Guasacaca an Avocado Sauce from Venezuela

April 27, 2020 SouthAmerica

Although it has a peculiar name, this sauce is a staple in Venezuelan cuisine. The name Guasacaca is a Quechua or Qhichua word.

In fact, this Guasacaca sauce is to Venezuelans what Chimichurri is to Argentinians. No blame on that! This delicious avocado sauce goes well on meat, chicken, and arepas. This sauce could be a great substitute to mayonnaise, or its counterpart Aioli. The French word that comes from ail meaning garlic, and results in a sauce similar to the consistency of mayonnaise. This Guasacaca sauce could be a new accompaniment for nachos and enjoyed as a dipping sauce.

I am enjoying making, and eating the many avocado recipes that I am sharing on the blog, because we are lucky to have an avocado tree. Although we don’t get enough of them to make all these recipes, is nice to pick some directly from the tree. Avocados are always available at our local store. But I have to admit that eating something that you get from your garden is very rewarding. This avocado tree has been feeding lots of families for years.

This guasacaca seems to be a fusion of guacamole and chimichurri. It goes well with steak. The only thing to take in consideration while making this sauce is, how hot would you like it to be? Habanero peppers would make it hot, if you like it really hot, this is a great option. In this recipe I am using Serrano pepper, but if you prefer a non-spicy sauce, substitute the hot pepper for bell pepper of any kind; red, orange, yellow or green.

Ingredients:

½ avocado medium size or one Hass avocado.

1 tbsp. white onion, finely chopped.

1 tbsp. parsley finely chopped.

1 tbsp. cilantro finely chopped.

1 hot pepper (serrano, jalapeño, or habanero) finely chopped.

Fresh lemon or lime juice.

Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

In a deep dish, mash the avocado with a fork, add the remaining ingredients; onions, cilantro, parsley, and hot pepper. Season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, and place on the table for people to help themselves.

Enjoy it on your next barbecue!