The corn bread and Sancocho stew

Sancocho stew is a traditional recipe that is very popular in many Latin American cuisines.  It is actually a Spanish recipe that is made up of large slices of meat or fish combined with vegetables that is served in a soup, broth, or gravy-like sauce.  The first form of this stew was made with fish and potatoes.  Spices used in it were usually from the Canary Islands.  The more modern versions of the dish on the other hand use either meat or chicken instead of fish.  Different kinds of root vegetables are now used either in conjunction or as replacement for the potatoes.  Some of the more popular root vegetables used is sweet potatoes, yams, and malanga, and cassava.  It is often accompanied by additional food such as corn bread to further enhance the flavor.

Sancocho stew is considered as the National dish of many countries such as Mexico, Peru, and the Canary Islands.  Although they are similar, these dishes have some unique characteristics which have evolved into different variations of the dish.

In the Canary Islands, Sancocho is usually served with fish as the main ingredient.  The fish is usually cooked whole.

In the Dominican Republic, Sancocho shares the distinction of being the national dish with the “la bandera”.  This variant of Sancocho is often referred to as the “Sancocho de Siete cames” which means “Sancocho with seven types of meat”.  This variant is considered by many to be the best among all of the different variants of Sancocho.  The seven types of meat represent the seven islands of the Canary Islands and usually include pork, chicken, and beef.  Apart from the Sancocho de Siete cames, other variants of Sancocho that are popular in the Dominican Republic are Sancocho de Gallina (often used on special occasions), sancocho de guandules, and sancocho de habituella (sancocho made with beans).

In Panama, Sancocho is also the national dish and its variant is called the Sancocho de gallina.  The main ingredient is chicken while the other ingredients include yam, culantro, cassava, corn on the cob, and otoe.  There are also many other ingredients which may be added to the recipe as an extra option.  These extra ingredients include oregano, garlic, and onions.  Sancocho is further divided into regional variants in Panama.  The Sancocho chorrerano is the variety that originated from the Panama town of La Chorrera.  Only free range chickens are used for this recipe.  Supporting ingredients include yam, chili pepper, garlic, oregano, and onions.  The Sancocho chiricano meanwhile is the variety made in the Chiriqui province.  It is a hearty dish as it includes all of the basic and the optional ingredients of Sancocho de gallina while still adding squash to the mix. 

In Puerto Rico, sancocho can be made with chicken, beef, or pork feet as the main ingredient.  There are many versions of the recipe here and almost every home has its own variety or special take on the dish.  However, a Puerto Rican sancocho is identified by its use of tubers and an aromatic combination of thinly cut and sautéed ingredients.