Peruvian cuisine to help draw visitors at Expo 2010

LIMA: Some 40,000 people of the millions expected to visit the Expo 2010 will stop by the Peruvian pavilion and sample the country's rich and diverse cuisine.

The number of visitors to the Peruvian pavilion was an estimate released on Monday by the Peruvian foreign ministry.

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The Expo 2010 will be held in Shanghai, China, between May 1 and October 31.

Peruvian cuisine, widely considered to be on a par with the French, Chinese and Indian cuisines, is one of the most diverse thanks to the country's pre-Inca and Inca heritages and to Spanish, African, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French and British immigrants.

There are more than 2,000 types of soups and 250 traditional desserts to choose from in Peru.

The Peruvian pavilion at the Shanghai Expo will be ready before April 19.

It will also showcase the country's pre-Columbian cultures, tourism attractions, products for non-traditional exports, and projects worthy of foreign investment.

According to organizers, the Expo 2010 is expected to draw exhibitors from 192 countries and regions and to attract upwards of 70 million visitors from across the world.