Andean meals on wheels

Today’s post is about the art of creating a menu, in this case in rather specific conditions : catering for the Hiram Bingham train.

For more information on the making of Hiram Bingham : Hiram Bingham, making of

As an appetizer, here is what the gastronomic voyage looks like…. :

8:00 AM – Departure from Cusco to the Poroy Train Station

8:30 AM – Hiram Bingham train’s departure from Poroy Station to Aguas Calientes.
• Welcome drink offered at the train station.

• Brunch on Hiram Bingham

Glass of Sparkling Wine

1:00 PM – Arrival at Machu Picchu

Visit of the Citadel

4.30 PM – Afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge (a well earnt, delicious, sweet moment…)

6:00 PM – Hiram Bingham train’s departure fromAguas Calientes Machu Picchu to Cusco, Poroy Station
• Aperitif – Pisco Sour

• Dinner on the Hiram Bingham train

A few rules apply when it comes to creating menus, but the first important question to ask yourself is : who will be my customer?

Although it sounds easy and quite logical, I have witnessed many examples in which the items on the menu reflected the chef’s tastes rather than the customer’s… to be avoided!

Knowing your customers’ demographics is also crucial : age range, nationality, sex, etc… and also the purpose of their visiting your establishment (business, leisure, cultural…).

The number of guests also is an determinant factor : are you preparing for a large banquet, or a la carte?

Taking all the above into consideration, the menu will be built in accordance with the availibility of products! To get your hands on tomatoes can be challenging if your hotel or restaurant is located in Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesian archipelago… if you have missed the boat’s shipment on Tuesday, then you will have to wait until next week…

Isn’t she lovely?

Seasonality, as well as what is currently referred to as”locavorism” (The practice of eating food that is produced locally -nothing further than 200kms away-) is also key in today’s menu design.

Food businesses located in remote areas need to take extra care to consider the availability of fresh food and transportation costs.
Good food knowledge is an essential part of menu planning. A planner needs to be familiar with:
▪ The variety of food products available
▪ The differing quality characteristics of food
▪ The seasonal availability of food
▪ Suitable food suppliers
▪ How food is best packaged, transported, stored and preserved

Bon appétit!

On the Hiram Bingham menu, Andean smoked trout, alpaca were found, which are typical products originating from the region.

Alpaca meat – very tasty and lean

Local fruits and vegetables, such as Huayro potato (one the thousands of varieties found in Peru) and the extraordinary lucuma, which only grows in the Andes, were also featured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouteria_lucuma

Lucuma plants

Bearing in mind that most of the train’s clientele is from North America, of an average age range between 55 and 60 years old, the menus had to contain familiar ingredients too.

It’s all very well to discover new flavors, but in gastronomy -as in most aspects of life-, human beings tend to stick to what they know… reassuring civilizational link I guess, especially when you are wandering in unknown lands…

Railway being the only path between Cusco and the little town of Aguascalientes, located a few kilometers beneath the Machu Picchu site…hotels and restaurants have to carefully plan their storage capacity, so they are able withstand a few days shortage of supply, just in case…

The day after…

Landslides are quite frequent, and can literally shut down the village from the rest of the world…until the railway is repaired, that can take days if not weeks !

Hasta la proxima semana 🙂