Peru potatoes on 8 plates

RAISE your hand if you thought the humble potato originated from Ireland. "It's actually a common misconception," laughs Daniel Chavez, chef-owner of Spanish restaurant OLA Cocina Del Mar.

In fact, he says, the root vegetable actually comes from the Andean highlands native to Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Currently, more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes grow in that very area, in spite of the altitudes ranging from 3,500 to 4,200 metres that they are subjected to.

As a tribute to his own Peruvian heritage, chef Chavez will …