The Chifa: Peruvian-Chinese Fusion

Lima alone boasts 5,000+ Peruvian-Chinese restaurants, so wherever you stay during your visit to Peru, there's a chifa nearby! Learn about the history & offerings of this unique cuisine here.

The term chifa refers to the Peruvian version of Chinese food. The name dates back to the 1930s and has Cantonese roots, as it comes from the union of chi and faan, eat and rice. In fact, the main influence of Peruvian-Chinese food overall is Cantonese as well.

Chinese immigrants began arriving in Peru around 1849, having signed 8-year indentured servant agreements back in Macau. The state paid the intermediaries for the workers, who lived in slave-like conditions. Upon achieving their independence, many cúlies (not unlike the English-language term also used during this epoch: coolies) set up eateries offering Chinese-inspired dishes adapted to local ingredients.

In today’s chifas, there is much that you’ll recognize, including fried wonton and wonton soup, spring roll, fried rice (chaufa), and lo mein (tallarín saltado, although non-Asian noodles are often used in the cheapest establishments). Most of the sweet stir-fry sauces are either tamarind- or pineapple-based.

Other dishes are more specific to Peru. These include garlic guinea pig stir-fry (cuy al ajo), stuffed chicken fritters in a soy-based stir-fry sauce (pollo enrollado), beef tenderloin stir-fry with potatoes (lomo saltado).

One singular dish is the 90’s aeropuerto, meaning airport. This is a mix of fried rice and lo mein that was often sold to travelers by street venders positioned just across the street from Lima’s airport.

Both chifa and the broaster (wood-fire rotisserie chicken) joints offer a very common combination dish that is often the cheapest item on offer: fried rice with chicken and fries. It’s not exotic, but Peruvian rotisserie chicken should be on your must-try list anyway- the soy sauce marinade gives it an unbeatable smoky flavor.

You can find chifas at all price levels, from neighborhood dives to elegant Chinatown (barrio chino) establishments along Calle Capón. It’s been estimated and oft-reported that Lima alone boasts some 5,000 chifas, so wherever you stay during your visit to Peru, you can rest assured that there is a chifa nearby!

(Wondering what Chinese-influenced Peruvian dish you can sample at Pirwa Restaurant while in Cusco? Stir-fried alpaca or stir-fried beef tenderloin!)

Fecha de Publicación: 12/09/2014