Chaufa, Fried Rice, Claims Peruvian Palates Day and Night

Thursday, January 17th, 2013 at 12:30 pm 
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Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice) with Vegetables

Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice) with Vegetables

By Walter Coraza Morveli and Hebert Edgardo Huamani Jara (translated by David Knowlton)

Rice colorfully dressed in brown, due to black vinegar and soy sauce, along with sparkling vegetables make a festival of different colors and flavors, like a garden from above. From these comes Peru’s very popular arroz chaufa, or fried rice. Read the rest of this entry

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Chinese Food and Hubris in Cuzco

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at 12:42 pm 
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La China Menu

La China Menu

By David Knowlton

Overestimating one’s abilities is so common. In fact the ancient Greeks had a word for it, hubris. Nevertheless it is tragic when one finds a restaurant with charm and promise that yet falls into this trap. Such a place, unfortunately, is La China restaurant which promises fine Peruvian Chinese food and yet does not make the mark despite its evident charms. Read the rest of this entry

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A Culinary Revolution in Peru?

Monday, September 26th, 2011 at 10:56 am 
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Ceviche Mixto

Ceviche Mixto

By David Knowlton

In a recent interview, Fernan Adrià, the famous chef and creator of the great restaurant El Bulli, said he wanted to find out what was that something more that made Peruvian cuisine so unique. He came to Peru to be part of the annual gastronomic festival Mistura, held in Lima, visited the Pachacútec culinary Institute, and traveled to Iquitos and Cuzco as part of filming a documentary. Now back in Catalonia, Adriá received a phone call from food writer Catherine Contreras of Peru´s El Comercio newspaper which asked him if he had found an answer to his question. Read the rest of this entry

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A Romance of Chinese in Peru: Chifa

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 at 7:50 am 
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By David Knowlton

Chifa: Pork with Pineapple

Chifa: Pork with Pineapple

It’s a romantic, historical epic — worthy of Peruvian-born, internationally famous author Isabel Allende’s blockbuster novels.  But it is not fiction, it is history; in brief, a complex tale that really covers multiple continents and many characters.

Chinese coolies came to Peru as indentured servants, around 100,000 of them between 1849 and 1874; now their descendants including some of the most successful Peruvians have formed a Chinese community, refreshed with ongoing immigration, that is different from that of other countries.  And, they founded and maintain a cuisine that is as Peruvian as any in this diverse country, even though it carries a strong charge from its origin in Chinese culture and ingredients. Read the rest of this entry

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