MY FAVE: HAKKA-INDIAN CHILLI CHICKEN
7 Places In The World To Find Unique Chinese Food
There’s no better time and excuse to explore the world of Chinese food than during Chinese New Year’s. For me, holiday feasting has yet ceased and I will once again be falling into a deep festive food coma of Sweet Soy Fried Noodles, Chili Chicken, and deep-fried Pork & Shrimp Balls—dishes special to my Hakka-Indian roots. With over 50 million Chinese people living outside of China, there is a whole lot of kick-ass Chinese food being cooked up and enjoyed in pockets all around the world—here’s how places like Peru, Malaysia, and Jamaica will be celebrating Chinese New Year’s through their stomachs.
PERU
The Chinatown in Lima is the biggest in South America, but the presence of Chinese cuisine, or “chifa,” exists heavily throughout the country, resulting in a combination of Chinese and Peruvian techniques and flavors that has actually become the iconic food of Peru—like Arroz Chaufa (fried rice) and the Lomo Saltado (pictured), a stir-fry with fries, beef, onions, and tomatoes served with rice. Other notable dishes include: Tamarind Pork, Shrimp Toast, and Kam Lu Wantán (deep fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce).
CUBA
A large number of Chinese immigrants first arrived in Cuba in the 1850s to labor in the sugarcane fields and by the late 1870s, Cuba’s Chinatown, El Barrio Chino, spanned 44 blocks, creating the birth of Chinese-Cuban food. There’s a common love of pork between Chinese and Cubans, so expect dishes like Pork Chops with Black Bean Sauce and Roast Pork Loin with Five-Spice. Plantains and yucca are also featured in Chinese-Cuban cooking. Another dish of note is the Picadillo (pictured), a beef and tomato hash served with white rice.
MALAYSIA
The Chinese population is the second largest ethnic group in Malaysia and has a huge influence on the cuisine of the country. During Chinese New Year festivities in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Yusheng, a dish consisting of strips of raw fish and shredded vegetables like daikon, carrots, red pepper and turnips, and a variety of sauces (plum, rice vinegar, kumquat paste and sesame oil), is served for good luck. Other notable dishes include: Char Kway Teow (stir-fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, prawns, eggs, chives, and slices of preserved Chinese sausages) and Curry Mee or Laksa (spicy coconut curry noodle soup with tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, or chicken).
JAMAICA
The first wave of Chinese laborers in Jamaica began in 1854, and initially Chinese-Jamaican dishes were limited to dried and preserved ingredients due to long journeys for food imports and the intense heat of the climate—think long-lasting items like dried and salted fish and preserved mustard greens. Notable dishes include: Curry Lobster, Spiced Goat Stew with preserved lime, Jerk Chow Mein (jerk pork or chicken fried with vegetables and egg noodles), and Bangamary Ding (fried bangamary fish with cashews and vegetables).
INDIA
In 1778, Yang Tai Chow was the first recorded Chinese person to immigrate to India. By the 20th century, there was a Chinatown in Calcutta and the community of Chinese there, mainly Hakka, developed a distinctive cuisine using spicy ingredients such as chilies, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Notable dishes include: Chili Chicken (fried chicken pieces sautéed with onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic), Salt & Pepper Prawns (fried prawns in salt, chilies, garlic, and green onions), Sweet Soy Fried Noodles sautéed with sliced bbq pork, bean sprouts, and shredded cabbage and carrots, and Stir-Fried Cumin Beef.
HAWAII
In the 19th century, over 50,000 Chinese immigrants arrived in Hawaii to work in the sugarcane fields, and introduced flavors and ingredients such as five-spice, tofu, soybeans, and rice. The Char Siu Bao (steamed bbq pork buns) became “Manapua” or “Mea ono pua’a” and increased in size with alternative stuffing’s like curry, sweet potato, or sweet bean. Manapuas became incredibly popular that they can even be found at local 7-eleven stores on the island today.
MEXICO
In the early 20th century, there were more Chinese than Mexicans in Mexicali, Mexico, and today, Chinese food is still the reigning cuisine there. The hybrid of Chinese and Mexican ingredients is anything but subtle—expect avocados in the fried rice and black bean sauce covering the Arrachera steak. Other notable dishes include: Salt & Pepper Fish (with bell peppers, chilies and onions) and Chilies Asados (fried yellow chilies in a lemon sauce with lots of salt).
