Preview: Mistura 2013

Mistura 2013, one of the culinary world’s most eagerly anticipated festivals, is amping up to hit Lima, Peru from September 6th through the 15th and as more details emerge it seems like this will be the biggest and busiest yet.

Organizers APEGA have found a new home for Mistura, relocating this massive celebration of Peru’s gastronomic and cultural diversity to the coast, the Costa Verde of Magdalena del Mar. Here, a short distance north of the popular Miraflores district, the festival will sprawl over two and a half kilometers of coastline; this new location is as much an attempt to spread out the massive crowds expected as to highlight this years’ theme – water and the sustainable use of Peru’s aquatic resources.

Peru’s explosion onto the world’s culinary scene is in a large part thanks to the ingenuity and talent of the country’s top chef-entrepreneurs like Gaston Acurio, but is built on an incredible biodiversity that stretches from the sea and rivers to the jungles and the high Andes. It is this diversity of raw products and the various gastronomic sub-cultures that grew up from them that Mistura’s organizers are showcasing with the 12 ‘worlds’ on offer at this year’s festival.

Next up, a look at the 12 worlds of Mistura…

Restaurants and food stalls will be divided up into the following 12 spaces:

Mundo de las Brasas: all things fire and coals. Here is where you can get your fill of grilled chicken, pork from the caja china or al palo (on a spit) and the pachamanca, meats, potatoes and corn cooked under the ground with hot stones. Year after year, these are the most popular stands, so come with patience.

Mundo de Tabernas y Bares: a chance to get into the world of pisco; this year, the focus is on introducing pisco in its pure form, highlighting the characteristics of the different varietals.

Mundo Chifa y Nikkei: the Chinese and Japanese influenced Peruvian food.

Mundo Amazónico: one of the most exciting sections, this section puts the spotlight on the Amazon. Watch out for the classics from Doña Elia of La Patarashca and something delicious from one of Lima’s top chefs, Pedro Schiaffino, and his new Amazonian restaurant, AmaZ.

Mundo Andino: the best of the Andean region.

Mundo Sureño: the best of the South, look out for treats from Arequipa.

Mundo Norteño: the best of the north coast

Mundo del Ceviche: the ceviches!

Mundo del Anticucho: beef heart kebabs, another of the festival’s favorites.

Mundo de los Sándwiches: succulent legs of pork and soft white bread rolls, nobody does sandwiches like these guys.

Mundo Limeño: home to the famous, El Rincón que no Conoces, and other stalwarts of local creole food. Don’t miss the sensational tamales from Tradición Barranquina de María Zuñiga.

Mundo de Líquidos: juices, chicha morada and ice-creams.

Next, more on Mistura and how you can get to the fest…

Besides these 12 worlds, there will be the main market where artisanal producers from all over Peru show off their wares and nearby, a separate world of bread, coffee, cacao and quinoa. This year there will also be 24 speakers, among which are Rene Redzepi, Albert Adriá, Alex Atala, Enrique Olvera, and Virgilio Martinez. For a full list, visit Mistura’s page here.

Another non-edible attraction is the aquarium, a 600m² modernist space which will show off some of Peru’s coastal treasures, and in the spirit of sustainability, there will be an exhibition showing how to prepare some of the more plentiful and underutilized species.

Details at a Glance:

Location: Costa Verde, Magdalena del Mar

Dates: 6 to 15 September 2013, Monday through Thursday 10 am to 10 pm, Friday to Sunday, 10 am to 11 pm

Tickets: Available online now at Teleticket.

Prices:   $7 until Aug. 18, $9 until Sept. 8, $5 Sept. 9 and Sept. 10; not including food or beverages.

Tips: Last year’s event saw over half a million visitors, and now in 2013, authorities are expecting one million visitors over the 10 days. Crowds and lines are going to be an issue. Get tickets while on sale, get there early, and walk (traffic will be challenging). And expect the discounted days (Sept. 9 and Sept. 10) to be the busiest.