Ropa vieja facts for kids
Ropa vieja (say "ROH-pah VYEH-hah") means "old clothes" in Spanish. It's a yummy dish found in many places like Latin America, the Philippines, and Spain. This meal usually has tender, shredded beef cooked in a tomato sauce. It often starts with a special mix of ingredients called a sofrito.
Ropa vieja first came from Spain. Today, it is famous as one of the national dishes of Cuba. The name "old clothes" probably comes from how it was made. People often used leftover food to create this tasty stew.
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Where Did Ropa Vieja Come From?
The story of ropa vieja began with the Sephardic Jews in Spain. They made a slow-cooked stew called "handrajos." This stew was cooked for a long time. It was eaten over the Shabbat, a special day of rest.
Over time, this dish traveled. It spread to North Africa and then to the Canary Islands of Spain.
Ropa Vieja Comes to the Americas
People from the Canary Islands brought the dish to the Americas. It was first cooked in Cuba in 1857. Now, it is a very well-known Cuban national dish.
Different Ways to Make Ropa Vieja
Ropa vieja is made in different ways around the world. Each place adds its own special touch.
Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands, ropa vieja is served with chickpeas and potatoes. Sometimes, people add other meats like chicken or pork.
Colombia
In Colombia, this dish is also called "carne desmechada." It means "shredded meat." People often eat it with rice, fried plantains, or arepas.
Cuba
Ropa vieja is a very important national dish in Cuba. It is usually served with rice and black beans. For a time, during the "Special Period" in Cuba, it was hard to find beef. This meant many Cubans could not make the dish.
Some people used lamb or pork instead. Others worked hard to find beef. By 2010, the dish became easy to find again. This was because new, legal restaurants called "paladares" opened. Ropa vieja is also very popular with Jewish people in Cuba. They often eat it with congri rice and fried plantains.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, the dish is called carne desmenuzada. It is sometimes called ropa vieja. It is made with green bell peppers, onions, and garlic. People add salt, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and mustard. It is usually served with white rice or gallopinto. Fried cheese and fried or boiled plantains are also common sides.
Philippines
In the Philippines, ropa vieja includes fish sauce. It is served with jasmine rice.
Spain
In Spain, ropa vieja is often a "make-do" dish. Cooks would use leftover stewed meats in a sofrito base. Chickpeas are almost always included in the Spanish version.
Venezuela
Like Colombia, Venezuela calls the dish both "ropa vieja" and "carne desmechada." It is a part of Venezuela's national dish, called Pabellón criollo. People also use it as a filling for arepas. The herb annatto is often used to give the dish a deeper color.
Other Places
Ropa vieja is also popular in Honduras, Puerto Rico, and other parts of Latin America. Many people from these countries living in the United States also enjoy making it.
See also
In Spanish: Ropa vieja para niños
