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by Scott Rose
Peru is a chilehead's paradise. The country has over 300 different known types of chile peppers, and the nation's regional cuisines, all chile-centric, try to outdo each other in firepower. A North American who cultivates a love for chiles might well be looked on by his sissy-tongued, bland-food-only neighbors as a whacko oddball, but in Peru, if you don't love ajies, as chiles are called there, they know you're not Peruvian.
No Peruvian town is complete without its "picantaria," a type of restaurant whose name derives from a Spanish word for hot and spicy--even the country's few McDonald's locations serve their french fries with fiery yellow aji cream. But the people of this region have long loved chiles. The Mochica people, whose civilization flourished in northern Peru from 100 BC to about 900 AD, built pyramids, temples, palaces, fortifications and aqueducts; They also left behind a 2,000-year-old petroglyph showing a fish surrounded by chiles.
To the Incas, who thrived in this part of South America from the twelfth to the early sixteenth centuries, aji was a mythological character in spoken lore and poetry. And when modern archeologists unearthed thousands of Inca mummies in Puruchuco outside Lima, they found that many of the bodies had been buried in the company of foodstuffs, including generous servings of aji.
The Incas used an ingenious method of freeze-drying to preserve their chiles, which would then be ground into powders to be used as condiments. The mountainous areas around Machu Picchu tend to be cold at night and sunny and dry during the day. The ajies would be spread out under cloths and allowed to freeze overnight. The following morning, they stomped on the chiles to remove moisture, and during the day the sun dried the ajies. Not only do ajies last longer when freeze-dried, they also acquire through the process markedly different and enchanting flavors.
The Peruvian writer El Inca, Garcilaso de la Vega, born in 1539 to a conquistador captain and an Inca princess, made many references to ajies in his volumes of Peruvian history. "The people of my homeland are so enamored of aji that they won't eat so much as a few raw vegetables without it," he wrote. Garcilaso also described how seafood preserved with lime juice and ajies was hauled long distances to supply Inca rulers with a historical version of the Peruvian specialty ceviche. Even Cuzco Cathedral, begun the year de la Vega turned 20, houses a painted representation of the Last Supper in which the feast includes roast guinea pig with papayas and ajies on surrounding platters.
While it is not known in precisely what year Peruvians first described the fire of their ajies as "gringo huanuchi" (hot enough to kill a Caucasian), we do know that in 1814 Friedrich von Humboldt wrote a political essay on the kingdom of New Spain, remarking that "The fruit of the chile is as indispensable to the native Peruvians as salt to the whites." Over the last few centuries, many immigrant cultures have contributed elements of their own cuisines to Peruvian cooking: Spanish, African, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Japanese influences have greatly enriched the culinary landscape. Ask any Peruvian and you will hear that hot peppers are the very soul of Peruvian cuisine. But how does one make inroads in understanding a culture of over 300 different chile peppers? There are three basic types: aji amarillo, aji panca and rocotos.
Aji
amarillo, Capsicum baccatum, is the most frequently used in Peru. It grows in most every region and is available nearly all year. From four to six inches long, the pods taper to a point and are thin-fleshed. They start off green, ripen to a shiny yellow and can sometimes acquire an orange-red coloration in late maturity. Fruity in taste, with berry overtones and citrus aromas, aji Amarillo does pack a punch. One pod might measure 30,000 Scoville units and another 50,000, but none of them would be too tepid for Wilbur Scoville, were he alive to get seared by them.Aji
amarillo is an essential ingredient of an authentic ceviche, the Peruvian national dish that consists of seafood cured in citrus juice, cilantro and red onion. Combined with onions, salt, garlic and other spices, the aji amarillo is also the basis for many different salsas used to accompany meats, seafood, poultry, potatoes and other vegetables.The same chile pepper is sometimes called aji escabeche for its inclusion in dishes prepared as escabeches. An escabeche is made with fried fish, chicken or duck over which is poured a marinade of spices and seasonings, ajies, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Once the sauce has had time to penetrate the fish or fowl, the escabeche is served cold.
In its dried form, aji amarillo is called aji mirasol. The dried pods might be charred to bring out their flavors while a paste made from them is used in soups, tamales and often in the absolutely delicious chicken dish aji de gallina. Though the function of aji amarillo is never merely decorative, cooks do enjoy the cheery yellow tone it lends their creations.
Aji
panca is either Capsicum baccatum or Capsicum chinense--sources vary. It's long, curving stem looks more like a baccatum. Archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using this chile pepper since 6,500 B.C. Today the aji panca grows mainly in the coastal regions and is often used with seafood, though it is also an important addition to many rice dishes, soups and sauces.About three to five inches long and about one inch across, the aji panca has medium thick flesh and a smoky berry flavor with fruity overtones adding up to an aromatic taste with mild but very persistent heat. The pods mature from green to yellow or deep red or burgundy. Upon drying they take on a rich chocolate brown coloration.
The rocotos, Capsicum pubescens, are an extraordinary aji. Having the approximate size and shape of small bell peppers, they are also exceptionally hot. Red on the outside, rocotos have unique black seeds. One online source for bottled, preserved rocotos with their seeds carries the warning "Muy picante. Keep out of the reach of children."
Rocotos
are native to the valleys of the Andean highlands. The plant is bushy in formation, its blooms white at the center with a purple edge; like all pubescens, its leaves are hairy. Peruvians especially prize rocotos because the chiles' tropical fruit overtones combine with a heat that works only on the taste buds and not on the digestive system.In their dried, powdered and paste forms, rocotos are used to flavor sauces and soups. As Doris Platt Rodriguez, the Peruvian owner of the restaurant Andina in Portland, Oregon says, "a sauce made with rocoto is the hot sauce por excelencia. Placed at the center of the table, a rocoto sauce will be used by Peruvians on virtually any food."
The ultimate dish using this aji is rocotos rellenos, or stuffed chiles, a specialty of Arequipa in the Andes of southern Peru. Prepared with ground beef, egg, olives and spices, and topped with melted cheese, a rocoto relleno is fit to be the pride and joy of anybody who can consume it without reaching for a glass of milk or a slice of bread. While fresh rocotos are rarely available in commercial markets in the U.S., the plant can be cultivated and will bear fruit in many parts of North America. The Web site www.rocoto.com is an excellent resource for growing information and seeds.
Most any Peruvian restaurant in the U.S. serves aji-rich offerings, though if you enjoy the heat you should make mention of your preferences to your servers because as a rule they tone things down to suit the tastes of the typical heat-challenged American. Together with Andina's head chef Emmanuel Piqueras Villaran, Doris Platt Rodriguez has gained particular distinction in the food world by spearheading the movement of Novoandina cuisine, which gives a light and haute twist to all things Peruvian.
Stuffed Rocotos
This recipe is a signature dish of Arequipa, a city spectacularly located in the Andes of southern Peru. Famous throughout the country, it has become a national dish, right behind ceviche and aji de gallina. The Peruvians typically accompany stuffed rocotos with beer, although a red wine is also appropriate. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
Salsa Criolla is an onion and aji-based sauce that can be found at the center of most Peruvian tables. It is used as a condiment for all meats, seafood and vegetables.
The very name of this dish, aji de gallina, tells you that it should be good and picante. It is one of the classic showcases for aji amarillo, with the yellow Peruvian chili peppers lending both a fruity heat and a lovely yellow hue to the preparation. Dry champagne or white wine makes for an excellent accompanying drink.
