histories

i had dinner last night with the girls at a restaurant i'd wanted to try for awhile.  while we were perusing our menus, our waiter explained some of the history of the cuisine and concept for the restaurant.  he said that when chinese people started immigrating to peru, they began using local produce in their cooking, like fruits native to peru, and preparing them in their customary chinese-style.  little restaurants, called chifas, that showcased this type of culinary preparation started popping up and since then have become very popular in peru.  so the food essentially is a fusion of cantonese and peruvian fare, a mixing of ingredients to provide a unique dining experience.  the restaurant we went to also derived and incorporated some of the elements and tastes from vietnamese and thai cooking.

this little tidbit of information was interesting to me not only because i like learning about the food i am about to enjoy, but also because i am chinese and did not even know chinese people had ever immigrated to peru!  i went into the restaurant thinking this was just another simple idea brought to life by my favorite executive chef, but instead walked away with a full, happy belly and a random fact from my heritage.

it's funny because i used to hate history class, since all i saw it for was boring old facts and dates and figures.  yet what i've discovered through the years is there is a history, a past, a back-story to nearly everything, and if we just look alittle deeper or listen a bit harder, we'll find it in the most obscure or least expected of places.  and that little trinket of knowledge can and will enrich our lives.

i guess it goes without saying that we can truly "learn something new every day," eh?