The Chinese gate
On Calle Capón.
Brandon — CC BY 2.0 · Rdrg109 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ovruni — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the oldest Chinatowns in the Americas, in the heart of old Lima, which grew after the first Chinese immigrants reached Peru in 1849 to work on coastal estates, followed by some hundred thousand more over the next quarter century, who worked on the estates, built railways and dug bird guano on the islands. You enter through a red Chinese gate on Jirón Ucayali, known as «Calle Capón», and find Asian grocers, herb and gift shops, and «chifa» restaurants, the Peruvian-Chinese cuisine that has become one of Peru's best-loved foods, the most famous dish being «arroz chaufa» fried rice. A note for Muslim travellers: many chifa dishes contain pork, pork fat is sometimes used in cooking, and utensils are usually shared, so ask carefully about ingredients and choose seafood or vegetable dishes, bearing in mind the food is not halal. The area is very crowded and next to the Central Market, so watch for pickpockets and carry little cash; daytime suits a visit better than evening.
On Calle Capón.
Peruvian-Chinese food.
Herbs and gifts.
Jirón Ucayali (Calle Capón) and Jirón Paruro, by the Central Market, central Lima
No: many dishes contain pork or pork fat, and utensils are shared. Ask about ingredients and choose seafood or vegetables if you want to try it.
