Cocina Peru
Where East Meets West
Many food lovers prefer traditional cuisines. In fact, some might even say that they find fusion food — the blending of different culinary traditions — downright unappealing. In all frankness, I somewhat agree. Contemporary fusion food is an abomination. Yet, when we peel back the layers, it’s clear that most national cuisines have always borne some form of fusion at their core.
What is Fusion Cuisine?
The Oxford Dictionary describes fusion cuisine as a “cooking style that blends ingredients and preparation methods from different countries, regions, or ethnic groups”. Fusion food isn’t a new phenomenon. The truth is, our food has been ‘fusion’ for longer than we think. Through the mediums of international commerce, warfare, and colonialism, a natural exchange of worldly cultures has occurred across the globe over the course of millenia. Throughout history, via trade, warfare, and colonialism, cultures have intermingled, giving birth to hybrid forms in all aspects of life — food is no exception.
Unfortunately, with the surge of food trucks over the past 15 years, the very concept of “fusion food” has become bastardized and gross. Some strange concoctions, like taco pizza and cheeseburger egg rolls, might give the impression that fusion food is more about novelty than a thoughtful blending of culinary traditions. Purists of traditional, national cuisines can’t even stomach reading these items on a menu. However, even the most authentic dishes are influenced by international elements. This is particularly evident in Western cuisine, and there may not be a better embodiment of it than on the plates of Perú. The region’s geography and historical timeline illustrates just how the gastronomic fusion of Perúvian food came to be.
The Origins of Perúvian Cuisine
On the western shoulder of South America, along the Pacific Coast, runs the longest continental mountain range in the world: The Andes. Its significance goes far beyond its geography, as The Andes were home to the largest pre-Columbian civilization in the history of the Americas: the Inca Empire, one of the world’s greatest imperial states.
The Incan capital of Cusco, along with the famous town of Machu Picchu, still stand in today’s Perú. Indigenous civilizations made their homes here from the Mesolithic period, as far back as 12,000 BC, until Francisco Pizarro claimed the region for Spain in 1532.
Prior to the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, pre-Columbian societies of Perú cultivated crops native to the Perúvian Andes where they domiciled. This specific area of the mountain range is actually the birthplace of food’s most superior carbohydrate: the potato, in all of its many different forms. It’s a delicious twist of history that the Parisian’s beloved steak frites remained a gastronomic dream until the Spanish had brought potatoes back from Perú to Europe. Mashed potatoes, french fries, sweet potato casserole; none of it exists without Perú.
Ají Chili Pepper: Perú’s Secret
Another prominent, albeit lesser known native food, is the Ají chili pepper — the single most important condiment in Perúvian cooking. The range of the Andes in Perú is home to over 30 different kinds of Ají peppers, with Ají Amarillo being the premier variety.
It’s the most commonly consumed pepper in the country, and for good reason. It packs powerful heat, ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale. Considering the kick, it is usually cut with another ingredient upon cooking. Delicious when done right, but deadly when done wrong.
Perú’s Spanish Influences
1572 marked the fall of the final Incan stronghold. Spanish colonialism, in turn, ushered in an influx of new ingredients, particularly livestock meats like beef, chicken, and pork. Simultaneously, the Spanish introduced rice to the New World, now a staple side dish across Latin America.The influx of new ingredients ushered in novel cooking techniques. The once predominantly indigenous culture began a culinary evolution, with the techniques of frying and sautéing emerging as popular practices across the country.
Perú’s Eastern Influences
While Spain’s rule set the stage for Perú’s future culinary prowess, it was only a slice of the Eastern influence on their overall gastronomy. It’s the subsequent wave of Old World integration that makes Perúvian food so distinct.
There is a written account of a small Asian community in Lima — the capital city and gastronomic hub of Perú — as early as 1613. This group comprised of laborers - Chinese, Filipino, Cambodian, and Japanese - enslaved in the Spanish Philippines. To Spain’s viceroyalty, owning Asian slaves was a status symbol. But it wasn’t until some 200 years later that an Asian, and particularly Chinese, diaspora arrived to the country en masse.
Perú eradicated slavery in the 1840s, and plantation owners urgently needed to fill the labor void. Perú abolished slavery in the 1840s. Their answer was Asian immigrants, specifically Chinese men, often referred to as “coolies” or “chinos”. The Ley China act facilitated the arrival of 100,000 Chinese men as laborers and indentured servants. The conditions on plantations, railroads, and mines were brutal, resulting in the deaths of over half of their population. However, the indentured servants enjoyed urban life in Lima along with many liberties. By the 1850s, migrants were marrying and starting families with Perúvian women. Many laborers would relocate to Lima once they finished their work contracts and wed the local women as well. With virtually no Chinese women in the country, who else were they going to hitch?
The Invention of Chifa Cuisine
By the late 19th century, interracial marriages had become a common occurrence, resulting in a surge of approximately 180,000 Chinese-Perúvian children. As the Chinese and their mixed-race descendants moved up in socio-economic class, they started importing Eastern ingredients to recreate the flavors of their homeland. Cantonese staples such as ginger, cumin, scallions, and soy sauce, as well as the famous Chinese stir fry cooking style using a wok, found their way into Perú’s culinary landscape.”’s famous stir fry cooking style in the wok pan. Thus, the cuisine of chifa was born. Chifa is the hybrid fare that blends Cantonese, Perúvian, and Spanish ingredients and cooking techniques into one true personification of fusion food. Its crowning glory is the Lomo Saltado. Think Lo Mein meets Criollo.
Lima’s Calle La Concepción, also known as Barrio Chino or Chinatown, is hailed as the birthplace of chifa. Legend has it that the cuisine was discovered with the creation of Lomo Saltado itself. The first chifa restaurants sprang up in Barrio Chino around 1920. However, these dishes had been simmering in the home kitchens and street food stalls of the district for several decades prior. Chinese-Perúvian chefs created hybrid forms of fried rice, chow mein, stir fry, sweet and sour chicken, and even Wonton soup. By the time chifa restaurants came about, these dishes had already woven themselves into Lima’s culinary tapestry. The oldest-known cookbook to feature some of these recipes dates back to 1903 and, of course, mentions Lomo Saltado.
What is Lomo Saltado?
‘Lomo’, the Spanish word for ‘loin’, could refer to either beef or pork, depending on the locale. In Perú, however, ‘lomo’ unequivocally means beef. ‘Saltado,’ conversely, is a term solely unique to Perúvian gastronomy. Stemming from ‘saltar,’ which translates to ‘jump’ or ‘hop,’ it reflects the vigorous stir-frying technique that sends ingredients hopping in a deep wok. No other Spanish-speaking country had a single term for ‘stir fry’ before ‘Saltado.’ Hence, ‘Lomo Saltado’ translates into English as ‘beef stir fry.’ Lomo Saltado is Perú’s favorite hot plate, and the second most-treasured dish in the country next to ceviche (future WarKitchen recipe, mayhaps?). This tangy medley of beef and vegetables is unlike any other blend of flavors: Spain’s beef and rice combined with Perú’s ají amarillo and potatoes, sautéed in a Chinese wok, stir-fry style with tomatoes, onions, ginger, cumin, and a piquant sauce.
Lomo Saltado Recipe
The dish is surprisingly quick and simple to recreate in home kitchens. The most critical step is that of the prep, as the fast-cooking nature of stir fry doesn’t allow the chef time to slice ingredients once the food hits the pan. Each ingredient must be cut beforehand. If you don’t have a wok, substitute a deep cast iron or stainless steel pan.
Ingredients
18 oz Sirloin steak, cut into strips or cubes
1 onion, cut into large slices (red onion preferred, but two shallots is a great substitute)
2-3 large tomatoes, chopped into large slices (use meatier tomatoes, like plum, roma, or celebrity)
2 tablespoons Ají Amarillo paste (get the Inca brand, it’s the most authentic)
⅓ cup Soy Sauce (substitute liquid aminos to avoid soy)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cilantro (can substitute thyme)
1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste (can also marinate steak with garlic and onion powder)
Cooking oil (ghee recommended)
Choice of potatoes, gold or russet, cut into french fry strips or cubes
1 pot of white rice
Instructions
Cook the potatoes and the rice however you prefer. The simplest method is to let them cook in separate vessels as you prepare the stir fry, like the potatoes in the oven and the rice in a cooker or pot.
Marinate the sirloin with salt, pepper, a dash of cumin, and lime juice. While it marinates, combine the Ají Amarillo paste and liquid aminos or soy sauce into a bowl, and whisk until they’ve blended together into a sauce.
Preheat the pan and add the ghee. Once your pan is oiled up and piping hot, begin cooking the steak cuts in small batches at a time. Do NOT overcrowd the pot. This is critical, as we do not want the steak to begin sweating and releasing its juices into the pan. Quickly sear and remove, one batch at a time. Set aside the cooked steak for now.
Add more ghee and begin cooking the onions with the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes. We don’t want soft onions, they need some bite for the dish to have the correct texture. Next, add the tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds. Don’t let the tomatoes release much juice or lose their shape. This is why we need to meatier tomatoes. If the skin starts to come off, they’ve cooked too much.
Now grab the cooked steak and add into the pan with the onions and tomatoes, tossing the ingredients thoroughly. Next, add the sauce on top and continue tossing. This is the saltado, where the marriage of flavors occurs. You’ll notice the fumes hitting your nasal passages and saliva buildup in your mouth as the aroma releases.
Finally, top the stir fry with the herbs and give it one last toss. Depending on your preference, you can add the potatoes into the stir fry or serve on the side. Plate the rice and drop the finished Lomo Saltado on top. Dinner is served!
For maximum Peruvian enjoyment, pair with a nice pisco sour. Buen provecho. For visual learners, Chef Zee has an excellent video walkthrough on YouTube.
This article & recipe is written by Draino. Let him know what you think on Twitter and share how your Lomo Saltado turns out!
This article was originally published in Issue 14 of the WarKitchen magazine. You can read it in its original form here. If you’re on the newsletter, you’ll be the first to know when the next issue drops: warkitchen.net.
Thank you for reading the WARKITCHEN. Till next time 🥂