Nikkei cuisine: when Japan and Peru share the same table
At Sushiber we love classic sushi, but we also like to go off-script. That’s why our menu has several dishes with a Peruvian accent: rolls with tiger’s milk, ají amarillo sauces and fish grilled anticucho-style. They all have something in common: they are Nikkei cuisine. Here’s what it is, where it comes from and where to try it in Dénia.
What is Nikkei cuisine?
“Nikkei” is the Japanese word for Japanese emigrants and their descendants living in other countries. In food, Nikkei cuisine is the style that was born in Peru from the meeting of Japanese technique and Peruvian ingredients.
From Japan it takes respect for the product, precise fish cutting and sushi rice. From Peru, the acidity of lime, the heat and colour of ají peppers, and marinades such as tiger’s milk. The result is a fresh, intense cuisine full of contrast.
A little history: from Japan to Lima
At the end of the 19th century, the first Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru to work on the coastal plantations. Over the years, many families settled in Lima and opened their own businesses, restaurants among them.
Since they couldn’t find all the ingredients from home, they cooked with what was at hand: Pacific fish, lime, ají peppers and passion fruit. Little by little, Japanese and Peruvian cooking blended together. Today Nikkei is one of the best-known fusion cuisines in the world.
The flavours that define Nikkei
- Tiger’s milk (leche de tigre): the citrus juice of ceviche, made with lime, chilli, garlic and ginger. It brings acidity and freshness.
- Ají amarillo: Peru’s most widely used chilli pepper. Fruity, brightly coloured and gently spicy.
- Fresh fish: the base both cuisines share, whether as sashimi, tiradito or ceviche.
- Contrasting textures: the crunch of tempura against the creaminess of avocado or a good sauce.
Nikkei cuisine at Sushiber
At Sushiber we make every piece to order and by hand, and the fusion with Peru has been part of our identity since we opened in 2018. These are the Nikkei dishes you can try on our menu:
- Acevichado roll: tempura prawn and avocado, topped with tuna marinated in tiger’s milk. One of our recommendations.
- Japan in Perú: tempura prawn and avocado, wrapped in grilled salmon with ají amarillo cream.
- Anticuchero: tempura prawn and avocado, with grilled white fish and a Peruvian sauce inspired by anticuchos.
- Salmon and ají nigiri: grilled salmon on sushi rice, with ají amarillo cream.
- Crispy tuna tacos: crunchy tacos filled with spicy tuna tartare and guacamole.
Beyond sushi: ceviche and tiradito
Nikkei cuisine goes far beyond rolls. Two of its best-known dishes are ceviche, with fish marinated in lime and chilli, and tiradito, with fish sliced thinly like sashimi and dressed with a Peruvian sauce.
Come and try Nikkei cuisine in Dénia
If you love sushi and want to try something different, Nikkei cuisine is a great place to start. We look forward to welcoming you at Sushiber, Avenida Juan Chabás, 3, right in the centre of Dénia.