Ají (sauce) Ají (sauce) Ají is a spicy sauce that often contains tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), ají pepper, onions, and water. Recipes vary dramatically from person to person and from region to region, depending on preference. 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". In Colombia and Ecuador, for example, food is traditionally mild, so ají can be added to almost any dish to add some flavour and spice. It is usually added to other foods such as chugchucaras, soup, chorizo, or empanadas. In Chile there
Jerk (cooking) Jerk (cooking) Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica, in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Some historians believe it was originally developed by African slaves who escaped into the wilds of Jamaica when the British captured the island from Spain in 1655. Adapting to their new surroundings, the former slaves made use of the natural food sources available to them, creating the spicy sauce and slowly cooking the meat over a smoking wood fire. Other historians argue the case for the practice of jerking originating with the