# Green Colombian salsa: anyone know what I'm talking about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474 "2009-11-30T15:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/1 "2009-11-30T15:32:08Z")
I was in Colombia in February and had, on a couple occasions in different parts of the country, this amazing green salsa. We put it on our fried plantains and our rice and beans and it was just so flavorful, it made everything better. It wasn’t spicy at all. My friends and I liked it so much that on both occasions, we asked the server what was in it, and both times got the same answer: parsley, oil, garlic, and…there was a fourth ingredient, but I forget. Something ordinary, though, like onion. We felt confident that we could recreate this salsa in the US, but I’ve done some googling and I can’t seem to find any recipe that resembles what we had. Does this sound familiar to anyone? My friends and I still talk about how much we liked this salsa and it would be awesome to get a proper recipe before I just start experimenting. (I am not a particularly great or confident chef, but I can follow a recipe pretty well.) ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/2 "2009-11-30T15:35:58Z")
It sounds like a [chimichurri](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimichurri), which is originally from Argentina. Sounds like the [Colombian version](http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/07/steak-with-chimichurri-sauce-carne-con-chimichurri.html) may add cilantro to the mix? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/3 "2009-11-30T15:49:04Z")
That doesn’t look exactly like what we had - it was more…liquidy - but the ingredients sound right. Maybe they processed it more in the restaurants. Thank you! I can’t wait to try it. ---
**Author:** ![Henjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Henjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henjin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/4 "2009-12-01T02:52:02Z")
Sounds like you’re looking for the same thing as this poster: [Need a recipe for the sauce you get with fried Yucca - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=541476) Sounds like the same stuff I had at a Columbian place in Chicago. Was awesome on yucca and steak… ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/5 "2009-12-01T14:35:08Z")
Are you sure it was parsley? I’ve seen Colombian recipes with a “cilantro-based pesto” which sounds delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/6 "2009-12-01T15:15:56Z")
Most of the chimuchurri recipes I’ve seen use a mix of cilantro and parsley. Some use vinegar for tartness, and some use lemon juice. Usually there is a bit of crushed red papper and/or cumin. Are you thinking of [aji?](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Aji-Sauce-353812) I know my co-worker with the Ecuadorian husband has talked about it, and it seems to be pretty common throughout the Andes. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/7 "2009-12-01T16:00:27Z")
> [@Martha\_Medea](#): > > Are you sure it was parsley? I’ve seen Colombian recipes with a “cilantro-based pesto” which sounds delicious! Positive. That was the one ingredient we didn’t understand. None of us knew what “perrejil” meant and we wrote it down to look up when we got home. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-colombian-salsa-anyone-know-what-im-talking-about/519474/8 "2009-12-01T16:53:41Z")
Yeah Chimichurri sounds right to me, perhaps with some local ingredients. The Dominican place below my apartment makes an awesome churassco with chimichurri sauce.