Nikkei cuisine is a type of fusion cuisine that combines Japanese and Peruvian elements. Nikkei is the word used to describe immigrants of Japanese origin in Peru. [1]
The cultural exchange between Japan and Peru began at the end of the 19th century with the arrival of a Peruvian ship at the port of Yokohama. This ship had already traveled between Callao and Macau numerous times to transport laborers between the two cities. The first contact between the Peruvians and the Japanese was not peaceful as there was violence between the two. The fighting between the two nations eventually ended when they signed a peace treaty on August 21, 1873. [2]
The Japanese first began their journey through Peru in 1889, led by Takahashi Korekiyo who eventually created the Japan Mining Company. [3] He arrived in Peru in order to access its silver mines, but these had already been mined resulting in the project becoming a failure and abandoning his industrial prospects in Peru. After the first years of immigration to Peru by a population overwhelmed by the modernizing changes during the Meiji Era, the Japanese government in 1885 decided to organize and direct the massive migration that was already in process to the country. [4] The Japanese who migrated to Peru ended up working on the sugar haciendas on the northern coast.
Nikkei food is characterized by its use of the wide variety of ingredients available to Peru. In 1980, this type of food became recognized and since then has been seen as a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian ingredients. Peruvian influences include some basic ingredients such as rocoto, which gives the spicy flavor, yellow aji or lemons. On the other hand, the Japanese side of the fusion can be seen in the introduction of vegetable crops and especially rice in the Peruvian land. Not only did they combine products from both cultures, but the Japanese would also use Peruvian foods to make traditional dishes from their homeland. An example of this is the use of yucca for the preparation of mochi, which will give rise to yucamochi, a classic dish of this fusion cuisine. [5]
Fusion cuisine is a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures. Cuisines of this type are not categorized according to any one particular cuisine style and have played a part in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.
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Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche is a dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings, recognized by UNESCO as an expression of Peruvian traditional cuisine and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, although different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary culture of various Spanish-American countries along the Pacific Ocean where each one is native: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. In Peru it is also considered a flagship dish and cultural heritage.
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Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas, empanadas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments. Sofrito, a culinary term that originally referred to a specific combination of sautéed or braised aromatics, exists in Latin American cuisine. It refers to a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Rice, corn, pasta, bread, plantain, potato, yucca, and beans are also staples in Latin American cuisine.
Creole cuisine is a cuisine style born in colonial times, from the fusion between African, European and pre-Columbian American traditions. Creole is a term that refers to those of European origin who were born in the New World and have adapted to it.
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
Anticuchos are popular and inexpensive meat dishes that originated in the Andes during the pre-Columbian era, specifically in the Antisuyu region of the Tawantinsuyu. The modern dish was adapted during the colonial era between the 16th and 19th centuries and can now be found in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, where they are known as "chuzos" or "carne en palito".
Japanese Peruvians are Peruvian citizens of Japanese origin or ancestry.
Chipa is a type of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls, a popular snack and breakfast food in Paraguay. The recipe has existed since the 18th century and its origins lie with the Guaraní people of Asunción. It is inexpensive and often sold from streetside stands and on buses by vendors carrying a large basket with the warm chipa wrapped in a cloth.
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Chifa is a Chinese Peruvian culinary tradition based on Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. The term is also used to refer to restaurants that serve the chifa cuisine.
Lomo saltado is a popular, traditional Peruvian dish, a stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and other ingredients; and is typically served with rice. The dish originated as part of the chifa tradition, the Chinese cuisine of Peru, though its popularity has made it part of the mainstream culture.
Vori vori is a thick, yellow soup with little balls made of corn flour, and cheese, and it's traditional of the Paraguayan cuisine. It is essentially of Cario-Guarani and Sephardic origins, and derives from one of the commemorative dishes of the Passover as it derives from the Matza balls, replacing the wheat semolina with the corn flour of the Carios.
Mbeju is a starch cake sometimes made with fariña or manioc flour typical of Paraguay. The recipe has existed since the 18th century and its origins lie with the indigenous Cario-Guarani people that lived in Asunción and its surroundings.
The chipa guasu is a cake made with corn grains, onions and Paraguayan cheese. It is one of 70 varieties of chipa, a traditional set of side dishes from Paraguay. It is often served in asados.
Philippine adobo is a popular Filipino dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine. In its base form, meat, seafood, or vegetables are first browned in oil, and then marinated and simmered in vinegar, salt and/or soy sauce, and garlic. It has occasionally been considered the unofficial national dish in the Philippines.
Arroz chaufa, also known as arroz de chaufa, is a fried rice dish from Peru. It is part of the Chinese Peruvian cuisine, which is called chifa.
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Culinary diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy or food diplomacy is a type of cultural diplomacy, which itself is a subset of public diplomacy. Its basic premise is that "the easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach". Official government-sponsored culinary diplomacy programs have been established in Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Lebanon, Peru, Israel, the United States, Cambodia, Japan, and Nordic countries.
