Condiment of the Week - Chimichurri

Chimichurri (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃimiˈtʃuri]) or chimmichurri is a green sauce used for grilled

Chimichurri

meat, originally from the Rio de la Plata, Argentina. It is made of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white vinegar. In Uruguay, the dominant flavoring is parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh oregano.








The origin of the name of the sauce is unclear. There are various stories explaining the name as a corruption of English words, most commonly the name 'Jimmy Curry' or 'Jimmy McCurry'. But there is no contemporary documentation of any of these stories.

Another theory for the name of the sauce comes from the Basque settlers that arrived in Argentina as early as the 19th century. According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as "a mixture of several things in no particular order".




Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, Red Chili Flakes, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, basil, cilantro (coriander leaf) and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat. Chimichurri is available bottled or dehydrated for preparation by mixing with oil and water. Variants may replace the parsley with herbs such as coriander (cilantro) and culantro.