Agrio de naranja
A Dominican table and seasoning condiment of sour orange juice, mixed with lime and salt and bottled raw; garlic, oregano or a hot pepper may be added for meat or a spicier bottle.
Wasakaka
Wasakaka sauce · Dominican garlic sauce
A Dominican garlic sauce of olive oil, garlic, parsley, sour orange or lime juice and salt, simmered until reduced and served over roast chicken, boiled yuca or meat.
Overview
Wasakaka is a sharp Dominican garlic sauce. It is built from garlic softened in olive oil, a sour citrus juice, parsley and seasoning, and it is simmered until the liquid thins and concentrates. It is usually served over roast chicken or boiled yuca, and it belongs to the family of Caribbean mojo sauces.
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Name and relatives
Wasakaka is not the same sauce as Venezuelan guasacaca, although the names sound alike. The Dominican recipe page warns that the two are not to be confused, and the guasacaca article describes guasacaca as an avocado sauce of Venezuela that is sometimes also spelled wasakaka. The two sauces have different ingredient structures and are kept as separate records here.
Puerto Rican and Cuban relatives use the name mojo, and the Wikipedia mojo article traces the family to the Canary Islands, from which Canarian emigrants carried these sauces to the Caribbean. The Dominican name differs from the mojo names, and the article does not explain the difference.
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Method
Heat the oil over medium heat, cook the mashed garlic and parsley together for about a minute, then add the sour orange or lime juice and the water the method calls for. The sauce is simmered over low heat until the liquid has reduced by half, and it is then seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. The ingredient list does not include the water, so the cook must add it as the method says.
The reduction, not a timer, sets the thickness. The page gives no time for it, and no temperature.
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Serving
Wasakaka is served alongside chicken or other meat, and the Dominican recipe page recommends it on Dominican chicken roast or boiled yuca. The Wikipedia mojo article describes the Dominican sauce as served with roasted chicken and boiled cassava. The page says it is not usually served with queso frito, and it names a rotisserie chicken chain whose sauce is not public, which this record does not reproduce.
The page also says the sauce became known internationally through a comedy sketch on a US television show; that is a cultural note and is not part of its history.
Sources for this section
History
The Dominican recipe page describes wasakaka as a flavourful Dominican garlic sauce, and says the name is not to be confused with the Venezuelan guasacaca, an avocado sauce. The Wikipedia mojo article ties the family of Caribbean mojo sauces to Canarian emigration. No dated source places wasakaka itself.
Ingredients
Yield 4 servings · Scaling: the page gives one batch for 4 servings. scale the oil, garlic and citrus together; the water is set by the reduction, not by a fixed quantity.
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
GarlicMashed.
59 mL4 tbsp as recorded
Sour orange juiceBitter orange juice; lime juice may be used instead.
118 mL½ cup as recorded
ParsleyMinced.
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
4.9 mL1 tsp as recorded
Or more, to taste.Black pepperFreshly cracked or ground.
1.2 mL¼ tsp as recorded
Or more, to taste.Method
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and parsley and cook, stirring, for about one minute.
- Pour in the bitter orange juice (or lime juice) and 1 cup of water. The method calls for the water, which the ingredient list does not include.
- Simmer over low heat until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Conditions
Yield4 servings
Active time5 min
Places
Dominican Republic
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe Dominican recipes name the sauce as Dominican; the Wikipedia mojo article places wasakaka among the Caribbean sauces that descend from Canarian mojo.
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Sources
Dominican CookingMethod · Uses · History
Wasakaka [Video+Recipe] Dominican Garlic SauceIngredients for 4 servings: 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons mashed garlic, 1/2 cup bitter orange juice or lime juice, 1/4 cup minced parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Method: heat oil, cook garlic and parsley about a minute, add the juice and 1 cup water, simmer over low heat until reduced by half, season.
Serving: alongside chicken or meat, drizzled over Dominican chicken roast or boiled yuca; not usually served with queso frito.
The page says the sauce is not to be confused with the Venezuelan guasacaca, an avocado sauce, and that the restaurant sauce served with a chicken roast chain is not public.
Cited in: Overview; Name and relatives; Method; Serving
WikipediaHistory · Ingredients · Uses
Mojo (sauce)Mojo originated in the Canary Islands; Caribbean and Cuban mojo sauces are attributed to heavy Canarian emigration.
The Dominican Republic sauce wasakaka, served with roasted chicken and boiled cassava, is made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and sour orange or lime juice.
Cited in: Overview; Name and relatives; Serving
WikipediaHistory · Naming
GuasacacaGuasacaca is a savoury sauce found in Dominican and Venezuelan cuisine; the article lists Venezuela as its place of origin and says the name is sometimes spelled wasakaka.
The Venezuelan version is avocado-based; the Dominican version uses lime or sour orange juice, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil and is boiled with plenty of water until it reduces by about half.
Cited in: Name and relatives; Method