This remarkable video was produced by the Peruvian tourism commission (PromPeru) to promote the uniqueness of Peruvian culture abroad. In the video, a group of Peruvian celebrities (chefs, authors, surfing champions, musicians, dancers, and comedians) bring the best of Peruvian culture to the very small town of Peru, Nebraska. As they arrive in their big red tour bus, the Peruvians explain their mission: to show these fellow "Peruvians" (residents of Peru, Nebraska) just what it means to be Peruvian (ser Peruano).
After disembarking from the bus (with Gaston Acurio at the helm), the Peruvian chefs kick things off by grabbing megaphones and shouting "You are Peruvian and therefore have the right to eat delicious food!" They promptly produce a feast of classic Peruvian dishes, including causa, papa a la huancaina, yuca frita, and papa rellena. They pass around Inka Cola and chicha morada, and swap out the diner's ketchup and mustard bottles for terra cotta bowls of aji sauce. Later, famous chef Javier Wong makes fresh ceviche for the crowd (how could they know what a privilege that is?), and at night, "Tia" Sofia Mulanovich (a world champion surfer), passes out anticuchos on the street, while fellow surfer Gabriel Villaran sells helados de lucuma (lucuma popsicles). They convince the sheriff to trade in his doughnuts for picarones. They prepare a pachamanca in a back yard of a local family, and share plenty of pisco with everyone.
They don't stop with food, however - the Peruvian ambassadors find many ways to insert their culture into this sleepy town. They sneak books of Peruvian poetry and the famous Nicolini cookbook into the college library. They invade a local line dancing honky tonk with their cajon musicians and festejo dancers (from Peru Negro Dance Company). They put night club posters all over town (in that unique South American style of placing 20 posters in the same spot) and teach the locals to dance huayno. They parade a llama in full Cusquenan regalia down main street, and bring a Peruvian hairless dog for everyone to pet and admire.Best of all, while the famous Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flores sings over the radio, a tractor carves a replica of the Nazca lines into a local farm field.
When all is said and done, the Peruvians have won over the initially skeptical habitants of Peru, Nebraska and everyone who sees the video will doubtless be won over as well. I highly, highly recommend it!