Caldo de gallina — the national hangover cure of Lima, served from street carts at 3am — uses the deeper, more complex flavour of old laying hen (gallina, not pollo) as opposed to young broiler chicken. The hen's age produces a much richer gelatin concentration, a deeper flavour from the well-used muscle fibres, and a stock that requires no reduction to achieve body. The noodles, potato, and soft-boiled egg added at service transform the rich broth into a complete, restorative preparation.
- **Gallina (old hen):** Fundamentally different from broiler chicken — lower fat, much more flavour, much higher collagen concentration. Cooking time: 2+ hours to become tender (the old hen's muscle fibres require extended cooking that young chicken does not). - **Aromatic base:** Onion, celery, carrot — identical cold-start technique as all other clear broth preparations (Hazan, Tsuji, pho). - **Peruvian additions:** Celery root (uncommon in other traditions), Chinese celery (the Chifa influence), dried yellow chilli. - **The egg:** A soft-boiled egg placed in the bowl at service — its yolk breaks into the hot soup and enriches the broth with fat and protein simultaneously.
Peru