Type Cream Associated national cuisine Peru Invented 2016 | Place of origin Peru Created by unknown | |
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Alternative names Huacatay pepper, cream huacatay, Peruvian black mint sauce huacatay. Similar Southern Cone Mar, Ocopa, Ají, Ají panca, Anticucho | ||
Cream of black mint, also known by other names like: Peruvian black mint, black mint sauce or green cream; is a cream sauce prepared with the leaves of black mint, and blended with other ingredients to accompany various Peruvian dishes. Although it is a cream sauce especially for Peruvian parrillada and Peruvian pollada, it is prepared for other less common meals. Cream of black mint has a green color, thick texture, and pleasant taste. Its preparation is easy, and the time you need to make it is quick.
Gastronomic context
The cream is prepared with Huacatay leaves, an herb native to the Andes, which is found growing wild in many fields and small farms; its cultivation is not official, because it is self-propagating and used by the locals in their condiments. It is similar to the Paico herb, which is also edible, and is used in a soup called "Sopa de Paico" (Paico soup). The herb Huacatay is a green plant and has a pleasant smell.
In Peru and other Latin American countries, the Huacatay leaves are crushed using a fulling machine, a tool of stone that serves as a traditional blender that substitutes for this device. In effect, this achieves a less fine ground, but allows greater absorption of flavor. Currently, the Huacatay cream is a sauce that is only used in the preparation of chicken parties or barbecues; because it is a tradition and the locals still participate in their traditions. Although this is often just "a perception" because many housewives prepare this cream any day of the year.