#chifa

Por qué? Porque tengo libre albedrío y no puedo dejar de pensar en ellos. (Próximamente les escribire su historia y pasaré el dibujo a digital)

Peruvian Inspired Chicken Stir Fry

Lomo saltado, a popular stir-fry that usually mixes sirloin strips that have been marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, and other spices, then stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, French fries, and other seasonings, served with rice, is the source of inspiration for my dish. The meal's origins are in Peruvian Chinese cuisine, or "Chifa heritage, the Chinese cuisine of Peru," despite the fact that it is now a fixture of popular culture.

“My weaknesses have always been food and men — in that order.”  -Dolly Parton

The last leg our of South American expedition was Peru! Naturally, our adventures took us from Lima to Cuzco down to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu where trout is always freshly caught from the river. There’s no stop that we wouldn’t make, and when it comes down to just buying from local street vendors, we’re down! Just to give you a walk through where our foodie adventures took us:

Inca Corn - The kernels are huge and the corn itself is meatier. It’s different from the sweet corn that we tend to grow back in the states and is great for frying or just adding some body in salads. We found this one in the archaeological town of Pisac where the surrounding views are terraces made during the Incan period and beautiful, colorful street vendors. You can either eat plain, with salt, or with the chile picante sauce that’s handmade by the vendor. 

Chicharron sandwich - Admittedly we stopped by a cafe to grab this sandwich because we were hungry. When we sliced into it, we thought that there was a thick piece of cheese, but in actuality it’s sweet potato! That sweet potato and the pickled onions were just the perfect cut for the fatty just very flavorful and beautiful cooked chicharron. The bread was perfectly toasted as well which made the sandwich all the more memorable. Eat that with a pisco sour and you’re set for lunch!

Churros stuffed with Custard - We found a tiny little local churro stand where the line of locals were definitely out the door. Naturally, we ducked in and got one of these which were more filling than bread... and it was delicious! It was a perfect snack to have when walking around Lima. 

Cuy - Aka guinea pig. It’s one of Peru’s delicacies. Depending on the region, cuy can be prepared differently. Those near the coast tend to deep fry their cuy whereas those in the Andean regions cook cuy over spitfire. Admittedly, I was scared to even try, but I mustered up the strength to do so. When in Peru... eat as the Peruvians do, right? It was surprisingly delicious and crunchy, almost like a smaller suckling pig. 

Ceviche - This was highly recommended by someone we knew who was from Peru (along with cuy and Chifa, of course). We had a trout ceviche in Machu Picchu since it was right next to the Urubamba River where trout is abundant. 

Chifa - The Peruvians definitely know how to cook their Chinese food. Chifa is a wonderful fusion of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine. The inspiration is primarily Chinese dishes but the ingredients and spices used are local. Some of the dishes we tried were shu mai with trout, shrimp, and pork, fried rice (which was not greasy and oh-so-yummy) and steamed trout in the traditional sauce that’s usually served with white fish in Chinese restaurants. The locals tend to frequent Chifa restaurants, and we met some wonderful locals while sitting down and trying to order in Spanish!