Our 2018 South American adventure to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu included an abundance of memorable stops. On the way to the Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection Hotel, we had a leisurely multi-course lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari. The meal was hosted by the Lambarri Orihuela Family.
HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI
For approximately a century, The Lámbarri Orihuela family has lived at, worked on, and cared for Hacienda Huayoccari. Ana María Barberis Alosilla and her husband Jose Ignacio Lambarri Orihuela began greeting guests around 25 years ago. They opened their home so visitors could enjoy their stunning landscape, noteworthy art, and regional food mostly harvested in Huayoccari. Following local traditions, their impressive home was built on a hill. This allowed lands closest to the river to remain open for cultivation.
Before eating, we admired the flower-filled patio, a terrace with native orchids, and an interior decorated with oil painting, sculpture, and works of folk art. This exceptional art collection, representing artwork from the Cusco region, was started by Don José and continued by his descendants. Seventeenth and eighteenth-century colonial paintings, from the Cusco School, are part of this notable collection.
Our small Celebrity Cruises land excursion group from a Galapagos Island sailing was treated to a traditional Peruvian buffet in a dining room where large windows faced the garden and offered outstanding views of Urquillos and the Sacred Valley. Everyone enjoyed family-style dishes served in chafing dishes. Like many of our fellow travelers, we tasted unfamiliar foods. One of the dessert selections was a sweet dessert called volador.
When I started my Chefs and Recipes series, I reached out to places that The Traveling Bornsteins had visited during their worldwide travels. The pandemic caused many South American restaurants to close. Hacienda Huayoccari responded and forwarded this recipe.
It is fitting that the family would share a recipe including white corn. According to the restaurant, “White corn — tender and rich in carbohydrates and easy to store and transport— was the specialty of the region and central to the development of the Inca Empire. Sara Lawa is a typical dish from Cusco made of giant white corn that is the principal product of the Sacred Valley and has been cultivated for generations in the Hacienda Huayoccari.”
*Lawa and *Sara are Quechua words that translate to typical soup in South Andes and corn respectively.
INGREDIENTS FOR HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI’S SARA LAWA RECIPE
- 1 SPOONFUL PERUVIAN GROUND YELLOW PEPPER
- 2 CUPS OF FRESH WHITE CORN
- 2 CUPS OF VEGETABLE BROTH
- 1 CUP OF FINELY CHOPPED ONION
- 1 CLOVE OF GARLIC
- 1 SPOONS OF OIL
- 1 CUP OF “HUACATAY”
- 1⁄2 CUP OF PARSLEY
- 200 GR. OF FRESH CHEESE CUTTED IN SMALL PIECES
- 3 EGGS
- SALT PEPPER TO TASTE.
STEPS FOR PREPARING HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI’S SARA LAWA RECIPE
- LIQUIFY 1 CUP OF WATER WITH CORN GRAINS AND LEAVES OF “HUACATAY”, PARSLEY, RUE, AND THEN STRAIN.
- FRY ONIONS AND GARLIC UNTIL ONION IS CRYSTALLINE.
- ADD LIQUEFIED YELLOW PEPPER, SALT, AND PEPPER, COOK FOR 5 MINUTES.
- ADD THE VEGETABLE BROTH AND THE MIXTURE OF THE FIRST STEP TO THE BROTH.
- COOK IT AND STIR UNTIL IT REACHES A THICK CONSISTENCY.
- BEAT THE EGGS AND ADD THEM TO THE SOUP WITH SMALL CHEESE PIECES, WHILE YOU BEAT THE SOUP.
- SERVE.
Their secret is to harvest corn the same day they prepare the soup.
Chef Ann Maria Barberis Alosilla’s Helpful Tip
If you don ́t have giant white corn and “Huacatay” you can use other kinds of corn and aromatics herbs, respectively.
DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?
IF SO, PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Tag @thetravelingbornsteins on Instagram and hashtag it #toppickrecipe
BIO
When Sandy isn’t trekking or writing in Colorado, she is traveling. She has visited more than 40 countries and lived as an international teacher in Bangalore, India. Sandy’s award-winning book, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life, is a resource for people contemplating an ex-pat lifestyle and living outside their comfort zone.
Sandy’s lifestyle and travel experiences are frequently shared with international and domestic online sites and print media. She has contributed stories to Hemispheres, Destinations Magazine, KUHL’s Born in the Mountain blog, Grand Magazine, Wandering Educators, Golden Living, AARP, Hadassah magazine, Localliz, One Travel, Miles Away, Canadian Jewish News, Getting On Travel, Far and Wide, Colorado Parent, Traveler Confidential, Family Circle- Momster, and others.
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