ARLINGTON, VA -- The National Restaurant Association listed Peruvian cuisine as one of the top 20 food trends for 2018 (
see USA Rice Daily, January 5, 2018). Peruvian food is not new to the U.S. market, but what is new is the way chefs and restaurateurs are pushing the boundaries of this innovative cuisine.
Traditional Peruvian fare reflects many cultural influences, like cau cau, a Creole tripe stew served with white rice, and chifa, a fusion of Peruvian and Cantonese cuisine. Almost every chifa dish is served with fried rice (chaufa).
Most Peruvian dishes include a fundamental starch, such as plantains, potatoes, or rice, and many dishes are similar to, or influenced by, Asian fare. Chefs in the U.S. are combining elements of Asian and Peruvian cuisine to create exciting new flavors for diners, and rice plays an important role in their menus.
At his new Los Angeles restaurant Rosaliné, Ricardo Zarate is combining traditional Peruvian flavors with Asian flavors – the family-style chaufa paella features Peruvian fried rice, pancetta, La Chang (Chinese) sausage, prawns and bagoong, a fermented fish-based condiment from the Philippines.
In November 2017, Peruvian-born chef Carlos Zheng opened Sakura 736 in Miami. The menu features Nikkei fare – a blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine that includes black rice, jasmine rice, and sushi rice in several dishes.
In Lafayette, California, Peruvian chef Carlos Alamirano opened his seventh restaurant, Barranco Cocina Peruana, which features locally sourced seafood in dishes like pescado a lo macho – seasonal fish fillet roasted over seafood stew, in a mild rocoto-paprika sauce, with coconut rice. Alamirano also owns a Peruvian food truck, Sanguchon, which serves bowl-style meals over white rice and sandwiches, for about $10 each.
“From high-end gastropubs to inexpensive food truck fare, rice is an integral part of all Peruvian-based menus,” said Paul Galvani, chairman of the USA Rice Domestic Promotion Committee. “For the U.S. rice industry, the growth in popularity and reimagining of Peruvian cuisine is good for business.”