In conversation last night, I discovered that two of my best friends, one Peruvian and one North American, were not familiar with the word "huarique," or at least not familiar with it in the way I have always heard it and used it. Literally, I think it translates to "hiding place," or more appropriately "hidden away place." It is generally used to refer to little "hole in the wall" restaurants, hidden away places that you might not know about unless a friend told you about them. Or you might "discover" one while walking down the sidewalk, but would probably never find it written up in the restaurant reviews. Of course sometimes they do get written up in the reviews, which often can change their character forever.
On his website for his first restaurant in Europe (in Madrid), famous Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio tells us that a huarique is a place you just discover on your own and that you only tell your close friends about it.
According to Food Tour Perú, a huarique is a place where traditional cooking secrets have been passed down by mothers and grandmothers, a place where you are served by the owner and where the food is simple but flavorful.
But the best definition of the huarique that I have found is this one: "small and not so fancy places but with a charming atmosphere and most important: tasty food."
While of course it's now tempting to make a list of my favorite huariques, I'll leave that for another day perhaps. After all, in accordance of the true meaning of the word, I can only reveal them to the closest of friends. But of course the readers of this blog will find them peppered throughout, as we eat our way across the city!
