Arroz Con Pollo

The first ingredient and arguably the most important one of arroz con pollo is rice. Rice was first domesticated in the southeastern region of Asia. Rice is one of the highest used grains for dishes. Rice has been used as early as 2500 B.C as a food source in the Asian culture. The cultivation of rice began in China but then made its way through India. From there, rice made its way to the Mediterranean and slowly crept up to other European states. Rice made its way to Cuba through the different ships transporting goods through the Atlantic. Rice is a key ingredient in arroz con pollo because it gives the dish its texture and feel. Due to its absorbent state, rice soaks up the flavors all into one spoonful and produces and amazing taste for

all to enjoy.
The second most important ingredient in arroz con pollo is chicken. Chicken was first domesticated in Southeast Asia around 6000 B.C (probably Thailand).Chickens made their way through the Indus valley around 2000 B.C to European countries. Once Spain began domesticating chickens, they were brought over through ships to the different countries conquistadors were conquering. Chicken is such an important animal because it provides food sources in two different ways. Chickens lay eggs and can also be eaten themselves which is why they were quickly domesticated and reproduced for the Asian inhabitants.
Another ingredient typically used to make arroz con pollo is the Bell Pepper.

Bell Peppers are found and cultivated all over the world but were first domesticated in Mexico, Central and South America. In 1493 AD when Columbus came to the New World, he found the Bell Pepper and brought them back to Spain for others to enjoy. From Spain the seeds were planted all throughout Europe. People began using the bell pepper in different foods for different flavors and it ultimately became part of the dish Arroz con Pollo due to its sweet flavor. The bell pepper is one of the ingredients used to make the dish that did not need to travel as far as the others to be domesticated in Cuba. Both Red and Green Bell Peppers are used in arroz con

polo.
A further ingredient in this delicious dish is garlic. Even though garlic sculptures have been found in Egypt dating back to 3200 B.C, it was originally domesticated in modern day China. Garlic made its way into Europe and eventually Spain around the late 2000’s BC from China through different trade routes and expeditions to and from Europe to Asia. The vegetable was used as both a flavor enhancing ingredient and a helpful remedy in some medicines. Raw pieces of chopped and diced garlic as well as garlic powder are thrown into the pot to make arroz con pollo. They are both used to help the dish not be excessively sweet.
An additional great supplementary ingredient to make arroz con pollo is the onion. The onion plant can possibly have come from a number of plants all of which were originally from southwest Asia around 5000 BC. Unfortunately Onions are a fairly popular vegetable and are found all over the world so there is no precise location of origin. Onions were used for food in Egypt around the same time that garlic was being cultivated and used. The onion was a common vegetable eaten in European dishes and were believed to be brought in as early as by the times of the Roman Empire. As the onion became part of the Spanish cuisine, it began to travel with the Spanish sailors to the different islands in the Caribbean and eventually made its way to Cuba. The onion is a tasty vegetable thrown into the bag of ingredients to make arroz con pollo produce amazing flavor and taste within the combination of other elements.

An added key component in arroz con pollo is the tomato.

The tomato was domesticated in Mexico and also in South American regions and began actual cultivation in 500 BC. When Spanish Conquerors and explorers came to Central and South America, they took this green fruit back to Europe in 1521 AD. Very soon after being brought to Spain, the sweet and juicy fruit was used to add a new taste to old dishes. Like the other ingredients included in the above paragraphs, the tomato migrated through the ships of explorers to Cuba and was planted for future domestication. The tomato is used in arroz con pollo as a paste to add flavor and also to mix the other spices together.

One more ingredient used in the making of arroz con pollo is the pea. Peas have been picked and eaten in the wild since ancient times. The Romans however believed that peas were poisonous and had to go through specific drying requirements before they could be eaten. It was not until King Louis XIV had a garden developer create a special type of pea that could be eaten without so much preparation that the pea really took off in popularity as an ingredient in different dishes. This new pea hybrid was bought and planted all throughout Europe and then soon was brought over to the Caribbean to be planted as

well.
An important ingredient needed to make arroz con pollo is olive oil. Olive oil is made using olives which is a type of fruit that comes from an olive tree. These trees were first domesticated in the Mediterranean region. They olive tree was a renowned symbol of peace and victory in ancient Greece. The olive was used for food, medicine and most importantly for its oil. The oil is used for cooking in a great deal of dishes. The oil migrated throughout the Mediterranean and was quickly used in many Spanish dishes due to its great taste and amazing, helpful cooking capabilities. Olive oil is used in arroz con pollo to blend all the flavors together.
Another ingredient usually added when preparing arroz con pollo is red wine vinegar. Vinegar is said to have been around for a very long time even since the Cleopatric times in Egypt. However it was not necessarily known as vinegar until the 13th century in France from the coined word “vin-aigre”. Essentially vinegar was just “bad wine” as ancient Europeans put it. Vinegar was used for cooking but mostly for medicinal purposes in medieval times. As vinegar moved its way through Europe out of Egypt, it slowly made its way overseas during the era of colonial travel. Today it is mainly used for cooking and is usually used in cooking the meat and other vegetables in arroz con pollo in the form of red wine vinegar.
The last basic ingredient in the preparation of arroz con pollo is salt. Salt is found all over the world and was used historically all throughout different cultures to enhance flavors in varieties of dishes since as early as 6050 BC. The Romans used salt in their vegetable dishes which eventually led to coining the word “salad”. Salt is used in arroz con pollo just like it has been used since its discovery as a way to improve the bland taste of food.