Postby panc.jefe » Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:46 pm
A couple of additions:
Tumeric = cúrcuma
Sesame = anjonjolí
Ginger is frequently seen as Kion instead of Jengibre (though I grew up calling it jengibre)
Clove can be Clavo or Clavo de Oro (to distinguish it from a nail)
Pink/red peppercorns - Molle. Molle trees are very common on the coast, but the seeds today are not used much. They are delicious ground up and used to spice meats, pasta, rice, whatever.
Chile/chile is aji and there are [u]many[u] varieties.
Aji Panca is the dried red chile that you can sometimes get in powdered or paste form
Most common Chiles in the markets:
Aji Amarillo, the long orange chile. If you cut out the seeds and veins it tends to be relatively mild
Rocoto: round, dark red, like a compact sweet red pepper, but much hotter. They vary in heat, avoid seeds and veins
Arnaucho: small peppers, yellow, purple, red, with a distinctive flavor, tend to be the hottest that are commonly found in markets. Often an ingredient in Ceviche.
Pipi de Mono, or monkey's penis, can be found occasionally. They are tiny, deep purple to red, and hotter than hell. They get their delightful name from their diminutive size and shape.
I've discovered that there are bottled versions of salsas made from these and other chiles now in most of the markets.
The Azafrán I have found here bears very little resemblance to real saffron.
The ladies selling blended spices in the markets all have their own mixes and will tell you many ways to use each. I find that if you fry them up before using, they are quite safe and tasty.
Huacatay is an herb that is commonly used to give the distinctive flavor in a Pachamanca. It belongs to the Asteracea family, and has no English equivalent, that I know of.
It is all great fun exploring.