The mojo is a culinary reference, inside and outside the Canary Islands, which is being developed as a consequence of the flourishing trade in spices in the 19th century.
Origin of Mojo Sauce
The origin of the word mojo comes from the Portuguese molho, which translated into Spanish means salsa (sauce). And its appearance in the Canary Islands was due, above all, to the trade that was developing in different parts of the planet, and the arrival of the spices that crossed the intercontinental maritime routes which took advantage of our privileged and strategic geographical situation to leave and collect all kinds of merchandise. The bridge between America, Europe and Africa was, therefore, a key element for the appearance of mojo as we know it today.
Like the rest of the Canarian gastronomy, this rich sauce is influenced by other cuisines, especially with the heritage of the Guanches and the influence of Latin American gastronomy, very especially of the Venezuelan, country with which the archipelago has had historical human and cultural relations since the nineteenth century and especially in the mid-twentieth century.
Although mojo is not only used in the Canary Islands, it is in this community where its presence, in many of the dishes elaborated here, is almost mandatory. Wrinkled potatoes, fish, meat or cheese they change their flavor immediately when they bathe in the mojo, giving it that more or less spicy tone-depending on what type of flavour you want to get-that so many people like.
Ingridients to prepare Mojo Sauce
- Salt according to taste
- 1 cup of oil (preferebly olive oil as it will contain lot’s of it.)
- 1/4 cup of Vinegar
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- Teaspoon of Cumin Powder
- 2 Slices of bread (Purely for consistency – swap as you like)
- 1 Spoon of Paprika
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 2 Dried Red Chilli (Use as spicy ones you like)
Prepare your Mojo
Put everything but the oil into a blender, blend it all and keep adding oil until it reaches the thickness you would like. Try it out, add anything you think it’s missing (salt etc). Enjoy it!
Experts do not hesitate to assert that there is more than a dozen mojos and they are grouped in traditional mojos, marinades, salmorejos, pickles, and other sauces. All this depending on the island where it is cooked, the municipality, and even in which family it is prepared and with what ingredients. There is no single recipe, which shows the extensive and varied culinary richness of the archipelago. The best known are red mojo and green mojo.
If you prepare this delicious sauce, send us picture of your results and let us know what you think about this sauce!.
