Anticuchos
Encyclopedia
Anticuchos are popular and inexpensive dishes that originated in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and popular also in other Andean states
Andean states
The Andean States are a group of nations in South America that are defined by sharing a common geography or culture such as the Quechua language and Andean cuisine which was primarily spread during the times of the Inca Empire, but also before and after it.Politically speaking, Argentina and Chile...
consisting of small pieces of grilled skewered meat.
Anticuchos can be readily found on street-carts and street food stalls (anticucheras). The meat may be marinated in vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
and spices (such as cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
, aji pepper
Ají pepper
Capsicum baccatum is a species of chili pepper that includes the following cultivar and varieties:*Aji amarillo, or amarillo chili*Peppadew*Lemon drop*Bishop's Crown*Brazilian Starfish*Wild Baccatum-Origins and distribution:The C...
and garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
), and while anticuchos can be made of any type of meat, the most popular are made of beef heart (anticuchos de corazon). Anticuchos often come with a boiled potato or bread on the end of the skewer. A similar dish, shish-kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
is found in Mediterranean cuisine. It is considered one of the most popular and typical in some countries of this continent. In Peru it is a tradition from colonial times and is linked to the procession of Señor de los Milagros.
Anticuchos can be traced as far back as the 16th century, when they were first encountered by the Spanish conquistadors
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
. It was at this time that European ingredients such as garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
were added. It was a popular dish among the inhabitants of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, and it is currently popular throughout most South American countries. Its greatest popularity, however, remains in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Americanized versions of anticuchos are sometimes made of non-organ meats.
According to the text file from the National Library in Lima (Peru), it is believed that the term comes from the quechua antikuchu (anti: 'Andes' + kuchu: 'court' or uchu: 'porridge, mix').
Anticuchos texts can be tracked in Spanish of the sixteenth century, when the conquistadors arrived in the Spanish Peru. At that time were added to anticuchos European ingredients such as beef (which would replace the llama used at the time of the Inca empire) and the garlic. In this regard, the writer Erika Fetzer mentions that according to tradition, originally anticuchos were prepared with meat and flame. In order to reach, the Spanish strung the meat on sticks as skewers.
The Spaniards also brought enslaved blacks, which were established in Lima and the coast of southern Chico de la Ciudad de los Reyes of the Vice-royalty of Peru. They adopted this dish (or adapted from that eaten in Africa).
In those days the Spanish dismissed all kinds of offal and it was considered food for slaves. The Spaniards used non-offal meats out of a desire to have a dish that was more attractive to them. The presently used recipe, with its traditional flavor specifically uses beef heart. In Peru, the tradition continues with the name and the ingredients.
Peruvian Ricardo Palma's speeches, Tradiciones Peruanas were published in 1833, mentioned the sale of anticuchos at 3 in the afternoon.
Anticuchos in the Andes
The traditional anticuchos is made with beef chunks of about 5x5 cm and onions on a metal skewer strung about 40 cm long and 3 x 3 mm, roasted, in Chile it is accompanied with a 1 / 4 bread called Marraqueta, a very popular Chilean bread much like the classic French bread= at the tip of the skewer.Anticuchos are commonly prepared with different types of beef and to a lesser extent with chicken, usually cut into pieces of 2 x 2 cm, strung on a skewer of no more than 30 cm long, with pieces of sausage, Viennese and vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms alternated on the skewer, just like cooking meat on a barbecue (asado).
Usually they're seasoned with salt to taste and thick and sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice.
A popular dressing is a sauce made from garlic, onion and cilantro chopped, vinegar, lemon juice and beer, the sauce is spread on anticuchos with a bunch of parsley.
Anticuchos are, usually, not the main course of a meal, but instead an accompaniment to grilled meats along with other side dishes such as; choripanes (Chile: "choripan"-- the word comes from "chorizo" and "pan" put together), potatoes, sausages and salads.
Variants include smaller sticks of wood of 15 cm or less are called "skewers of meat."
Anticuchos are part of a group called traditional Peruvian and Chilean cuisine. The greatest consumption in Peru is in July, during the celebration of Fiestas Patrias (Independence day) in fondas and BBQs. In Chile, anticuchos and choripan are popular year around at any bbq or 'asado' as well as at Chilean Fiestas Patrias (celebrated in September).