Watch the first episode of the Uncharted series, which brought the world-famous chef to the Cusco in Peru, where his team recorded spectacular images.
Visited local markets and he lived with native families who taught him how to cook the Andean style and they shared with him some of their millennia-old products and cuisine.
Visiting Cusco
For this recording of the first episode of the tv program Gordon Ramsay, the famous chef moved in early August 2019 near to The Sacred Valley of the Incas to know and learn, at the same time, publicize through his program the gastronomic culture of that Cusco region.
Chef Gordon Ramsay is known for his explosive character and for being very demanding in the cuisine, but when he arrived in Cusco and tasted the different dishes and ingredients of the local cuisine, he did not hesitate to recognize the quality of them and describe the Peruvian fruits as “extraordinary”.
Cooking the food with Peruvian ingredients
Likewise, the chef visited the markets and lived with native families of the area who taught him to cook in the Andean style and shared with him some of his millennial products and gastronomy.
The National Geographic magazine, in an interview on its website, pointed out that that Andean region, more than 500 years ago, was the heart of the Inca Empire.
Today, things have changed, but their ecosystem and biodiversity remain the same, allowing local farmers to follow the path charted by the Incas at 3,352 meters above sea level, making oxygen scarce and everything variable, from the temperature at which the water boils to the flavor of the products, he says.
The traditions of Andean gastronomy are long-standing because they have managed to develop for centuries in a specific environment.
While urban or urban societies advance in a certain way, the traditional ingredients and practices of Andean cuisine are still an integral part of people in the highlands of the Andes.
Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez and chef Gordon Ramsay using the local techniques to prepare the local dish.
Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez, winner of Michelin stars and who also participated in the first chapter of this series, points out that “the food here is very pure. We don’t have to say that something is organic because everything is.”
Visiting the Andean Communities in Cusco
The Andean communities that live in these regions are experts who know the ancient ingredients and ancient gastronomic practices that they have preserved and thus have not allowed it to be lost in time.
Peru has more than 4000 varieties of native potatoes, and this is thanks to the ancient wisdom of these communities, knowledge they inherited from their ancestors who were the first to cultivate this tuber.
Different potatoes that grow in the Peruvian Andes.
What did Gordon Ramsay cook in Cusco?
The Chef Gordon Ramsay cooked Huatia using this ancient product in a dirt oven, as was done in the Inca era, and outdoors; he also used an Andean mortar, which is used to grind the products.
In this episode, the aim of the series “Gordon Ramsay: Extreme Flavors” was to highlight the cooking methods and the Andean ingredients, says the famous chef.
Huatia, local technique how to cook some products in Peru.
Chef Gordon Ramsay cooked huatia using a dirt oven, just like the Incas did. The series was produced by National Geographic It premiered in July 2019 via its platform.
Photo: Good Morning America
Simply put, you need to see with your eyes the photos and videos what they got during they recording in Cusco.
Hike on the Ausangate Trek 2 Days and be amazed with its stunning high-altitude landscapes, which combine scenic beauty, cultural experience, and wildlife.
