Order lomo saltado for the first time and the plate looks like a happy accident. Strips of beef, red onion and tomato, glossy with soy sauce, next to white rice and a heap of french fries. It’s one of the most popular dishes in Peru, and the reason goes back to 1849.
That’s when the first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru, mostly Cantonese laborers brought over for the sugar plantations, railroads and guano islands. Many later settled in Lima and opened restaurants that Peruvians came to call chifas. They brought the wok and soy sauce to Peruvian ingredients, and lomo saltado is the dish that crossed over onto nearly every Peruvian menu.
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