Chifa Cuisine

Between 1849 and 1874 around a hundred thousand Chinese labourers, overwhelmingly Cantonese men, were brought to Peru under indenture contracts to work guano islands, coastal plantations and railways, in conditions close to slavery. Those who survived their contracts settled, many in Lima around Calle Capón, and the food they cooked - adapting Cantonese technique to Peruvian ingredients, with soy sauce, ginger and the wok meeting local peppers, potatoes and rice - became chifa, from a Cantonese phrase for eating rice. It is not a niche cuisine: there are thousands of chifas across Peru, and dishes like arroz chaufa, fried rice with whatever is to hand, and tallarín saltado are everyday food for everyone. The Barrio Chino in central Lima remains the centre, with an arch on Calle Capón and restaurants that range from the very cheap to the formal.

What you actually see

• The Barrio Chino - Calle Capón in central Lima, the heart of the tradition.
• The everyday dishes - arroz chaufa and tallarín saltado eaten across Peru.
• The technique - Cantonese wok cooking with Peruvian ingredients.
• The history - indentured migration from 1849 that created the community.

When to go

Year-round. A meal takes an hour or two. Sundays are busy in the Barrio Chino, and Chinese New Year fills it.

Honest expectations

Quality varies enormously - the cheapest neighbourhood chifas are functional rather than good. Portions are large. The Barrio Chino streets are crowded and need normal city caution. Vegetarian options are limited in traditional places.

Nearby

Lima's Barrio Chino is beside the Mercado Central in the historic centre.