(), (), (), (), () or () is a basic preparation in

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

, Spanish,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

and Portuguese cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or braised in

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

for a long period of time over a low heat. In modern Spanish cuisine, consists of

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

and peppers cooked in

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

, and optionally

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

carrots The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the Daucus ...

. This is known as , or sometimes as in Portuguese-speaking nations, where only garlic, onions, and olive oil are considered essential, tomato and bay laurel leaves being the other most common ingredients. In

Italian cuisine Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp. 101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Ancient Roman cuisine, Roman times, and later spread ...

, chopped onions, carrots and

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times. The original wild ...

is ''battuto'', and then, slowly cooked in olive oil, becomes '' soffritto''. It may also contain garlic,

shallot The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was t ...

, or leek. The word derives from the Spanish verb ''sofreír'', meaning “to stir-fry."

Mediterranean

The earliest mentioned recipe of '','' from around the middle of the 14th century, was made with only onion and oil. In

, chopped onions, carrots and

is , and then, slowly cooked in olive oil, becomes . It may also contain garlic,

, or leek. In Greek cuisine, ''sofrito'' refers to a dish that is found almost exclusively in Corfu. It is served less commonly in other regions of Greece and is often referred to as 'Corfu sofrito' outside of Corfu. It is made with veal or beef, slowly cooked with garlic, wine, herbs, sugar and wine vinegar to produce an umami sauce with softened meat. It is usually served with rice and potatoes.

Latin America

In Venezuelan cuisine, the ''sofrito'' also called ''aliño'' has four main ingredients as its aromatic base: garlic, onions, bell pepper and sweet chili ( ají dulce) generally fried in corn oil. This chili is presumed to be a non-spicy variation of crops originated in the Andean mountains, created by the selective cultivation of the indigenous populations of

Margarita Island Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the States of Venezuela, Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north west coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the ...

and the coastal regions of Venezuela from where it was later adopted by some of the Caribbean colonies. It is used as a base for most of Venezuelan dishes including pabellón criollo,

asado negro ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay where it is also a traditional eve ...

, pastel de chucho, and hallaca. Sometimes other secondary components are added such as tomato, spring onions, parsley or coriander, depending on the dish. In

Cuban cuisine Cuban cuisine is largely based on Spanish cuisine with influence from India, African and other Caribbean cuisines. Some Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish, Taino and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and ...

, is prepared in a similar fashion, but the main components are Spanish onions, garlic, and green or red bell peppers. is also often used instead of or in addition to bell peppers. It is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including and . Other secondary components include tomato sauce, dry white wine, cumin, bay leaf, and cilantro. (a kind of spicy, cured sausage), ( salt pork) and ham are added for specific recipes, such as beans. In Dominican cuisine, is also called . Dominican mostly depends on what is available. Chopped cubanelle pepper or bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and lippia (Jamaica oregano) are always a part of its typical cuisine and sometimes this is the only seasoing. Other ingredients added depending on availability are cilantro, culantro, celery, tomato paste or fresh tomatoes, sour orange,

vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

, or sweet chili peppers. Dominicans also add alcaparrado (olives) for some of their dishes. In Puerto Rican cuisine, is used in a variety of dishes such as rice dishes, sauces, soups, among other typically Puerto Rican dishes. The two main ingredients that give Puerto Rican its characteristic flavor are (culantro) and , but red and green cubanelle peppers, red bell peppers, pimientos, orégano brujo, yellow onions, garlic, tomato sauce, and cilantro are also added. Traditionally red peppers are roasted until black and some of the skin is removed before they are added to the . Sofrito is made in large batches and blended until it resembles a

smoothie A smoothie is a beverage made by puréeing ingredients in a blender. A smoothie commonly has a liquid base, such as fruit juice or milk, yogurt or ice cream. Other ingredients may be added, including fruits, vegetables, non-dairy milk, cru ...

, bottled and stored in a refrigerated or frozen for use later. Tomato sauce is a part of sofrito but is added only when cooking is in progress and not blended into the batch. is sautéed in lard, oil or annatto oil until most of the liquid has evaporated. cured pork (ham, sausage, or salted pork), and a mix of stuffed

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

and

caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The taxonomic status of the species is controversial and unsettled. Species with ...

s called is usually added with

bay leaf The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavour that a bay lea ...

, cumin, coriander seeds, and .S, Lucille (January 26, 2014)
"Sofrito (Daisy Martinez)"
Genius Kitchen.

Asia

Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippines, Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that comp ...

, is a culinary term that refers to a base of garlic, onions, and tomatoes sautéed together with cooking oil. It is essentially similar to the Spanish .

References

External links

* * {{cite web, url=https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/how-to-soffritto, title=How-To: Soffritto, author=Thomas Keller, author-link=Thomas Keller, website=The Paupered Chef Food ingredients Tomato sauces Caribbean cuisine Colombian cuisine Cuban cuisine Dominican Republic cuisine Ecuadorian cuisine Filipino cuisine Cuisine of the Ionian Islands Italian cuisine Latin American cuisine Mexican cuisine Portuguese cuisine Puerto Rican cuisine Sephardi Jewish cuisine Spanish cuisine

Mediterranean

Latin America

Asia

See also

References

Further reading

External links