Cusco: what is served in the famous hotel in Urubamba where Gianluca Lapadula stayed?

From muña or coca teas that strengthen our soul, through huatias or pachamancas that make us reconnect with our roots; to the most modern creations where technique and good use of ingredients are combined. The menu here is inexhaustible, and the hotels in the area have been able to take advantage of it with increasingly interesting and -above all- differentiated proposals.

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At the Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness this is the starting point for a varied offer, where the past meets the present through cuisine. Built on the banks of the Vilcanota River in what was an old colonial hacienda from the 17th century (the Yaravilca hacienda), the space with 115 rooms and impressive outdoor spaces has just renewed its list of culinary experiences, designed for local and foreign tourists. In general, the influx is 50-50 with a significant presence of Peruvian guests.

“Our gastronomic proposal is focused on valuing our local ingredients. We work with organic products such as native potatoes from Chinchero, vegetables from our own garden and from the gardens of Urubamba and Yucay; we use cacao brought from Quillabamba and the world famous corn from Huayllabamba; coarse salt from Maras, and so on,” explains Ralph Estrada Medina, a chef from Cusco who runs the kitchens of the Aranwa Valle Sagrado.

From the Pukawi restaurant (a Quechua word used to name the place where the food is going to be consumed), Estrada unleashes his inventiveness without giving up tradition. “We try to innovate using ancient techniques such as stone cooking, but always with modern touches so that our customers have unique experiences,” he continues. His menu has everything from saltados and pasta, to fresh tiraditos and cebiches; all made from scratch in the facilities of said space.

A few months ago, precisely, the hotel hosted an illustrious guest whose visit also represented a small culinary challenge: none other than Gianluca Lapadula, who shared a photo of the Aranwa gardens on Instagram. What did your diet consist of?

“Lapadula had a highly restricted diet, due to his status as an athlete, and he strictly complied with it. We knew about all this in advance and the hotel staff was informed”, says Estrada. The soccer player’s regimen basically consisted of a high-protein diet (grilled or grilled chicken and beef) with vegetables; coca tea, of course, was off the list. “His family was able to try more things,” adds the chef.

Picnics by the river, pizza night in the colonial kitchen, weddings, corporate events, pachamancas and huatias (with clods of earth, traditional style) are the order of the day here. The good news is that the hotel also offers the “full day” option to enjoy the facilities and the restaurant for the day only. The experiences can be customized to the taste and possibility of each visitor, whether it is a restrictive diet or a trip designed to taste every last grain of Cusco corn.

Next, Estrada shares a simple recipe with one of the most delicious and healthy products in the area: the generous trout.

Andean trout for 4 people

Ingredients:

• 800 g trout fillet
• 200 ml of milk cream
• 800 g of cooked native potatoes
• 200 g mushrooms or mushrooms
• 150 g Chinese onion
• 30 ml of white wine
• 200 g of Andean cheese
• 30g of butter
• A pinch of huacatay

Step 1

We prepare a sauce by placing the milk cream, the grated cheese and a little white wine in a pan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until consistency is obtained, and reserve.

Step 2

Season the trout fillet with salt and pepper and seal it in a frying pan until it is well browned. We booked.

Step 3

In a very hot frying pan, add butter, the cooked potatoes, the mushrooms, the Chinese onion (white part) and sauté for a few minutes until golden brown. We add white wine and a little chopped huacatay, and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Mounted

On a plate we serve the cheese sauce as a base. Then we place the sautéed potatoes with the mushrooms and the Chinese onion. Finally, we top with the sealed trout, and enjoy.

More information:

Web: https://aranwahotels.com/

Instagram: @aranwahotels