Андтық асүйінің ащы дәмдегіші - Ахи соусы

Ají based condiment traditional in Andean cuisine

Ají is a spicy sauce that contains ají peppers, oil, tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), garlic, onions, and water. It is served as a condiment to complement main dishes, most oftentimes in Latin American cuisines, and prepared by blending its ingredients using a food processor or blender. Although ají sauce recipes can vary from person to person, there are generally country specific and region specific varieties.

Ají is a spicy sauce made from ají peppers that is usually served to accompany other dishes in a variety of Latin American cuisines. Its most basic ingredients include ají peppers, water, oil, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Ingredients are usually blended together using a blender or food processor. Ají has been prepared in Andean countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru since at least the time of the Incas, who called it uchu. It is usually added to other foods such as anticuchos, chugchucaras, soup, chorizo, or empanadas. In Colombia and Ecuador, food is traditionally milder, so ají can be added to almost any dish to add flavor and spice. Recipes vary dramatically from person to person and from region to region, depending on preference. The core ingredient of ají sauce, ají peppers (Capsicum baccatum), was originally grown in South America. While these peppers have a Scoville Heat Unit of 30,000 50,000, depending on the variety of pepper and preparation technique, the spice level of ají sauce is variable. Chileans also make a salsa called pebre using the peppers combined with tomatoes, cilantro, onions, oil, and vinegar which is typically eaten with bread.

In Ecuador, ají sauce is prepared using one of the over 30 ají pepper varieties available in the country. This variety is prepared using the juice of bitter manioc. This variety uses ají amarillo and is notable for its yellow color. Ají amarillo is used widely across Peru as an addition to sauces. This variety uses aji dulce peppers and is notable for its green color. The pepper required for some varieties of ají sauce, including that of the Peruvian ají amarillo sauce, is not grown commercially in the United States.