Cacao & Custard Apple Smoothie Bowl with Cacao Quinoa Granola

This new smoothie bowl and granola recipe was inspired by a recent trip to Lima, Peru where I was lucky enough to experience Lima’s amazing food and culture. I thought I would highlight some of my favourite Peruvian ingredients; cacao, quinoa, maca, and custard apple (cherimoya). If you don’t have access to custard apple you can use pineapple instead - it’s just as delicious!

Lima is Peru’s culinary ‘hotspot’, not only for its amazing and fascinating local cuisine, food markets and festivals, but it’s also home to some of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, with ‘Central’ ranked 4th best restaurant in the world.
 

A visit to Central, Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía León’s restaurant, was definitely a highlight of the trip and had been on my restaurant bucket list for some time. It was divine!! The food, the staff, and the ceramics - so beautiful. We were also privileged to spend some time watching Virgilio and his team at work in the kitchen, then after lunch, he took us on a tour of their research area, edible garden, and a sneak peek into his future plans and new ventures in Peru. If you’re ever in Lima, Central restaurant is a must visit.
 

Another highlight was ‘Mistura’, a huge food festival in Lima which was celebrating its 10 year anniversary. There we explored countless food stalls with classic and authentic Peruvian food - including ceviche, quinoa milk ice-cream, fresh local produce, coffee, and locally made chocolate.

Peru’s ecosystem, agriculture and nutrient-rich soil make it the perfect location for growing food. Some of the ‘superfoods’ we hear a lot of these days are all local to Peru - Quinoa, Maca, Lucuma, Camu Camu, Cacao, as well as our beloved coffee beans and cacao/chocolate. Many of the worlds best coffee beans and cacao beans are grown and produced in Peru and also a vast variety of delicious fruit and vegetables - including my favourite, custard apple (cherimoya). There are over 4200 varieties of potatoes grown in Peru and more than 50 varieties of corn - crazy! At Central restaurant, they can use up to 400 varieties of potatoes a week, from the main feature of a dish, to thickeners, to crackers, to almost anything!
 

Speciality coffee is another exciting and growing scene in Lima with access to some of the finest beans produced right on their doorstep. The cafe scene is brewing some delicious coffee and single origin brews and their beans can be traced right back to the region and farmer where they were grown.

Thanks to PromPERU for having me, I had an amazing time! If you’re planning a visit to Lima here are a few of my favourite spots:

Central
Astrid & Gaston
Maido
El Taller Chocolatier
Neira Cafe Lab
 

Enjoy the recipe!