Want to Eat Authentic Hispanic Food? Learn to Use Traditional Condiments Properly
So many of the foods described as Hispanic foods have become staples in cuisines across the world. Take Mexican flan, for example: that dish is now eaten in the United States and throughout the world. Recetas for ceviche are now used from Mexico to the Caribbean to the southern U.S. In other words, many Hispanic foods can now be considered world foods.
It isn’t just the dishes, like tamales, that have spread across the world, either. Many Hispanic condiments now sit in the refrigerators and along the shelves of people in many different countries around the globe. Salsa, that tomato-based chip dip so many of us love, is just the most famous example. Here are three other condiments that help add a lot of oomph to Hispanic food and, now, many other dishes.
Three Classic Condiments That Really Bring Something Special to Hispanic Food
- Salsa Valentina
- Spicy, Savory Adobo Sauce
- The Full Range of Moles
As the Mija Chronicles, a popular food and travel website, details, salsa valentina is a vinegar-based chili sauce that is used to give extra flavor to everything from peanuts to fruit to full meals. It’s not the chunky salsa we’re used to in the States. It’s more like a liquid hot sauce.
According to the online Mexico travel guide MexInsider.com, adobo sauce is one of those condiments that varies from region to region, but the one thing that ties these different types together is their basis in chile peppers. Featuring notes of garlic, onion, and tomatoes, adobo makes the perfect accompaniment to traditional tamale recipes and other Hispanic foods.
Moles, pronounced Mo-lays, are like adobo sauces in that they very from region to region. Unlike adobo, however, chocolate is the ingredient that ties these sauces together. Mole negro, for example uses three different varieties of chiles and a high percentage of chocolate to make a dark, rich sauce that works well with many savory dishes. Mole dulce, on the other hand, combines banana, plantain, and dark chocolate together for a sauce that can be used on everything from desserts to dinner dishes.
Are there any traditional condiments you use to spice up your favorite Hispanic foods that we failed to mention? Enlighten us in the comment section below. More can be found here.
