What is Adobo de Chancho?

In the city of Arequipa, one of the gastronomic capitals of Peru, they make the famous Adobo Arequipeño. This dish consists of pork that is slow-simmered and marinated with chicha de jora, spicy rocoto pepper, aji panca, garlic, onions, oregano, cumin, and other herbs and spices that cooks all day in a clay pot.

The marinade originated in the 17h century, in Acequia Alta, in the district of Cayma. This traditional dish was created with the purpose of preserving the pork meat. The Arequipeñan women, who prepared chicha de jora (a corn beer), added this to the dish. Therefore, the technique of preserving meat with chicha was developed with the addition of other spices and chiles, resulting in the delicious marinade.

To this day it is popular to consume an Adobo de Chancho on Sundays. It is served with bread, since the marinade is very juicy and once the adobo is enjoyed a hot piteado (tea with a little anise to aid digestion) is given. The more traditional families go to mass early in the morning and then go to the picanterías to enjoy a pork adobo.