Zoitsa Homely Produce would love to introduce you to our Adobo Seasoning….
Last night I decided to make a Cuban dish for dinner called Arroz Con Pollo, which translates to Chicken and Rice, and it was gorgeous! At the time of menu planning and reading the recipe I noticed that it stated a seasoning called Adobo.
If you weren’t aware (I’m being sarcastic) I make my own seasonings for everything I cook. I found a few recipes for how to make your own Adobo Seasoning and played around with the flavours. I searched online if Adobo Seasoning was something that was readily available in Australia. Unfortunately, or fortunately (for me), it isn’t something that can be purchased or be found on a supermarket shelf, so off I went on a cooking adventure.
I found a few recipes for Adobo Seasoning, but they were a tad on the “complicated” side. Meaning there was too many ingredients involved. Traditionally Adobo Seasoning is meant to be an all-purpose simple blend, with simple ingredients but tastes phenomenal when combined.
As always, I like to leave my stamp on everything I make, so I played around with our version not only to make it mine, but to make it less complex. Ideally Adobo Seasoning should be coarser in texture, but I preferred it ground down to a dust consistency as I felt that it really brought out the flavours a lot more.
Our version of Adobo Seasoning has lots of granulated garlic which were ground down in my mortar and pestle and then I added some salt, black pepper, oregano, and a touch of turmeric.
I think that when people hear the word turmeric they immediately think of heat/spice/hot/chilli. So, to set facts straight… turmeric is a major ingredient in curry powders. Turmeric does add a “warming” colour to foods, but it’s added to foods/seasonings/blends more for its flavour. Turmeric is mildly fragrant and has almost a ginger like “bite” to it. When you add turmeric to food a bit of “heat” does come through but it’s not like chili which is predominately strong and can be overpowering.
Adobo Seasoning is essentially and all-purpose seasoning that can be used as dry rub, wet marinade (a marinade base), a seasoning on meats and vegetables. It’s also rather spectacular as an everyday seasoning. It can be used as a sauce base as well. It can be added to anything. I’ve read that it’s amazing sprinkled on pizza prior to cooking it.
What does Adobo Seasoning taste like? The best way for me to describe it is that’s its zesty, savoury yet tangy, salty, and very aromatic. At first taste your taste buds will go BANG! That’s salty! And as soon as your brain registers the salt you then you get hit with very strong garlicky flavours then after a minute or so you sense the pepper coming through. It’s truly delicious and I think this will be spectacular on fish. If you’re anything like me who absolute loves anything with garlic in it, then this seasoning is for you. I guess it’s safe to say that its flavour profile is salty and garlicky.
Delving deeper into Adobo Seasoning, I seriously went down a rabbit hole reading all about the history of this seasoning. I was fascinated to learn that this seasoning is a “staple” seasoning blend in Latin American, Caribbean, and Spanish cuisine. Region to region have their own versions of Adobo Seasoning but the base ingredients are essentially the same. In Puerto Rico Adobo Seasoning is as common as salt and pepper.
The word adobo derives from the Spanish word Adobar, which means to marinate.
If using as an all-purpose seasoning, then just sprinkle into your food (or even on your food) to replace your everyday salt and pepper. As a dry rub, simply rub all over your protein of choice and as a wet marinade (marinade base) use liquids like olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, orange juice or chicken stock. Add a heaped tablespoon and whisk to make a paste and then allow your protein of choice to marinade for 4 or more hours (preferably overnight).
Without spices, many foods would be boring and bland. Spice is life so spice up your life! Enjoy!
¡Buen provecho! /¡Buen apetito! /¡Que aproveche!/ Bon Appetit
