jack, Tags: Central America, contributors, culture, El Salvador, Elsie, mexico, The Culture of Food. Chirmol should be served at room temperature. chirimol (El Salvador), chismol (El Salvador, Honduras) Further reading “chirmol” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014. Add lime juice ( chiles if using) and salt. Puchica… I was actually on a quest for something completely different. These two Mexican dips share quite a bit in common, but do you know what sets them apart? .-= Tracy´s last blog ..Papitas =-. Charred vegetables is ALWAYS the way to go and makes this salsa soooooo good! Served it with some tortilla chips for my family and everyone loved it. Elsie Rivas Gomez is a mother, wife, teacher, and writer living in Pasadena, CA. It’s a simple recipe, and has a lot of room for individual taste. . You can eat … a handful of cilantro We have it at Thanksgiving too, right along with the turkey and yams, so I liked hearing about it at a Mediterranean feast as well! As a Salvadoran, I grew up with Chirimol, which is kind of similar to what you find at mexican restaurants as “pico de gallo.” It’s easy to make, and delicious. Colors and flavors are just amazing. It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s no delicacy. Wash, dry and then char the fresh tomatoes over an open flame or dry skillet until dark brown. Tortilla chips are fine on their own, but add a bowl of salsa or pico de gallo to the picture and snacking takes a delicious turn for the better. Much like other Guatemalan recipes such as pepián or jocón, there are as many variations of chirmol as there are cooks. She was born in El Salvador and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. My husband is from El Salvador, so that’s what we call it too. This toasting technique is used in many traditional Guatemalan dishes and involves lightly toasting or browning the tomatoes over a medium to high heat until charred but not scorched. A staple of Guatemalan cooking, chirmol is a sauce featuring juicy charred tomatoes mixed with onions, cilantro, mint and lime. Another option is to add finely-diced fresh avocado to the ingredients just before serving and mix well. Honduran Chismol (Pico De Gallo) Chismol is a popular fresh vegetable salsa popular throughout central America. Yes, Tracy, with carne asada it is da bomb! Chirmol – Guatemalan Charred Tomato Salsa, chirmol, chirmol Guatemalteco, chismol recipe, easy Guatemalan recipes, Guatemalan red sauce, tomato salsa, Champurradas – Guatemalan Sesame Seed Cookies. No matter what the occasion, every family celebration I remember from my childhood featured chirimol. So, if you want chirmol, you need to be specific. Though the name changes and the recipes slightly vary country to country, all of them consist of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. During Easter season you will see it served along with the roast lamb, hummus, and pita in my household. I’m also from El Salvador, and I was confused when I heard “pico de gallo” for the first time. As it turns out, all variations of the word mean the same thing! The flavour is amazing! Guatemalan chirmol is so quick and easy to make you can make it in advance. A traditional Guatemalan chirmol uses fresh Roma tomatoes (or Italian plum). Mix gently with a spoon. Compare Hot and sour soup to Pico de gallo by vitamins and minerals using the only readable nutrition comparison tool. If you’re looking for a charred tomato salsa that freezes well, you might be interested in our recipe for Freezer Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa. Sometimes I would hear it referred to as chismol or even chilmol. Although this multipurpose sauce is well known in Guatemalan cuisine, it’s also popular in Honduras, El Salvador and other countries throughout Latin America. El pico de gallo no es por tanto una receta que se sirva como otro plato, sino un aderezo o una guarnición que sirve para acompañar a otras recetas, aunque como es muy parecido a … Your email address will not be published. Not only are plum tomatoes full of flavour and budget friendly, but their dense and meaty flesh helps them hold up well with the charring. This one, easy step transforms fresh tomatoes into something magical. Chirmol is a fresh tomato sauce popular throughout Latin America that makes a fantastic topping for grilled meats, egg dishes, tacos and hearty soups. Another difference between chirmol and pico de gallo is that chirmol is generally served at room temperature while pico de gallo is often slightly chilled. How Much School Pressure is Too Much On Young Children? You can find her blogging over at MamaFeminista. Growing up, we called it salsa. For a simple, cooked tomato sauce, add some vegetable oil to a frying pan and fry the chopped tomatoes, herbs and vegetables until cooked. Synonym: pico de gallo (Mexico) (El Salvador, Honduras) salty and sour sauce consisting most importantly of tomato, onion and cilantro; Alternative forms . Don’t be afraid that this recipe makes a fiery hot salsa! Chirimol is also the easiest way to make amazing guacamole–just add the chirmol to mashed avocado until it tastes delicioso and that’s it! Here’s Proof That It’s Never Too Late to Raise Bilingual Children, Traditional Salvadorian Green Salad {Recipe}, Gardening with Kids: Indoor Gardening Fun, It Takes a Village to Raise a Bilingual Child | Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes. If you’re dining in a restaurant in Guatemala and ask for “salsa” you may get a bottle of hot sauce aka salsa picante or just plain tomato sauce. I adored this recipe. Please note: Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed to be accurate. Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico, publisher Michele Peterson’s award-winning work has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source , National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications. I love added fresh mint. My favorite thing is to eat it with carne asada. This means chirmol has a thinner consistency than pico de gallo or salsa fresca. Thanks for such a detailed recipe! Her first collection of poetry, Swimming in El Rio Sumpul, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Mi secreto de una Rica salsa fresca o chirmol/ Pico de Gallo. I love that you guys liked hearing “chirmol” in the post–no one, except other Salvadorenas ever know what I am talking about! The charring also complements the flavour of the dried chiles often added to chirmol. Pico de gallo vs. salsa, to many, is one of these “tomato-tomahto” things – riffs on the same melody, but essentially the same song. Be sure to char the tomatoes until the skins begin to turn black. Share Your Story on SpanglishBaby: Become a Guest Blogger, Celebrate Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos, How to Celebrate Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes at Disneyland Resort, Disneyland’s Pozole Recipe for Día de Reyes {Video}, Our Bilingual Family’s Proudest Holiday Moment, Week in Links for #BilingualKids — Dec. 20, Teacher's Aides: 9 Superb Websites for Spanish Educators | FluentU Spanish Educator Blog. Much/Luv, “B.”. Pico de Gallo o Chirmol, o los 2 juntos. In Costa Rica, it is also called pico de gallo but I know when saomeone says so you want a little salsita, I am getting tomatoes, lemon, cilantro and onions. Hot and sour soup vs Pico de gallo - In-Depth Nutrition Comparison. Glad you found us! While chirmol tomato sauce is made according to a cook’s personal or regional preferences — and can be prepared smooth or coarse, fresh or fried — an important step in making authentic chirmol is charring the fresh tomatoes. Or whip some up while you’re preparing the rest of your meal. Uy…si sere. This is indeed more delicious than pico de gallo. An important fact about chirmol is that it’s not considered a hot sauce. Honduran Chimol or pico de gallo is a mild chopped fresh salsa. I get so many compliments on my guacamole, and it’s so easy.