LA COCINA PERUANA

Peruvian cuisine was influenced by Spanish, French, Italian, African, Chinese, and Japanese cultures. Around 14,000 years ago, the inhabitants of the central Andes and Andean regions began domesticating certain crops, which they later transported to other parts of Peru. Agriculture advanced, and certain foods like potatoes were cultivated during the Lithic Period, from 10,000 to 5,000 BC. Crops such as potatoes, corn, quinoa, and fruits were used by the Tiahuanaco culture on the Collao plateau, located 21 kilometers from Lake Titicaca, between the 1st and 10th centuries AD. In Peru, various types of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, fruits, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants are grown or found in the wild. The ancient inhabitants of Peru domesticated llamas, alpacas, and guinea pigs; besides tubers, they also consumed fish and seafood, making the region an important genetic center.

Peruvian cuisine blended with the arrival of Spanish cuisine, which itself had been influenced by Arab, Byzantine, and Persian cuisines. These influences brought new spices, legumes, and fruits to Spain, which then introduced a new way of cooking and new ingredients to Peru, including beef. French cuisine arrived in Peru with the Bourbon dynasty when they came to Spain in the 19th century. Their influence was notable, especially in bread-making techniques due to the invention of steam ovens. Between 1791 and 1795, the Peruvian newspaper El Mercurio Peruano published the first articles on Peruvian gastronomy, describing the combination of Spanish and Peruvian ingredients.

Between 1840 and 1880, a significant migration of Italians, mostly from Liguria and Genoa, arrived in Lima. Many of them took up agriculture, contributing to the cultivation of the Italia grape used to make Pisco Italia, and they also introduced pasta. By 1878, Italians owned all twelve pasta factories in Lima. They popularized panettone, a lightly leavened sweet bread from Milan, and opened an ice cream factory in 1897, a treat previously unknown to the Peruvian public.

In 1854, slavery was abolished, and former slaves became known for their sweets. To fill the labor gap, a large population of Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru, with around 90,000 settlers arriving between 1840 and 1874. These immigrants had a significant impact on Peruvian food culture, establishing chifas (Chinese-Peruvian restaurants) on Capón Street in Lima. These restaurants popularized Chinese cuisine in Peru, giving rise to iconic dishes like lomo saltado, and large quantities of rice became a staple. The fusion of Peruvian and Chinese cuisines is still served in most chifas, and Chinese vegetables grown in Peru are sold in markets.

Japanese influence in Peruvian cuisine also emerged, beginning with Japanese migration in 1889. This brought a blend of Peruvian dishes with Japanese ingredients. Today, Lima has both Japanese and nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) restaurants, offering traditional Japanese dishes like sushi and sukiyaki, as well as fusion cuisine using Peruvian and Chinese ingredients. From the 1960s, as the descendants of Japanese immigrants visited Japan, there was further integration, incorporating Peruvian ingredients like lime, rocoto, garlic, ají amarillo, ají panca, and ají limo into Japanese-Peruvian dishes. This blend of influences resulted in a creative and unique cuisine.