It seems Chinese or American, but this hit dish originates elsewhere

The dish: Lomo saltado, Peru

Plate up What is going on here? What’s with this dish? It looks like it could be a Chinese stir-fry. Though, it could also be an American diner snack. And yet it’s actually a Peruvian classic? There’s a lot to unpack in a lomo saltado, so let’s start with the basics.

Lomo saltado – a Peruvian standard.Credit: Getty Images

This ubiquitous plate of food is dominated by a stir-fry of beef, onions and tomato, seasoned with vinegar, soy, aji Amarillo – a native Peruvian chilli – and a variety of spices. This quick concoction is then dumped on a pile of rice. So far, so Chinese (except the aji Amarillo). It’s then, however, given a side of potatoes or French fries, just to ensure your stomach is well and truly filled. This dish is basically Peru’s answer to spaghetti Bolognese, sturdy comfort food you will find in both home kitchens and basic restaurants across the country.

First serve Lomo saltado is one of those dishes that perfectly encapsulates a country’s history, its environment and its passions, all on one plate. Begin with the stir-fried element, which comes directly from Peru’s “chifas”, its spate of simple, affordable Chinese-Peruvian eateries that were spawned from mass Chinese migration in the 19th century. That stir-fry (“saltado”) is then placed atop rice, which was brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Finally, we have fried potatoes, and if there’s one vegetable that is distinctly Peruvian, it’s the potato. Lomo saltado is thought to have been a hit since the late 19th century.

Order there Though cuisine in Peru varies from the coastal plains to the Andes to the Amazon, this is one dish you will find almost everywhere. In Lima, visit Tanta in the Larcomar neighbourhood for excellent lomo saltado (tantaperu.com).

Order here In Sydney, grab a classic lomo saltado at La Hacienda Peru (instagram.com/lahaciendaperu). In Melbourne, try Inti Gourmet (instagram.com/intigourmet). And in Adelaide, sample lomo saltado at The Hungry Llama (thehungryllama.com.au).

One more thing Just how important are potatoes to Peruvian cuisine? There are more than 2300 species of potato, most of them native, found in Peru. That’s more than half the world’s total. The humble spud has been a culinary staple in this country for more than 10,000 years.