(Spanish, ), (Catalan, ), (Italian, ), or (Portuguese, ) is a basic preparation in Mediterranean, Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or braised in cooking oil for a long period of time over a low heat.
In modern Spanish cuisine, consists of garlic, onion and peppers cooked in olive oil, and optionally tomatoes or carrots. This is known as , or sometimes as in Portuguese-speaking nations, where only garlic, onions, and olive oil are considered essential, tomato and bay laurel leaves being the other most common ingredients.
Mediterranean
The earliest mentioned recipe of , from around the middle of the 14th century, was made with only onion and oil.
In Italian cuisine, chopped onions, carrots and celery is , and then, slowly cooked in olive oil, becomes . It may also contain garlic, shallot, or leek.
In Greek Cuisine, Sofrito refers to a dish that is found almost exclusively in Corfu. It is served less commonalty in other regions of Greece and is often referred to as 'Corfu Sofrito' outside of Corfu. It is made with veal or beef, slowly cooked with garlic, wine, herbs sugar and wine vinegar to produce an umami sauce with softened meat. It is usually served with rice and potatoes.
Latin America
In Cuban cuisine, is prepared in a similar fashion, but the main components are Spanish onions, garlic, and green or red bell peppers. is also often used instead of or in addition to bell peppers. It is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including and . Other secondary components include tomato sauce, dry white wine, cumin, bay leaf, and cilantro. (a kind of spicy, cured sausage), (salt pork) and ham are added for specific recipes, such as beans.
In Dominican cuisine, is also called , and is a liquid mixture containing vinegar, water, and sometimes tomato juice. A or is used for rice, stews, beans, and other dishes. A typical Dominican is made up of very finely chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers, red onions, garlic, ground oregano, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, water, and cilantro. Ingredients vary and can change, for instance cubanelle peppers can substitute for bell peppers, celery can replace onions, and parsley or culantro can be used in place of cilantro.
In Puerto Rican cuisine, is mostly used when cooking rice dishes, sauces, and soups. is closely related to . The two main ingredients that give Puerto Rican its characteristic flavor are (culantro) and , but red and green cubanelle peppers, red bell peppers, pimientos, yellow onions, garlic, plum tomatoes, and cilantro are also added. All red peppers are roasted, seeded, and then added to the . is traditionally cooked with olive oil or annatto oil, (bacon), salted pork and cured ham. A mix of stuffed olives and capers called is usually added with spices such as bay leaf, Bixa orellana (achiote) and .
In some Caribbean cuisine, is seasoned lard and functions as a base for many traditional dishes, but prepared differently from the method described above. Lard (acquired from rendering pork fat) is strained, and annatto seeds are added to colour it yellow, and later strained out. To the colored lard is added a ground mixture of cured ham, bell pepper, chile pepper, and onion; after this, mashed coriander leaves (cilantro) and oregano leaves are added. Garlic cloves are added in a tea ball, and the sauce is simmered for half an hour.
Asia
In Filipino cuisine, is a culinary term that refers to a base of garlic, onions, and tomatoes sautéed together with cooking oil. It is essentially similar to the Spanish .
See also
Tempering (spices)
Sauce
Salsa
Holy trinity
Sofrito (stew) Epis