Ajiaco facts for kids
Ajiaco is one of the most representative dishes of Bogotá, Colombia
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| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Pre-Columbian era |
| Region or state | Latin America |
| Main ingredients | Potatoes |
Ajiaco (pronounced ah-hee-AH-koh) is a tasty soup that is popular in several countries. You can find different versions of it in Colombia, Cuba, and Peru. People have discussed where this dish first came from for a long time.
Ajiaco is especially famous in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. There, it's often called Ajiaco santafereño. This Colombian version usually has chicken, three kinds of potatoes, and a special herb called guasca. In Cuba, ajiaco is more like a thick stew. In Peru, it's made in many different ways depending on the region.
Contents
The Story of Ajiaco
No one knows for sure exactly where ajiaco began. Experts have different ideas about its history.
A former president of Cuba, Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso, wrote that the word "ajiaco" comes from "aji." This was a word used by the native Taíno people for "hot pepper."
Another Cuban expert, Fernando Ortiz Fernández, thought that ajiaco was a typical meal for the Taíno people. He also said that ajiaco is a good way to describe Cuba itself. He meant that Cuba is like a "melting pot" where many different cultures and people mix together.
In the Cuban city of Camagüey, a big festival called San Juan starts with making and serving ajiaco. A Cuban magazine, La Calle, said that people in a village called Santa María de Puerto del Príncipe started making ajiaco. They used their own ingredients, gifts from travelers, and extra food from farmers and even from enslaved people. Ajiaco became very popular in Cuba in the 1500s, especially among people living in the countryside. Sometimes, even the upper class enjoyed it.
How Ajiaco is Made
Ajiaco is prepared differently in each country where it is popular.
Ajiaco in Colombia
In Bogotá, Colombia, ajiaco is a very popular dish. It is usually made with chicken, three types of potatoes, and the Galinsoga parviflora herb. This herb is known as guasca or guascas in Colombia.
People often add extra toppings to their ajiaco. These can include capers, slices of avocado, pieces of corn on the cob, or a dollop of cream.
Ajiaco in Cuba
In Cuba, ajiaco is a rich and hearty stew. It is made with different kinds of meat like beef, pork, and chicken. It also includes many vegetables and starchy roots. These roots are called viandas in Cuba.
Ajiaco in Peru
In Peru, ajiaco is quite different from the other versions. It is a dish of potatoes cooked with garlic. It also has a mix of dried yellow and red chilies, like aji mirasol and aji panca. Herbs such as hierba buena and huacatay are also added. Peruvian ajiaco is usually served with rice and stewed chicken or rabbit.
See also
In Spanish: Ajiaco para niños
