Understanding Peruvian Nikkei Food

A primer on the subset of Peruvian cuisine.

Tuna belly carving at Maido in Lima, Peru. Photo: Nicholas Gill.

While the word Nikkei simply refers to Japanese immigrant communities around the world, it is often linked directly to Japanese Peruvian food. This type of cooking has a growing presence in the world of gastronomy and there has been a steady drumbeat of Nikkei restaurants opening both inside of Peru and out. Prominent Nikkei chefs are suddenly receiving considerable media attention and accolades around the world. Still, there is considerable misunderstanding of exactly what this subset of Peruvian cuisine is.

What do the words Japanese Peruvian food mean? Is it limited to Peruvian ingredients with Japanese techniques? Is it a fusion cuisine? Are there signature dishes? Does it exist in Japan? Are Nobu restaurants Nikkei?

The thing is that the category of Nikkei cooking is still quite new. Its possibilities are still being drawn out. A lot of these questions cannot be answered yet. It is safely Peruvian cuisine with a Japanese influence, but there really aren’t any set rules. The norms are continually being broken.