Chinese Latin American cuisine facts for kids

Chinese Latin American or Chino-Latino cuisine is a special mix of Chinese and Latin American flavors. It's a delicious blend created by people of Chinese background who live in Latin American countries. You can find this unique food in Chinese communities and Chinatowns across Latin America, like in Peru (where it's called chifa) and Cuba. This cuisine has also traveled to the United States as people from Latin America, especially Chinese Cubans, moved to places like New York City.

Cuban-Chinese Food

Cuban-Chinese food started when Chinese workers first came to Cuba in the mid-1800s. Between 1847 and 1874, about 125,000 Chinese people arrived in Cuba to work. Most of these workers were men. They often worked on sugar farms alongside enslaved Africans.

After the 1870s, many Chinese workers who stayed in Cuba gained more freedom. They worked in farming, sold goods, or took on other jobs in towns.

Fried rice is a popular dish in many cultures, including Cuban-Chinese cuisine.

Cuban and Chinese cooking share some similarities. Both often use white meats like pork and staples like rice. Cuban-Chinese restaurants combine the food cultures of both countries.

The Chinese side brings dishes like fried rice, chow mein, or shrimp with black bean sauce. The Cuban side adds dishes such as ropa vieja (shredded beef) or platanos maduros (sweet fried plantains).

Both cuisines use special ingredients. Chinese cooking often features vegetables like bok choy, amaranth, or broccoli. These are important in dishes like a stir fry. Chinese cooking also uses many oils, sauces, and vinegars. The most famous is soy sauce, but others include rice vinegar, sesame oil, and oyster sauce.

Cuban cooking uses spices like garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and cilantro. Common vegetables include onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Ropa vieja is a traditional Cuban dish.

One of the oldest and biggest Chinatowns is in Havana, Cuba. It's known as Barrio chino de La Habana [es]. After the Cuban Revolution, many Chinese businesses had to move.

Peruvian-Chinese Food

In Peru, the blend of Chinese and Peruvian food is called chifa. It's very popular there!

Chinese Latin American Food in the United States

Puerto Rico

You can also find a mix of Chinese and Puerto Rican food in Puerto Rico.

New York City

In New York City, Chino-Latino cuisine is mostly linked to Chinese Cubans. These people moved to New York after the Cuban Revolution.

Interestingly, you usually won't find Chino-Latino restaurants in the main Chinatowns of the United States. Instead, they are often located in Spanish-speaking areas of New York's five boroughs.

The unique Cuban-Chinese identity in New York City became more noticeable in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was when thousands of Chinese from Cuba moved to the United States.

Many Chinese people also moved to the United States from other Latin American countries. These included Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Ecuador. They often moved because of political or economic problems in their home countries.

When these business owners arrived in the United States, many settled in East Harlem. They started new restaurants based on the food they learned in Cuba. This helped them honor their heritage and build new lives. For new immigrants, these restaurants felt like home. They offered familiar tastes and comfort in a new place.

However, these special restaurants are slowly disappearing today. This is because fewer Chinese people are moving directly from Cuba. The last big wave of Chinese migration directly from Cuba was in 1959. This makes it harder to keep the Cuban and Chinese food traditions going. Younger generations sometimes lose touch with their roots. But others want to keep their heritage alive through food.