Using slang words to affectionately address other people is something very common here. It is not surprising to hear people call out “Negra” or “Chino” and no one gets offended. One of the slang words used for people of the jungle is “charapa.” The name for Aji Charapa or Aji Charapita comes from this nickname, as being from the jungle.
Aji Charapa essentially grows wild and is only recently being processed and used commercially. In English, it is called Wild Peruvian Pepper. The plant produces hundreds of very hot, .25in round “Tepin like” peppers. The charapa is part of Capsicum frutescens family.
The peppers can be smashed and served in a regular aji mixture of pepper, lime, salt and oil. But, a true jungle preparation of these spicy peppers also includes cocona, a refreshing fruit to balance the spice!
Cocona Charapa Salsa
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 cocona, peeled and finely diced
20 aji charapita (more or less, depending on your taste), cut in half
3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed key lime juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of oil
1. Combine cocona, aji charapita, lime juice, salt and oil in a small bowl. Allow the flavors to blend together by letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
I’m so sad that I’ll probably never be able to make this! Is there anything that I could substitute for the cocona?
Texture wise, I would try mango; although the flavor isn’t quite the same. ~Gretchen
interesting! I ve never heard of cocona
It is something I had not heard of before Peru, now I really enjoy it! ~Gretchen
Sounds lovely! Wish I could find cocona and aji charapa and all the other lovely ajis and lucuma and the lovely corn varieties here where I live….
I hope Peru continues to export more and more of things like this. ~Gretchen
It sounds wonderful. Too bad we can’t try it in the States. I love all your photos of Peru. They’re gorgeous!
Sounds fantastic! I’d love to visit Peru and try this.
The only way I’d ever come close to this is a trip to Peru but I would love to try this.
oooh, that looks good. I’ll have to see I can find something like a “cocona” here in Ecuador.
Love to see so many comments and so much interest about my dear Peruvian food.
One thing about Peruvian, as I see it, is that nothing is written in stone! that means that if you do not have cocona (only available in certain regions of Peru) you can recreate this recipe with other exotic fruits. You can try using mango for example, but use the mango when it is not fully ripe, that way it will be not too soft, and not that sweet!
Cocona is very acidic so I think mango will work just as well.
Continue having fun and experimenting with salsas and recipes from Peru. It is a new world of creativity and taste. Peruvian food is an art and a passion!
one thing about charapa! My husband comes from the rainforest area of Peru (we have a huge rainforest area) and he tells me that charapa is the name of a turtle, a river turtle. People that immigrate to more urban areas, are recognized for their sweet and musical accent, and they immediately receive the nickname of charapas!