{"id":21604,"date":"2020-09-19T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?p=21604"},"modified":"2025-07-18T13:16:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T12:16:26","slug":"chifa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/chifa\/","title":{"rendered":"Chifa: 9 facts you never knew about Peru’s Chinese fusion food"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Peru is the ultimate foodie destination, famed for incredible dishes like ceviche, causa\u2026 and chifa. This delicious fusion of Peruvian and Chinese food has been lovingly embraced in Peru<\/a> since the 19th century and you\u2019ll never have trouble finding a chifa restaurant here.

With massive portions and a genius blend of Chinese and Peruvian ingredients, this is one foodie experience you have to try. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this Peruvian-Chinese fusion food, including some of the most popular chifa dishes you can\u2019t miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Chifa is a fusion of Peruvian and Chinese food, brought to Peru by Chinese immigrants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A post shared by Instafood Per\u00fa (@instafoodperu)<\/a> on Aug 18, 2020 at 2:03pm PDT<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

The first documented Chinese immigrants arrived in 1849 and worked in railroad construction, coastal sugar plantations, mines and guano extraction. Chifa took off after an influx of Chinese immigrants arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing their tasty cuisine with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese food became so popular in Peru that it began to influence traditional Peruvian and Andean dishes. The fusion emerged as a whole new authentic Peruvian cuisine known as chifa, which includes dishes like soups, stir fries, fried rice, noodles and tangy sauces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Chinese food is only called chifa in Peru<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This uniquely Peruvian term<\/a> is thought to have originated from the Cantonese phrase \u994e\u98ef, which roughly translates to \u201ccooked rice\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Per\u00fa (@peru)<\/a> on Dec 11, 2018 at 9:01am PST<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

3. The Chinese introduced new ingredients to Peru<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Classic East Asian ingredients like ginger, scallions and soy sauce were introduced to Peruvian cuisine for the first time. Chifa dishes were made using these ingredients, plus traditional Peruvian ingredients like pineapple, potatoes and aji amarillo, a paste made from yellow chilli peppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED CONTENT:<\/strong> The fascinating history behind Peru\u2019s humble potato<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. The first Chinese\u2013Peruvian fusion food restaurants opened in Lima around 1920<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They were given the name chifa and from that moment, Peruvians fell in love with this amazing culinary coupling! While chifa is quintessentially Peruvian, Chinese immigrants have since opened chifa restaurants in neighbouring countries like Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Instafood Per\u00fa (@instafoodperu)<\/a> on Aug 26, 2020 at 12:05pm PDT<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

5. Chifa restaurants aren\u2019t the only places that serve chifa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to go to a specialty chifa restaurant to taste the chifa favourites. You can find it absolutely everywhere, in regions all over the country. It\u2019s especially easy to find lomo saltado, one of the most popular chifa dishes served in almost every restaurant in Lima.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED CONTENT: <\/strong>From Ceviche to Anticuchos: A Trip Through Peruvian Cuisine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. If you want the best chifa food, head to Barrio Chino in Lima<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Barrio Chino is Lima\u2019s Chinatown, and here you\u2019ll find thousands of chifa restaurants lining the streets. It\u2019s an incredible scene with tangy aromas wafting through the air, ducks hanging from the windows, and lively groups enjoying their food. The hardest part is choosing which restaurant to try first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Instafood Per\u00fa (@instafoodperu)<\/a> on Aug 28, 2020 at 10:09am PDT<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

7. The portions are huge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you\u2019re hungry before you sit down at a chifa restaurant – because the portions are massive! If you\u2019re eating alone, be careful what you order and ask for guidance from your waiter so you don\u2019t accidentally order enough food for a whole family. And no matter what you eat, you have to wash it down with an Inca Cola, just like the locals do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED CONTENT: <\/strong>The Peruvian Women Keeping Ancient Textile Traditions Alive<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. It\u2019s perfect to enjoy with a large group<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since chifa is not very expensive and served in huge portions, it\u2019s the perfect meal to enjoy with a large group of people. Although, you can also find high-end restaurants that serve smaller gourmet chifa dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Instafood Per\u00fa (@instafoodperu)<\/a> on Jun 18, 2020 at 5:49am PDT<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n