Superfoods may be a new buzzword in the northern hemisphere, but Peru has long embraced native plants that give us superfoods. The Peruvian government has several initiatives to promote the use and export of superfoods.

Many superfoods come from the Peruvian Amazon but just as many come from the Andes Mountains. These foods have high nutritional values in vitamins, minerals and protein. Chirimoya (above) is one of many such fruits.

Quinoa is the most common Peruvian superfood export but there are dozens more. My favorites are an Amazonian fruit called lúcuma, aguaymanto (often called golden berry in English) and tarwi, which is a domesticated version of lupine flower seeds. Tarwi is great as an ingredient in salads (above).

The most unique superfood is called cushuro. It’s an algae that grows in high altitude, freshwater lakes. If you buy it fresh, at the market it will look like dark green fish eggs. If you buy it dried it has more protein than quinoa and more iron than lentils. Cicciolina uses it as garnish on their tiradito (above).