Chifle
Fried plantain chips from Ecuador, Thailand, and Peru.
Chifle is a fried plantain chip eaten as a snack, side dish, or finger food in Ecuador, Thailand, and Peru. In Ecuador, it is part of breakfast and also appears in dishes like encebollado soup and ceviche. In Peru’s Piura Region, chifle is traditionally fried over a wood-burning stove using algorrobo blanco wood, which gives it a distinct aroma and taste.
To make chifle, the plantain peel is removed by hand after a full-length incision, and the fruit is immediately soaked in salt water. It is then sliced thinly, either crosswise into rounds or lengthwise into strips, and fried in hot oil until golden and crispy, then salted. Factory-made versions are crispier and come in sweet, savory, and spicy varieties. Commercial production and export began because early 19th-century travelers on ships in Guayaquil were served chifle with meals, including breakfast, and popularized it as a snack.
The word “chifle” has an uncertain origin. In rural Ecuadorian coastal areas, “chiflar” was a colloquial term for a sharp whistle used to call people from a distance. Peruvian historians suggest the term may come from the Arabic “chofre,” referring to a sword blade, because the slices resemble sword cuts. Another idea links it to “horn” or “antler” due to shape, and a third ties it to the whistling sound made while eating.
Similar snacks exist in other tropical countries: chipilo in Bolivia, plataninas in Guatemala, nenthrakayyi varuthathu in South India, mariquitas in Cuba, platanutres in Puerto Rico, platanitos in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, and tostones in Venezuela. In Europe, Fyffes of Ireland produces and distributes chifles as “plantain chips.”
- origin
- Ecuador, Thailand, Peru
- type
- Fried plantain chip
- varieties
- Sweet, savory, spicy
- associated_regions
- Ecuador (Quito, Guayaquil), Peru (Piura Region)
- etymology
- Unknown origin; possibly from Arabic 'chofre' or from whistling sound
Lore & Background
In Ecuador, chifle is a staple companion in breakfast and is consumed in soups and cold dishes. Major brands include Banchis in Quito and Tortolines de inalecsa in Guayaquil. The process involves peeling plantains, soaking them in salt water, slicing them either across or lengthwise, frying until golden, and seasoning with salt. Commercial production arose because early 19th-century travelers on ships entering and leaving Guayaquil were served chifle instead of bread.
Reader's Guide
In Peru, chifle is typical of the Piura Region, where it is fried in wood-burning stoves with algorrobo blanco wood, giving it a special aroma and taste. It can be made from ripe or green plantains, yielding sweet or savory flavors, and is sometimes served with cancha serrana or shredded cecina. The Asociación de Productores de Chifles Piuranos (APROCHIP) has initiated a process to declare chifle a flagship product of Peru. The etymology of the word 'chifle' is disputed: it may derive from the Arabic 'chofre' referring to a sword blade, from the resemblance to a horn, or from the whistling sound made while eating. Similar preparations exist in many tropical countries under various names, and chifles have entered the European market as 'plantain chips' produced by Fyffes of Ireland.
Did You Know?
- In Ecuador, chifle is consumed in soups such as encebollado and in cold dishes such as ceviche.
- In Peru, chifle is traditionally fried in wood-burning stoves with wood of the algorrobo blanco tree.
- The word 'chifle' does appear in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (RAE) as a term for a fried plantain chip in some regions.
- Early 19th-century travelers on ships entering and leaving Guayaquil were served chifle instead of bread.
More in Ecuadorian cuisine 1-24
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