Picada facts for kids
Picada (say "pee-KAH-dah") is a special kind of sauce and cooking trick from Catalonia and Valencia in Spain. It's super important in their cooking! Think of it not as a sauce you eat by itself, like mayonnaise, but more like a secret ingredient you add to make your food taste amazing.
Picada is usually added near the end of cooking a meal. It helps to mix and thicken the yummy juices in your dish. It gives a fantastic finishing touch to lots of different foods, like meats, fish, rice, soups, and vegetables.
Contents
What is Picada Made Of?
The main ingredients for picada are usually almonds, bread, and some kind of liquid.
The Basic Ingredients
- Almonds: These are often toasted first. Sometimes, other nuts like hazelnuts, pine nuts, or walnuts are used instead of or with almonds.
- Bread: This is usually old, dry bread that's been toasted or fried. Sometimes, a sweet biscuit or cookie can be used instead.
- Liquid: This is often the cooking juice from the dish you're making. You can also use broth or hot water.
Other Common Ingredients
Besides the main three, picada often includes garlic and saffron. These two are considered very important! You might also find parsley in it. Less common ingredients can be cinnamon, cooked liver (from a chicken or rabbit), chocolate, cumin, and other herbs or spices.
How to Make Picada
Picada is always made in a mortar with a pestle. This tool helps you crush and grind the ingredients together. You keep grinding until everything is a smooth paste.
Often, a recipe starts with another important sauce called sofregit (like a Spanish version of sofrito). Then, the picada is added a few minutes before the food is ready. This helps to bring all the flavors together and make the dish thicker and richer.
Picada Through History
Picada has been a part of Catalan cooking for a very long time. People have been writing about it in cookbooks since the Middle Ages! Other countries around the Mediterranean Sea, like France (Occitan cuisine) and Italy, have similar sauces. For example, Italy has pesto, which is also made by crushing ingredients together.
Picada in Argentina
In Argentina, the word "Picada" means something a bit different. It's a plate of cold foods, like different kinds of ham, sausages, and cheeses (like blue cheese or Parmesan). It's usually served with dips, bread, olives, and nuts. It's a popular snack or appetizer to share with friends.
See also
- In Spanish: Picada (cocina catalana) para niños
