Chicharon Chicharrones

Chicharon or some may spell it as Chicharron, is so popular here in the Philippines. It is one of the many delicious, authentic and traditional specialty and cuisine of the Filipinos.

Chicharon or Chicharron, here in the Philippines, is usually eaten by dipping it in vinegar with a little salt, some chopped onions, garlic and crushed chili pepper. And yes, the taste is so amazing.

Here is a small information about the Chicharon from the free-webbased encyclopedia.

Chicharrón is a dish made of fried pork rinds. It is sometimes made from chicken, mutton, or beef.

Chicharrón is popular in Andalusia, Spain, and in Latin America is part of the traditional cuisines of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil (where it is called torresmo), Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Venezuela, and others.

In central Venezuela, chicharrones are commonly sold alongside main highways as snacks. The recipe usually produces crispy sizeable portions of pork skin with the underlying meat.

In Peru, chicharrones can be eaten as an appetizer or snack, and the chicken variant can taste like fried chicken found in the United States. Sides include a kind of red onion relish, fried yuca, and other regional variants.

Chicharron de Puerco and chicharron de cerdo are distributed by many salty snack companies in Mexico.

In the Philippines, tsitsaron, as it is spelled in Filipino (chicharon is now an acceptable variant term, a derivative of the Spanish word chicharrón) is usually eaten with vinegar or with bagoong, lechon liver sauce, or pickled papaya called atchara. Tsitsarong manok, made from chicken skin, is also popular same as the Chicharong Bulaklak (deep fried pork intestines

In Bolivia, chicharron is made out of pork ribs seasoned with garlic, oregano and lemon. It is boiled then cooked in its own fat, adding beer or chicha to the pot for more flavor. Pork chicharron is normally served only on Sundays and is eaten with llajwa, a tomato salsa, and mote, a type of corn. There are other variations of chicharron made with chicken and fish.

In the Dominican Republic chicharrones, specially chicken chicharrón (also known as pica-pollo), are usually eaten with tostones. The way to prepare it is by washing and drying chicken and cutting it into small pieces, which are seasoned with a mix of lemon juice, soy sauce and salt. The batter is made from flour, pepper, paprika and salt in plastic bag, in which the seasoned meat is then placed and shaken. Pieces are deep-fried (without removing excess flour) until crisp and golden.

In the United States, chicharrones are usually made from pig skin. It is usually sold alone in plastic bags as a snack food item to be eaten on its own.

From the above information, it seems like more and more countries are now enjoying and adopting the Chicharon making and eating lifestyle of the Pinoys. Well, like I said, Chicharon is a part of the traditional eating lifestyle of the Filipinos.

I will post here soon the Filipino style - chicharon recipe and ingredients. Stay tuned.