Throughout the world there are very different types of gastronomy. From those who base their recipes on meat, to those who opt for seafood and vegetables as their main raw material. In fact, on previous occasions we have already talked about some of them, such as Mexican or Peruvian food. And today we want to introduce you to something you may not know in depth: Nikkei cuisine.
If you didn’t know, Nikkei cuisine is one of the most popular and internationally recognized cuisines today. And, basically, it is based on a fusion of flavors. But… Which ones exactly? If you are curious about this gastronomy and want to know more about it, its history and the ingredients it uses, don’t miss what we are going to tell you today.
What is Nikkei food?
The first thing you should know about this type of food is that it comes from the mixture of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Specifically in the processing and cutting techniques of Japan, in conjunction with the flavors and typical character of Peruvian food. A fusion of flavors that is delicious and offers a unique combination of cultures. Here we are going to tell you about the origin of Nikkei cuisine, which is related to immigration.
The history of Nikkei cuisine
To learn about the origins of this fusion, we must go back to the 19th century, when a large number of Japanese emigrated to Peru. The citizens who went to South America from Japan sought the fortune of the sugar and cotton plantations. But this was not the only thing they found, as they came across a gastronomy that, combined with their own, was spectacular.
The term Nikkei refers not only to this type of cuisine, but also to the large community of Japanese and their descendants living in Peru. If we talk about the top representatives of this type of cuisine, one of them is Minoru Kunigami, founding chef of La Buena Muerte restaurant, who is considered one of the precursors of Nikkei gastronomy.
In addition to Kunigami, there are other big names such as Humberto Sato, Nobu or Toshiro Konishi. It is possible to learn more about the history of Japanese and Peruvian fusion cuisine through their stories. But the truth is that, thanks to its popularity, nowadays it is easy to find books and multiple recipes about Nikkei cuisine.
Main ingredients
The main characteristic of this kitchen has to do with creativity. Originally, the Japanese were forced to look for substitutes for the ingredients they were accustomed to using. This led them to use Peruvian products to make their most typical dishes, which would eventually become Nikkei cuisine. If we talk about specific ingredients, the most recognized are the following:
- Vegetables: they are very important in this gastronomy and are widely used in dishes such as ceviches. The most commonly used are avocado, sweet potato and corn.
- Seafood: octopus or crabs are a fundamental part of this type of food, among many other fish and seafood.
- Citrus and spicy: one of the main signs of identity has to do with the use of citrus, as well as spicy through chili or wasabi.
