Hungry Globetrotter Inca Trail Tastes Dinner Unboxing!

I was sent an AWESOME box from the AWESOME people over at Hungry Globetrotter to review for my AWESOME readers! Yeah, it's that awesome. For those of you who don't know, Hungry Globetrotter is a subscription service that will send you sauces and spices to make the special dish of the month! The dishes aren't ordinary dishes, they're from all around the world! You get to try food you normally never would have! You of course would have to provide the fruits/vegetables/meat that the recipe calls for only because they want it to be the FRESHEST dish possible! The price is $34.99/month for a quarterly subscription. This means you're charged $34.99 4 times a year, and you'll receive 4 different boxes. You can also purchase a 1 time Curator's Choice gift box for $34.95 where they select one box from their list of meals and send it to you for a surprise treat! This is an awesome service that allows your taste buds to travel the world!

This is my wonderful box! The box I received was the Inca Trail Tastes Dinner! The dish consists of Peruvian Roast Chicken with Spiced Kaniwa!

This is the card that tells of all the items inside and gives a little background on the place in which the dish comes from, in this case, it's about Peru!

These are the recipe cards! There are two that are posted on both back and front! It includes the grocery list (which is added ingredients need to make this dish), the meal prep and strategy tips, how to make the chicken, how to make the Kaniwa, and an optional Aji Mayo recipe :)

Now lets get into the items! :)

The first item is a 1lb bag of Kaniwa Grain! I've never heard of this item before, obviously until I got this box! According to the packaging, it's a gluten free Andean Heritage Grain from Peru! This product has a Rooted Foods stamp meaning that it's an authentic, native food that is created by small, community based producers, which is fantastic! This company (Zocalo Gourmet) helps our small producers in Latin America which in turn helps strengthen the social, environment and economic fiber of the place in which the food has come from which is amazing! This is a GOOD company, and I'm happy to have them in my box.

Back to the product, this is a species of goosefoot which is closely related to quinoa! Quinoa has been a HUGE thing this year, and this (Kaniwa) supposedly will be bigger! According to the box:

"Kaniwa is a protein powerhouse, providing a fully balanced meal when paired with vegetables. It has a wonderful crunchy texture and a satisfying earthy flavor that works well as a base for fish, in stir fries and soups, and even served cold in salads. It is especially tasty friend up as leftovers the next day!"

I'm very excited reading this and learning of all the ways this food can be prepared. I haven't tried quinoa before, but I've only heard good things about it! The card that came with this box reads:

"Kaniwa Whole Grain: Grown only in the Andes, Kaniwa is the smaller but smarter cousin of quinoa. The high altitudes of Peru can be harsh on crops, and staple grains like wheat or corn have a tough time. But kaniwa thrives in the cold, mountainous regions. Packed with protein, zinc, iron and calcium, tiny kaniwa is crunchier and a little less fluffy than quinoa but still has that great, earthy flavor that pairs so well with fish and soups. Kaniwa is simple to prepare- three cups of water for every cup of kaniwa and let it simmer on the stove for 30-40 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. Try this superfood before everyone else jumps on the kaniwa bandwagon!"

I'm very curious to see how these little muscle men (or women ;)) absorb all the water! These things are TINY and I'm shocked at the amount of things they pack in their little bodies!

You can purchase this package on tienda.com for $22! That was the only place I could find that sold it online! :)

The next item I got was this 8 oz jar of Costa Peruana Organic Aju Amarillo Chili Paste! Woo! Another mouth full! This is from the same awesome company as the Kaniwa, which is Zocalo Gourmet! This is a certified product of Peru, which is amazing. As shown on the front of the jar, the Aji Amarillo is one of the most important native chilis of Peru and is a core ingredient in many traditional dishes!  This paste has 100% organic amarillo chili and citric acid, it contains no artificial colors or flavors. It is free of soy, wheat, gluten and dairy, and is Non-GMO! As it reads on the side of the jar:

"At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Incas cultivated almost as many species of plants as the farmers of all Asia or Europe. Since 1986, the Topara Organica farm has promoted the cultivation of these native species, the vibrancy of local communities, and the protection of the environment."

I really love that it gives a little history lesson on it, one that I never knew! It also has suggested uses for the paste saying it could be used as a base combined with sauteed onions, garlic and herbs; used for sauces to flavor chicken, meat, fish, pasta and rices! It has a heat level of 6! I'm very excited to try this, I'm a heat seaker, so I should very much enjoy this! :) From the information card:

"Zocalo Aju Amarillo Paste: Aji is the pepper that defines Peruvian cuisine and Aji Amarillo ('yellow chili') it's most popular variety. Unlike any pepper you've tried before, aji packs a little spice but brings an almost fruity sweetness to the table. And the best part? Aji is friends with just about everybody! The spicy sweet flavor makes it the perfect base for a sauce, but in Peru it is best known for how well it goes with chicken and meats. We've heard of aji dipping sauce and even aji burgers, so get creative and throw aji in the mix anytime."

Mmmm, Aji burgers! That'd be a nice kick! I'm going to go all out and make the optional "Aji Mayo" as well! Might as well go hard, huh? :)

You can purchase this on Hungry Globetrotter for $5.50 

Next is this 1.3 oz jar on Ground Oregano from Vanns Spices! This is a typical ground oregano, with no special background. The information card gives a little blurb about it though (although this isn't the Spicely brand, it's still the same I would assume):

"Spicely Organic Oregano: Oregano needs no introduction but you'll find that Spicely's oregano has a stronger flavor than standard grocery store fare. Most associate oregano with Mediterranean cuisine but it's used widely in Latin and South American cooking as well. We love that fusion of Old and New World. The origin of the word "oregano" is still up for some debate. Some believe it was derived from a North African term while others note its roots in ancient Greek, where it may have originally come from words meaning 'delight in the mountain.'" 

I love that it gives a background on the word Oregano! So neat! This has a wonderful smell :)

You can purchase this jar on Hungry Globetrotter for $5.50 

The last item is this 0.6 oz package of Organic Ground Cumin by Spicely Organic Spices! This cumin is all natural, salt free, non-GMO, no MSG, no artificial coloring, no preservatives, no sugar, no peanuts, soybeans, milk, eggs, fish, crustacea, tree nuts and wheat or derivatives! This is produced from only whole herbs and spices! Nothing more, nothing less :) That's a product I love! From the card:

"Spicely Organic Ground Cumin: Cumin has a deep, warm and unforgettable flavor with a scent that will bring you from the Middle East to India with one whiff. In Morocco, cumin is a tabletop condiment but in South America, it is primarily used with chicken dishes where it pairs beautifully with oregano and black pepper!"

You can purchase this on Hungry Globetrotter for $3.00 

 

The information card states a few different facts about the meal and the background of the meal. Here's what it has to say:

"Peruvian Roast Chicken with Spiced Kaniwa: It may not be as well known as its meatier Brazilian neighbor but Peruvian cuisine is the quiet rock star of South America.

As the home to an incredibly diverse set of ethnic groups and a magnet for waves of Asian immigration, Peru blends ancient grains with Japanese and Chinese zest to produce wonderfully distinct flavors.

Perhaps above all else, modern Peruvian cuisine is noted for its experimentation as chefs plumb the techniques of indigenous peoples and add flavors that highlight Peru's personality."

 

"The Diverse Food Culture of Peru: In the coastal regions, fish and corn dishes dominate indigenous cooking.

In the mountains, the weather is too taxing for most crops, so heartier grains like quinoa and kaniwa power Peruvians through long winters.

Peru is also the place of origin of the potato. The ancient Incas had hundreds of potatoes of various shapes and colors.

The Aji pepper, native to both Peru and Bolivia, is used widely in Peruvian cooking to add depth and spice that excites the palate but doesn't overwhelm it.

A variety of delicious chilies, onions, sweet potatoes and beans like the Lima bean, which is named after the capital of Peru, round out the typical meal."

It's so weird to see their typical meal compared to ours...

"Pollo a la Brasa: No ordinary roast chicken, pollo a la brasa is packed with delicious flavor. It's typically cooked in a rotisserie and over coals, but we've figured out how you can enjoy it using your oven. It is also frequently eaten with French fries in Peru (home of the potato!), but we have a healthier alternative to the fried stuff in the form of kaniwa."

"Vegetarian Lomo Saltado Alternative Meal: Lomo saltado is a sauteed dish made with sirloin and usually served over rice. For a vegetarian substitute for our roast chicken dish, make a version of lomo saltado with slices of tofu stir-friend with spices and aji chili paste."

I really enjoy that it gives you alternatives for the people who are vegetarians. Personally, I'm not, but I do know people who are that would love this! :)

Lastly,

"Pairings: A crisp pilsner style beer would be perfect with this chicken dinner. A white wine like Pinot Gris or a spicy red wine like Shiraz would also be delicious."

We're not alcohol drinkers here, we have a few drinks here or there, but not enough to pair it with meals and have it affect it, so we will be skipping the pairing part.

 

Overall I really love this box, and I think that it's awesome they give you some history of everything in the box as well as the place the dish is from! I don't think this is a box you can really add a price up to, because it's more about the experience than the price of the contents in the box. Unfortunately I haven't been able to cook my dish, I've been busy with my mom's birthday, but I hopefully will be doing it this weekend, so be sure to stick around for the post! :)

A huge thank you to Hungry Globetrotter for this box! :)