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Cuchifritos () or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork
in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and
Puerto Rican cuisine
Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Europe (mostly Spain), Africa and the native Taínos.
History
Puerto Rican cuisine has been influenced by an array of cultures including Taino Arawak, Spanish, an ...
. In
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, cuchifritos are a typical dish from
Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia.
Segovia is in the Inner Plateau ('' Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of t ...
in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil and garlic and served hot. In Puerto Rico they include a variety of dishes including ''morcilla'' (blood sausage), ''papas rellenas'' (fried potato balls stuffed with meat), and ''chicharron'' (fried pork skin), and other parts of the pig
prepared in different ways. Some cuchifritos dishes are prepared using
plantain
Plantain may refer to:
Plants and fruits
* Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking
** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa''
* ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...
as a primary ingredient.
Cuchifritos vendors also typically serve juices and drinks such as
passionfruit,
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
, and
coconut juice, as well as
''ajonjolí'', a drink made from
sesame seed
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
s.
Origin
The term used to refer to small, fried parts of a pig.
It is incorrectly thought that it derives its name from the word ''cuchí'', short for ''cochino'' or pig and ''frito'', which describes something that is fried.
The etymology of the word comes from the participle of verbs ''cocer'' -to cook or boil- (latín coctum > cocho, from which derives the element cochi-) y ''freír'' -to fry-(-frito).
Cuchifritos may also refer to restaurants that serve this type of food.
In New York
In New York, vendors advertising cuchifritos are particularly notable because they tend to make use of colorful external lighting and big, flashy signs that quickly catch the eyes of passersby. These establishments dot Puerto Rican and Dominican areas of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, particularly
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...
,
Bushwick,
Hamilton Heights
Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood in the northern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is the northernmost part of the West Harlem area, along with Manhattanville and Morningside Heights to its south, and it contains the sub-neighborhood an ...
,
Washington Heights,
South Bronx,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and other primarily Puerto Rican and Dominican neighborhoods.
Puerto Rican dishes
Cuchifrito vendors also sell rice with stewed beans,
arroz junto
Arroz junto (rice together) is a Puerto Rican rice dish cooked with beans and meat in one pot.
Origin
Method
Rice, beans, and usually some kind of meat, are combined in the same pot. Sofrito, meat, olives, capers and spices are cooked in anna ...
, and
arroz con gandules
Arroz con gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork, cooked in the same pot with sofrito. This is Puerto Rico's national dish along with roasted pork.
Preparation
This dish is mainly served during Christmas season or for special oc ...
. Originally these fried dish would have been fried in lard. Today they use frying oil because it is cheaper and very available. Some Dominican dishes have been adopted notably ''
morir soñando'' and ''
mangú''.
Jamaican patty
A Jamaican patty is a semicircular pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside a flaky shell, often tinted golden yellow with an egg yolk mixture or turmeric. It is made like a turnover as it is formed by folding over the circ ...
and
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
''
masitas de puerco'' (fried pork shoulder) are popular in cuchifritos as well.
Fried dishes served in a cuchifrito:
*Aítos – Bacalaítos with crab or shrimp added.
*
Alcapurria
''Alcapurria'' is a popular fritter dish from Puerto Rico.
Origin
It may have influence from Middle Eastern '' kibbeh'' as there is a significant amount of Lebanese and Armenian in San Juan.
Preparation
The dough surrounding the filling, the ...
– Starchy dough from ''
yautía
''Xanthosoma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food stap ...
'' mixed with green banana, lard, annatto, garlic, and a small of amount of squash and potato. Stuffed with meat, shaped more or less as a cone on both ends and deep-fried.
*Alcapurria de malanga –
Taro
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Afri ...
replacing green banana.
*Alcapurria de panapén – Breadfruit replacing green banana.
*Alcapurria de plátano – Green plantain replacing green banana.
*Alcapurria de yuca – Cassava replacing green banana.
*
Almojábana
Almojábana is a type of bread made with cuajada cheese and corn flour.
About
An almojábana is a small, bun-shaped bread having a tart flavor. It has some variations between Hispanic America and Spain.
The etymology stems from Hispano-Arab ...
– A round fitter made of rice flour, plantain flour,
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...
, or breadfruit flour, milk, eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, stuffed with cheese and fried.
*Arañitas – Arañitas translate to "spiders". These small fritters are called spiders, due to the wide shredding of plantains. The green plantains are shredded and seasoned with garlic, salt, peppers, formed into flat small fritters and fried. Many other recipes exist, such as adding sweet plantains, eggs, onion, fresh herbs, cheese and shredded meat. They are served with fry sauce.
*
Arepa de coco – Bread made from flour or cornmeal, coconut milk, butter, baking powder, eggs (optional), few tablespoons of milk (optional), sugar, and salt. They are fried, baked or cooked on a
flattop
A flattop is a type of haircut where the hair on the top of the head is cut and styled upright to form a flat profile when viewed from the front or side.
Styling
In the most classic and mainstream style of flattop for men and boys, the hair ...
. They are cut open and stuffed with seafood but have the option of meat, vegetables and cheese.
*
Bacalaíto
A bacalaíto is a salted codfish fritter, a traditional Puerto Rican snack that typically is eaten with an entire meal. Bacalaítos are served at the beach, ''cuchifritos'', and at festivals. They are crispy on the outside and dense and chewy in ...
–
Deep fried
Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norma ...
pancake-like batter containing salted
codfish
Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
,
flour, milk, ''
sofrito
(Spanish, ), ( Catalan), (Italian, ), or (Portuguese, ) is a basic preparation in Mediterranean, Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed o ...
'' and spices.
*Canoas de plátano – Sweet plantains are cut down the middle fried or baked and stuffed with savory ground meat and topped with shredded cheese.
*
Chicharrón
(, , plural ; pt, torresmo ; fil, chicharon; ch, chachalon) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton or beef.
Name
, as a dish with sauce, or as finger-food snacks, ar ...
– Pork cracklings.
*Chicharrón de pollo – Fried bite size chicken chunks marinated and coated in a seasoned egg batter of flour and cornstarch.
*
Empanadilla and Pastelillo – Empanadas.
*
Mofongo
Mofongo () is a Puerto Rican dish with plantains as its main ingredient. Plantains are picked green, cut into pieces and typically fried but can be boiled or roasted, then mashed with salt, garlic, broth, and olive oil in a wooden pilón (mortar ...
– This dish might be Puerto Ricos most famous dish. The plantains are typically fried before mashing with broth, spices, garlic, olive oil, and chicarrón but the plantains can also be boiled, roasted or baked. It is severd in numerous ways.
*
Morcilla
A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.
In Europe and the A ...
– Blood sausage.
*Oreja – Fried pig ears.
*Pastelillo or Pastelillo de yuca – Empanada dough made with
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...
, annatto, lard, milk and egg yolks. Filled with choose of meat or cheese.
*
Pionono
Pionono describes different sweet or savory pastries from Granada, Spain, the Caribbean, South America, and the Philippines. It is named after Pope Pius IX's name in Spanish, .
By country Spain
Piononos are small pastries traditional in Santa F ...
– Slices of ripe plantain stuck together with toothpicks and filled with the seasoned ground beef or seafood and cheese. They are dipped in a batter and fried.
*Plátanos maduro – Slices of sweet plantains deep-fried.
*Pollo frito – Breaded fried chicken thighs or legs.
*Relleno de maduros – Sweet planatin version of relleno de papa.
*
Rellenos de papa – Cooked potatoes mashed with eggs, milk, annatto, flour or cornstarch, stuffed with ''picadillo'', meat, seafood, vegetables, or cheese rolled in cornmeal or breadcrumbs, then deep fried.
*Rellenos de panapén –
Breadfruit version of rellenos de papa.
*Rellenos de yuca – Cassave version of rellenos de papa.
*
Sorullos – Sweet cornmeal base fitter similar to
hushpuppy
A hush puppy (or hushpuppy) is a small, savory, deep-fried round ball made from cornmeal-based batter. Hushpuppies are frequently served as a side dish with seafood and other deep-fried foods.
History
The use of ground maize (corn) in cooking ...
filled with cheese.
*
Tostones
Tostones (, from the Spanish verb ''tostar'' which means "to toast") are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. Most commonly known as ''tostones'', Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Cuba, Fl ...
– Double fried green plantains served with meals or as a snack with
mojo sauce, hot sauce or
fry sauce
Fry sauce is a condiment often served with French fries or tostones (twice-fried plantain slices) in many places in the world. It is usually a combination of one part tomato ketchup and two parts mayonnaise. Historically, the Argentinian salsa go ...
.
*Tostones de panapén – Same as plantain tostone but with unripe breadfruit.
In media
New World cuchifritos and cuchifrito establishments have appeared regularly in the Bronx Flavor television series hosted by
Baron Ambrosia
Baron Ambrosia was a character played by international explorer Justin Fornal from 2006 to 2013. The character was a self-proclaimed "quaffer of culinary consciousness" and traveled around New York City, mostly in The Bronx, documenting variou ...
. Episodes such as "Cuchifritos of Love" document the history of the food and its distinct role in Nuyorican cuisine and identity.
See also
*
Cuisine of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Europe (mostly Spain), Africa and the native Taínos.
History
Puerto Rican cuisine has been influenced by an array of cultures including Taino Arawak, Spanish, an ...
*
Cuisine of New York City
The cuisine of New York City comprises many cuisines belonging to various ethnic groups that have entered the United States through the city. Almost all ethnic cuisines are well represented in New York, both within and outside the various ethni ...
*
Finger food
Finger foods are small, individual portions of food that are eaten out of hand. They are often served at social events. The ideal finger food usually does not create any mess (i.e. no crumbs, drips, or any kind of mess), but this criterion is o ...
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite web , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9cSu7ZgmE8UC&pg=PA43 , title=Food: Up from Cuchifritos , publisher=New York Magazine , date=August 7, 1972 , accessdate=16 June 2015 , author1=Glaser, Milton , author2=Snyder, Jerome , pages=43–45]
External links
Traditional recipe of cuchifrito. Take a taste of Extremadura, Spain
Puerto Rican cuisine
Latin American cuisine
Spanish cuisine