Tips for Buying and Using Peruvian Ingredients
- By Valentina Bella
- Published 11/3/2011
- Recipes
- Unrated
Aji amarillo, aji panca and rocoto - these words meant nothing to most Americans five years ago, and still may be undiscovered by the majority of the population. However, to those who have tried Peruvian cuisine, those words are synonyms for delicious, intriguing and flavorful. They are the names of the three most popular Peruvian chili peppers.
Aji amarillo, a yellow pepper as its Spanish name suggests, is usually described as hot yet fruity. Peruvian chefs use it in many ways, including fresh, jarred, paste, dried and ground. Until recently, American cooks had a hard time finding this chili in any of these forms. However, jarred aji amarillo, aji amarillo paste, and ground aji amarillo are now available online. This development has allowed American chefs to incorporate this delicious pepper into their own dishes while also giving Peruvian cooking a try. Fresh aji amarillo is very hard to find, but the aforementioned substitutes work just as well, or better, in many recipes.
For example, dried peppers that are ground into a powder are wonderful for spicing up chili. Jarred peppers work well for slicing and adding to stir-fry style dishes. Traditionally, aji amarillo is used in dishes such as Papa a la Huancaina. Some aji amarillo paste works very well in many recipes for this simple yet delicious Peruvian appetizer. Originating in the region of Huancayo, Papa a la Huancaina features boiled potatoes smothered in a creamy cheese sauce. The aji amarillo gives this dish its signature yellow color and slight spicy flavor.
In addition to aji amarillo, cooks are also experimenting with aji panca. This Peruvian chili pepper is described as smoky, woodsy and even berry-like. This sweet yet spicy pepper with fruity undertones is perfect for so many dishes, and is now even being used in desserts. Add some ground aji panca to cookie dough or chocolates for an intriguing new flavor. Traditionally, aji panca is used as a rub or marinade for meats, and in flavorful Peruvian stews. Perhaps the most well-known Peruvian dish that requires aji panca is anticuchos, or Peruvian kebabs. Aji panca is also available online as a paste, or in dried and ground form.
Roco
to is the hottest of the three peppers, and should be used sparingly until you are familiar with its heat level. Just a teaspoon of rocoto paste can add zesty spice to salsas, sauces, marinades and chili. Rocoto paste and jarred rocotos are now available online. At first glance, a fresh rocoto looks very similar to a red bell pepper. Fresh rocoto is hard to find, but if you do cook with one, be very careful about touching the skin and seeds, and avoid touching your eyes and face until you have thoroughly washed your hands. Like other very hot peppers, rocoto is spicy enough to irritate eyes and sensitive skin. Using rocoto in paste or ground form is an easy way to avoid that problem, however.
You can find rocoto peppers online in either of these forms. Traditionally, rocoto peppers are used to make fiery ceviche. Ceviche is one of Peru's most famous dishes, and is now putting Peru on the world's culinary map with cevicherias opening in large cities across America. The dish consists of raw fish that is quickly "cooked" in a citrus marinade and seasoned with hot peppers. The first ceviche was made with just chilis and sea salt, but the Spaniards introduced the natives to lime, and the recipe was adapted to include this fresh and tangy ingredient. The mixture of lime and spice is a distinct one, and of course the rest of the dish depends on the freshness of the fish.
With Peru's long coastline, there is an abundance of fresh fish and seafood, which is why so many Peruvian dishes rely on it. However, the Andean cuisine of the highlands usually consists of meat and potatoes. The meat in traditional dishes ranges from beef, pork and chicken to goat and even alpaca, and of course the famous guinea pig. However, in Peruvian-American restaurants, you will usually just see beef, chicken and seafood.
Dishes like lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry usually seasoned with aji amarillo in some form, and pollo a la brasa, seasoned with chili powder and other Peruvian spices, are becoming popular in the US. These are the dishes Americans are interested in cooking at home, and of course most require the aforementioned chili peppers - aji amarillo, aji panca and rocoto. With more Peruvian restaurants popping up across the US, and these ingredients now available online, many people predict Peruvian food and cooking will become very popular within the next few years.
Aji amarillo, a yellow pepper as its Spanish name suggests, is usually described as hot yet fruity. Peruvian chefs use it in many ways, including fresh, jarred, paste, dried and ground. Until recently, American cooks had a hard time finding this chili in any of these forms. However, jarred aji amarillo, aji amarillo paste, and ground aji amarillo are now available online. This development has allowed American chefs to incorporate this delicious pepper into their own dishes while also giving Peruvian cooking a try. Fresh aji amarillo is very hard to find, but the aforementioned substitutes work just as well, or better, in many recipes.
For example, dried peppers that are ground into a powder are wonderful for spicing up chili. Jarred peppers work well for slicing and adding to stir-fry style dishes. Traditionally, aji amarillo is used in dishes such as Papa a la Huancaina. Some aji amarillo paste works very well in many recipes for this simple yet delicious Peruvian appetizer. Originating in the region of Huancayo, Papa a la Huancaina features boiled potatoes smothered in a creamy cheese sauce. The aji amarillo gives this dish its signature yellow color and slight spicy flavor.
In addition to aji amarillo, cooks are also experimenting with aji panca. This Peruvian chili pepper is described as smoky, woodsy and even berry-like. This sweet yet spicy pepper with fruity undertones is perfect for so many dishes, and is now even being used in desserts. Add some ground aji panca to cookie dough or chocolates for an intriguing new flavor. Traditionally, aji panca is used as a rub or marinade for meats, and in flavorful Peruvian stews. Perhaps the most well-known Peruvian dish that requires aji panca is anticuchos, or Peruvian kebabs. Aji panca is also available online as a paste, or in dried and ground form.
Roco
You can find rocoto peppers online in either of these forms. Traditionally, rocoto peppers are used to make fiery ceviche. Ceviche is one of Peru's most famous dishes, and is now putting Peru on the world's culinary map with cevicherias opening in large cities across America. The dish consists of raw fish that is quickly "cooked" in a citrus marinade and seasoned with hot peppers. The first ceviche was made with just chilis and sea salt, but the Spaniards introduced the natives to lime, and the recipe was adapted to include this fresh and tangy ingredient. The mixture of lime and spice is a distinct one, and of course the rest of the dish depends on the freshness of the fish.
With Peru's long coastline, there is an abundance of fresh fish and seafood, which is why so many Peruvian dishes rely on it. However, the Andean cuisine of the highlands usually consists of meat and potatoes. The meat in traditional dishes ranges from beef, pork and chicken to goat and even alpaca, and of course the famous guinea pig. However, in Peruvian-American restaurants, you will usually just see beef, chicken and seafood.
Dishes like lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry usually seasoned with aji amarillo in some form, and pollo a la brasa, seasoned with chili powder and other Peruvian spices, are becoming popular in the US. These are the dishes Americans are interested in cooking at home, and of course most require the aforementioned chili peppers - aji amarillo, aji panca and rocoto. With more Peruvian restaurants popping up across the US, and these ingredients now available online, many people predict Peruvian food and cooking will become very popular within the next few years.
Valentina Bella
Valentina Bella is an expert in Peruvian ingredients and cooking. She enjoys creating new Peruvian food recipes and perfecting her traditional dishes using aji amarillo, aji panca, and rocoto peppers, Peruvian grains like quinoa, and other Peruvian ingredients.
View all articles by Valentina Bella