VUE

Most travelers who visit Cusco start in Peru's thriving capital, Lima. e city has just as much history as its more famous counterparts in the Andes and an even wider variety of food, transportation, and culture. Civilizations in Lima date back 2,000 years before the Spanish arrival. In 1535, two years aer Pizzarro colonized Cusco, he and his fleet of Spanish soldiers declared Lima a new capital city due to its proximity to the ocean and ease of facilitating communication to Europe. e city was growing rapidly until an earthquake devastated the then up-and- coming city in 1746. Lima struggled to grow in population from the 1600s to the 1800s. Finally, aer about 10 years of battles against the Spanish and some assistance from the famed military and political leader, Simón Bolívar, Peru declared independence in 1821. From the mid- 1800s to the early 20th century Japanese and Chinese migrants replaced African slave labor. Fast forward to the Peruvian Civil War in the 1980s, ending in 2003, this turbulent time caused natives and locals from surrounding towns to leave their homes and the population in Lima skyrocketed. Between the years 1970 and 2000, the population nearly doubled from approximately 13 million to 26 million residents. From the ashes of Spanish liberation and the Peruvian Civil War rose the food culture Lima is known for today. e city is booming in many industries like marketing and tech but its biggest industry is culinary. With over 80,000 students currently in culinary school, the future of food culture in Lima will not be slowing down anytime soon. Truly a melting pot, Lima's cuisine is heavily influenced by Asian, Native, and European culture. Lima V U E N J . C O M 131

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