Ají is a spicy sauce that often contains

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es,

cilantro Coriander (;

(coriander),

ají pepper ''Capsicum baccatum'' is a member of the genus ''Capsicum'', and is one of the five domesticated chili pepper species. The fruit tends to be very pungent, and registers 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale. Chili pepper varieties in ...

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

, and

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

Recipes

Recipes vary dramatically from person to person and from region to region, depending on preference. Ají has been prepared in Andean countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

since at least the time of the

Incas The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

, who called it ''uchu''. In Colombia and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

, for example, food is traditionally mild, so ají can be added to almost any dish to add some flavor and spice. It is usually added to other foods such as

Anticucho ''Anticuchos'' (singular ''anticucho'', Quechua 'Anti Kuchu', '' Anti'': 'Eastern region of the Andes' or 'Eastern native ethnicities', ''Kuchu'': 'Cut'; Quechua for 'Anti-style cuts', 'Eastern-style cuts') are popular and inexpensive meat dishes ...

chugchucaras Chugchucaras is the local delicacy of Latacunga, Ecuador, and the surrounding area. Chugchucaras consists of deep fried pork, ''mote'' (boiled hominy), potatoes, fried plantains, empanadas, and pork rinds. It is accompanied by aji, a spicy s ...

, soup, chorizo, or

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...

s. In

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

there is a similar variety of the condiment known as ''ají chileno'', which contains the additional ingredient of lemon juice.

Gallery

References

External links

Eshbaugh, W. Hardy. Peppers: History and Exploitation of a Serendipitous New Crop Discovery (1993)
Bolivian cuisine Chilean condiments Chilean sauces Chili pepper dishes Colombian cuisine Ecuadorian cuisine Latin American cuisine Peruvian cuisine Sauces {{SouthAm-cuisine-stub

Recipes

Gallery

See also

References

External links