Love juice

Dear readers,

Many of my friends and “I can Gourmet” Blog enthusiasts asked me to write about this theme, that is very cherish for me.

So here it is, today I am going to discuss about “Piri-piri”. English tourists or Portugal enthusiasts have renamed it “Peri-peri” but that is just slang, and a simple English transformation of the original name (similar to what happened with Lavrador/Labrador).

Piri-piri is a hot and spicy sauce, often used in many good Portuguese table's (households or restaurants). Home-made Piri-piri sauce recipes are passed from generation to generation, but one can easily found its industrial format in any Supermarket (in Portugal or abroad in the International section). Piri-piri sauce is made out of crushed “bird’s eye” chilly alias “African Devil” chilly.

This chilly is known, in Portugal, as “Malagueta”, it is grown in small gardens or pots, then sun dried and used in many Portuguese dishes.

The generalized use of Piri-piri or Malagueta in the Portuguese cooking habits is a result of 500 years of cultural exchanges with Africa.

In the so-called “Portuguese-Africa” the “convivencia” of Europeans, Africans, Indians and Asians made it possible the creation of the Piri-piri sauce.

We Portuguese often joke that the reason for our good humour or for our fame as good “latin lovers” derives from the fact that we use Piri-piri in abundance in our cuisine.

In fact, Spicy food is considered “Aphrodisiac” and also if you start wondering, almost all food with “falic” or “feminine genitalia" shape are considered as “Aphrodisiacs”. Example: Clams, Oysters, Chilly’s, etc.

Personally, I use Piri-piri almost every day, in almost all dishes that I prepare at home. My family is already customised to the taste. I do not abuse of the spiciness, I use it only as a flavour enhancement.

Not only Piri-piri is a natural antiseptic, but also when you eat spicy food or a chilly, your taste terminals send a signal to your brain, that responding to the “hot” feeling releases endorphins. Endorphin is released by your brain during exercise, pain, love and orgasm. So, now you know the main reason for the enormous success of Piri-piri. It generates the so-called “endorphin rush” responsible for feelings of exhilaration.

Contrary to other known spicy sauces (example: Tabasco or current "Chinese Spicy”), Piri-piri do not mask the original taste, it is wonderful with meat (specially grilled Chicken) but it can also be used in Sea food recipes, Soups, Pizza’s, Pasta, etc.

In Brazil, Piri-piri it is known as “Molho de Pimenta” or Pepper Sauce but it is exactly the same thing.

So, here you go, if you are looking for an easy way of improving your happiness and also getting you and your partner in the mood use Piri-piri sauce in your recipes.

Bon Apetit,

Chef Gourmet Du Art

Curiosities: 1)Piri-piri word arrives from Swahili language in the area of Mozambique 2)Pepper were brought from America to Europe by Columbus in 1493; 3) Portuguese were the main responsible’s for its proliferation through the rest of the world (Africa/Asia), 4)Now-a-days Chillies are used in more than a fourth of the world cuisines.

Places I have been, where you can enjoy good Spicy Food: Indonesian Restaurant Tempo Doeloe – Amsterdam, Holland; Thai Restaurant Koh Phagan – Stockholm, Sweden; Churrascaria Ramires Frango da Guia - Guia/Algarve, Portugal