A brief history of Peri-Peri Sauce
Today when we think of ordering roasted chicken, Peri-Peri chicken's taste is what comes to our mind, and immediately our taste buds start craving fiery Peri-Peri sauce. Most people may be wrong about the origination of this sauce and think that it was created in a restaurant. However, this Peri-Peri seems to be a celebration of culinary fusions and cultural legacy that gives you a flavourful experience when added in food. In Southern Africa, Peri-Peri is one of the popular sauces and has become a beloved condiment even in Mozambique, Angola and South Africa.
Origin of Peri-Peri
From the 15th Century there have been variations of the Peri-Peri sauce after Portuguese colonisers in Africa came across a mind-boggling ingredient, the 'African Bird's eye chilli'. They made a marinade with it by adding red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika and other European imports. However, it is believed that portuguese didn't initially like its taste much and the sauce found its way to Brazil through Portuguese traders. Later more trader started expanding its trading in East Africa and Asia.
In Portuguese, the sauce and the chilli itself is known as 'Peri-Peri', however its name is taken from Swahili meaning 'pepper-pepper'. Its name has been morphed into numerous iterations, such as 'Pili-Pili', and 'Peri-Peri'. In South Africa, the latter translation (Peri-Peri) is widely used which is a home to innumerable chicken shops as well as the first-ever Nando's.
In East Africa, the sauce got its name Peri-Peri. Maintaining colonies in Mozambique, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, Portuguese traders started taking control of different parts of the African continent. Soon enough, the Portuguese empire had gained enough power to encourage people back in the home country to come and settle in Angola and Mozambique. Mozambique is considered to be the first place where the sauce was introduced while the native population started adopting Portuguese culture in cooking.
In 1974, a rebel destroyed Portugal's long-ruling dictatorship power. This made many Portuguese settlers move back to their home country, but many of them went to South Africa. The Portuguese food takeaway service gained popularity in cities like Johannesburg.
There was no stopping after Fernando Duarte bought A Chickenland restaurant and renamed it to Nando's in 1987. Within 3 years, it expanded internationally and contributed to the Portuguese chicken craze in Britain.
Where is the main ingredient?
African bird's eye chilli has been growing in the wild in Africa and is commercially cultivated in Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda. It can register upto to 175,000 heat units on the scolville scale depending on the crop. A vigorous amount of stress is produced by the humid, tropical climate and nutrient-rich, red soil to produce the perfect fiery ingredient that gives the chilli it's distinctive hot flavour. Just remember, the smaller the pod, the spicier it tastes!
Sauce it up with Mr Sauce - Est. 2015
Understanding the changing demand of the population, Mr Sauce launched it's Peri-Peri sauce to tantalise your taste-buds. The company is still much appreciated for maintaining the top-notch quality of the Peri-Peri sauce that is available in 13 variations such as mild, hot, Lemon and more. The sauce is undoubtedly the competing factor to your roasted chicken and an ideal choice for spicy food lovers. With your chicken dipped in Peri-Peri sauce, it is quite hard to resist eating, which is why Mr Sauce is widely known supplier to many caterers and restaurants in the UK.
Why choose this Pain and Pleasure?
Per-Peri is a beautiful combination of pain and pleasure that must be tried by anyone who claims to appreciate spicy food. It has a delicious, wholesome flavour and enthusiasts adapt to its heat. They may even crave more to feel relieved of the initial experience, which further shows how addictive it's taste is. Even if you consume a tiny pod, your brain is stimulated to release endorphin and creates a rush of pain and euphoria.
Moreover, your use of Peri-Peri sauce is not just limited to chicken only. You can use the sauce to enhance flavour in seafood like shrimps and fish. It gives a distinctly unique flavour which is definitely a treat for your tongue and soul.
Health benefits of Peri-Peri
What many people don't commonly know is that Per-Peri is not just about taste but also has many health benefits that make it even more desirable.
Chef and author of the book 'Pain and Pleasure', Rockelle Schaetzl who is also considered to be a walking encyclopaedia on Peri-Peri emphasises that chillies are a great source of cleansing and rich in oxidants. Peri-Peri is enriched with vitamins B1, B2, B3, Phosphorus, Iron Calcium, Potassium and Folic Acids.
Those who are health conscious and are quite particular about their calorie count should know that Peri-Peri has no fat and is low in calorie count. It is also high in dietary fibre that aids your weight loss process by improving your metabolism system. Vitamin C can be found in the green Variety while the red one is packed with vitamin A. Peri-Peri is also categorised as a natural antibiotic.
Moreover, Peri-Peri contains a natural antibiotic - Capsaicin that is responsible for delaying the growth of microbes in the human body and in some food products too. In addition to this, consumption of chillies helps improve metabolism, blood flow, as well as stimulate the appetite.
