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 Sancocho de espinazo de cerdo (pork spine sancocho) | |
| Type | Soup orstew |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Latin America, Asia (Philippines), Europe (Spain, Canary Islands) |
| Region or state | Latin America |
| Main ingredients | Meat,vegetables,broth,yuca,plantains |
Sancocho (from the Spanish verbsancochar, 'to parboil') is a traditionalstew in severalCaribbean andLatin American cuisines. Latin variations represent popularnational dishes inDominican Republic,Colombia,Cuba,Honduras,Mexico,Panama,Puerto Rico,Trinidad and Tobago andVenezuela. It usually consists of large pieces ofmeat,tubers andvegetables served in a broth.
Sancocho is a traditional food in Colombia made with many kinds of meat (most commonly chicken, hen, pork ribs, beef ribs, fish and ox tail) with large pieces ofplantain,potato,cassava and/or other vegetables such as tomato, scallion, cilantro and mazorca (corn on the cob), depending on the region. Some top it off with fresh cilantro, onion and squeezed lime. It is also served with a side of sliced avocado and a plate of white rice, which is usually dipped in with each spoonful of soup.[1]
Also known assancocho de gallina, it is the national dish of Panama. The basic ingredients are chicken,ñame (adding flavor and acting as a thickener, giving it its characteristic texture and brightness) andculantro (giving it most of its characteristic flavor and greenish tone); oftenyuca, mazorca (corn on the cob) andotoe are added. Other optional ingredients includeñampí (as theeddoe variety oftaro is known), choppedonions,garlic andoregano. It is frequently served withwhite rice on the side, meant to be either mixed in or eaten with each spoonful. Hot sauce is frequently added, depending on regional and individual preferences. Regional varieties includesancocho chorrerano (a specialty of the town of La Chorrera, which is only made with free-range chicken, onions, garlic, chili peppers, oregano and ñame[2]) andsancocho chiricano (a specialty fromChiriquí Province and the heartiest variety, containingsquash in addition to all basic and optional ingredients mentioned before, having a yellowish color as a result). It is often recommended as the best remedy for a hangover. It is used as a metaphor for the country's racial diversity due to the varied ingredients that contribute their particular properties to and have an equally important role in the cooking process and final product.
Reflecting its Spanish influence, sancocho is eaten in the Philippines, where the hearty stew is made with fish, beef shanks, three kinds of meat, chicken, pork butt, bacon, chorizo de bilbao andmorcilla (Spanish blood sausage) as well as yucca, potatoes, cilantro, corn, cabbage,bok choy, carrots and string beans. TheIlocano dishpinapaitan is also known assankutsar (orsingkutsar) is made from stewed goat (or beef) and offal flavored with its cud.[3][4]
A soup similar to sancocho is called "sancoche" inDominica,Grenada,Jamaica andTrinidad and Tobago.[5]
