now I would have to say that these stereotypes are drastically exaggerated, but the last one “everyone eats food out of cans” started me thinking. 

I love cooking and pride myself on cooking from scratch. But my version of cooking from scratch consists of using canned beans, jarred applesauce, frozen shrimp, etc.  My point is cooking from scratch in the United States is different from cooking from scratch in Peru, and there are reasons why that is. 

Here in the sierra of Peru, we don’t have a local supermarket to just pop on by if you forget one ingredient, instead we have a market. And instead of stopping on the fly, most people only go to the market on Sunday, market day. So during the week, we get by harvesting food from the fields: potatoes, beans, wheat, corn, and carrots. This means we eat seasonally, which may get boring, but I kind of like now. We are now in Habas season, which are huge lima beans. We also have an abundance of carrots, potatoes, and soon to be corn. Corn season is the awaited season year round, in which we get to enjoy humitas and mote. Then comes wheat, peas, lentils, and then it starts all over again. 

Obviously in the United States, time is money, so using some canned beans for a casserole will save you time from having to soak the beans overnight. Processed foods also give us the advantage of having something whenever we want. For example, frozen chicken or shrimp can be had whenever we want since it’s just sitting in the freezer. And not really wanting to get into it, but all that processed food is cheap, which is why penniless families choose cup-o-noodles instead of making fresh chicken noodles soup. They don’t have the time or the money to spend it on fresh produce.

For a long time, I would have said food in the states is healthier, since all I’ve been eating here is potatoes and rice. But, on the other hand, I’m eating less processed food. Instead of snacking on chip (which the closest store to buy them is 4 hours away), I snack on fruit. I’m also not consuming food that has been radiated (ex. Microwaved) or genetically modified in the lab (ex. Trans fat). I’m simply eating directly from the land.

So I would have to say that my food policy has changed a bit since coming to live in Peru. While it is more work and takes more time, I prefer eating closer to the land. That means eating seasonal foods, having my own garden, and eating less processed foods. But in the end, I’m happier for caring more about where my food comes from and in return, caring about my body’s health.