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Sunday, July 1, 2012

Preparing A Tasty Chili Relish Is Quick And Easy

English: Nshima (top right corner) with three ...
English: Nshima (top right corner) with three relishes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Chloe Gib


With the many world renowned culinary experts hosting television cooking channels people are daily learning something new about food preparation. Adding delicious flavors by using a tasty chili relish to foods is something that has become a way of life in most cultures. This spicy vegetable has been used for millenniums. In places like Ecuador documented evidence has been discovered of its presence in domestic cooking dating back 6000 years.



Indigenous to South America and the Caribbean Columbus was one of the first Europeans who introduce them to Europe. From the Mexican area they spread throughout numerous Asian countries becoming firmly entrenched in their favorite dishes. They hot spicy vegetable forms an integral part in Spanish and Portuguese cooking and was originally used to substitute black peppercorns that were very expensive.

The number of relishes are numerous and recipes widely diverse. It remains a personal taste inclination and people need to try a few varieties before finding their own best chili sauce. It is a versatile food which can be pickled, eaten raw or cooked. Used on its own or together with tomatoes, other fruits and vegetables it turns an ordinary sauce into an extraordinary spicy condiment.

A popular Indian sauce for meats uses green tomatoes and apples as their base. To these they add onions, ginger, garlic, shallots, peppers, raisins, sugar and spices. It takes a day to make and can be stored in sterilized bottle for use at a future date.

The idea to bottle these delightful relishes is thought to have come about long before refrigeration allowed for long term storage. It was a way to provide tasty veggies and pickled fruits for cold winter months when fresh produce was scarce. This condiment is always prepared in chunky pieces or slices and is never made into a smooth sauce.

Many specialty cooks believe that one should use only fresh ingredients to create relishes. Processes to dry herbs, vegetables and spices have evolved to a point where nowadays very little goodness and flavor is lost. Dried ingredients may therefore work just as well. It should be cooked over a mild heat and regularly stirred to avoid burning and sticking to the pan base.

The popularity of chili relish has led to families creating their own special relishes. These recipes are often guarded secrets and never shared outside the family. When creating a home cooked sauce people may find being adventurous with spices can be very rewarding.




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