Chimichurri

I have become charmed by Chimichurri, the lovely green sauce made from finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (with a splash of chipotle salsa, for a certain daring je ne sais quoi).  Or sometimes with other herbs, with lemon juice instead of vinegar, with sherry vinegar, or other variants.

Though the sauce is originally from Argentina, the origin of its name is uncertain.  My preferred theory is that it came with the Basque settlers in the 19th century.  “According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as ‘a mixture of several things in no particular order.’"  (That, alone, is charming; it would make a good title for a poetry collection or many other bits of my writing.)

And though it’s South American, and complements that cuisine quite excellently, it feels very Mediterranean to me as well, like the Mallorcan sauce made with parsley, garlic, and ground almonds.  Or like pistou, or pesto.  The Italian, Spanish, and French cultures have carried at least this recognizable element of their old world cuisine with them to the new world.

Here is a good page to tell you more.

images:  The Café Sucré Farine

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