Sandra Campana, from Mexico, and her Peruvian husband have always enjoyed cooking at home since they met in Tucson six years ago. They were in their kitchen when they came to a realization.
“We saw that we had the same ingredients and very similar cultures, so we decided to open a restaurant,” said Campana, the owner of Gigi’s Mexican & Peruvian Fusion food truck. “But we couldn’t open a restaurant, so we said, ‘Let’s open a food truck because it’s in right now.’”
Campana, who was born in Guadalajara, moved to Tucson in 1995. She returned to Mexico to attend Le Cordon Bleu before coming back to get her Master’s in marketing at the University of Arizona. She said the United States offers a better opportunity for her family and four kids, who were all born in Tucson.
She opened Gigi’s Mexican & Peruvian Fusion nearly three years ago.
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Campana categorized the menu as “Peruvian food mixed with Mexican.” The recipes come from her husband’s family, but she replaces Peruvian ingredients that are unavailable in Tucson with Mexican alternatives.
“I didn’t know anything about the Peruvian culture until I met his family,” she said. “I just started loving Peruvian food.”
Campana said the food truck has been received well because of its uniqueness. The most popular item on the menu is the carne asada topped with chimichurri, which is a salsa made of a blend of olive oil, garlic, aji (Peruvian chili pepper) and parsley. It’s served in a rice bowl or tacos or on top of fries.
“There is already Mexican food and culture, but they don’t know about Peruvian food,” she said. “They love it.”
Campana said her long-term goal is to open a restaurant, but that’s not in the couple’s immediate plans.
“I don’t know when, but it’s our dream,” she said. “For now, we’re happy with the food truck.”
You can find out where Gigi’s Peruvian & Mexican Fusion food truck is going to be by following the truck on Twitter (@GigisMexican) or liking its page on Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Gigis-Mexican-Peruvian-Fusion-Food-Truck/565620820157610?ref=br_rs).
Sandra Campana took some time to answer a few questions for us:
What would be in your dream kitchen?
“It would be a big, big, big, big kitchen where I can walk around.”
What is one ingredient that you can’t cook without?
“Aji pepper.”
What is your worst kitchen nightmare story?
“The first time I cooked aji de gallina. I got the recipe online and it was a mess. The good thing was it was just for my family, so they said, ‘Mom, don’t get mad, but it’s bad.’ But after that, I learned how to cook it.”
