Microwave Chicharron and Pourable Guacamole
Well, a lot of serious posts recently. So here’s something on the lighter side. In the supermarkets near you, if you live in Mexico that is, straight from Bogota, Columbia is microwave chicharron (pork rinds). Funny I’ve never noticed any other Columbian product in Mexican supermarkets. I’ve no idea why the buyers picked this one. But if you can make microwave popcorn, you’ll have no problem with chicharron.
Even the packet looks vaguely familiar.
And here’s what’s inside. A seasoning packet of chile and lime plus that familiar three-fold bag with semi-bilingual instructions.
And here’s the finished result two minutes later.
I’ve decided to forgo the chile and lime, and try the other new product instead, this time pourable guacamole (avocado sauce) from Monterrey, the big modern city in the north of Mexico.
The verdict. The chicharron was not too bad (though your taster had only a tiny nibble because she’d left the packet well past the due date). Nothing like as good as fresh chicharron but pretty much on a par with the big commercial packets sold alongside the potato chips in the markets.
The guacamole tasted exclusively of salt. Maybe if I’d bought the only flavored with very hot chile habaneros it would have been better. I threw mine away. But this looks so handy that I can imagine it being widely used.
And, because I can’t resist, I have to say I find these new food products coming from outside the West fascinating. These cuisines have not yet been as thoroughly ransacked as Western cuisines for anything that can be made into a commercial product. The failure rate is huge of course but it will be interesting to see which products make it through to general acceptance.
And 70% fat free….
I should think that guacamole is one most easy and delicious things to make from scratch? So I wonder if this would take off commercially?
I hoped someone would notice how fat free it was!! The reason I think it might take hold in Mexico is that guacamole is still a sauce here, not a dip (though through back influence that is coming in). Even though it’s easy to mash avocados, think how nifty it would be to just pick up a bottle and squirt out a layer of guacamole on your torta.
I bought a bag of Micro Chicharrones at a Commercial in Ensenada recently. They are the Morelos brand [like the rice]. I wonder how they compare to the Columbian product?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003454425_guacamole30.html
Woman sues over lack of avocado in dip
“If consumers read the fine print, they would discover that Kraft Dips Guacamole contains less than 2 percent avocado. ”
I’m not sure how much canned or jarred “avocado” sauces have taken off in the States. They’re usually found at fast food chains that serve “Mexicanish” foods.
Trader Joes sells “fresh” guacamole in the refrigerated section, it’s packed in plastic tubs and is very perishable. It has citric acid and apple cider vinegar in it.
They also sell a guacamole kit, just a plastic box filled with fresh avocados, shallot (?), jalapeno peppers and lime.
Alex, How were your Micro Chicharrones? And I wonder why Soriana does not buy the Mexican brand.
Ji-Young, I read somewhere that the “fresh” guacamole did wonders for the Mexican avocado growers particularly before avocados could be exported. I love the kit. No salt?
They were pretty good! I am sure they would work if I wanted to use them For Chicharron en salsa de jitomate (with lots of epazote!).
Seems strange, the Morelos brand even has the revolutionary on it!
A few weeks ago I bought a box of 18 packets of the Morelos brand pop-your-own chicharrones at the Costco in Leon. I thought they were more tender/tasty than any of the brands in the bags by the potato chips. One must eat them within a few hours, though, overnight they turn into salty shoe leather.
Well, it turns out I am waaay behind the times. Not only in Comercial as Alex says but in Costco. And since you both care about food and both endorse them, it looks as it they may well be here to stay.
No way – costco too! Have you ever made stewed chicharron, Rachel?
Oh, I just remembered California supermarkets used to (maybe they still do) sell guacamole dry seasoning packets next to the avocados. I think I first started seeing them in the 80s. Avocados were still quite expensive back then.
Dry seasoning for guacamole doesn’t sound very thrilling, at least to me. But try anything once.
And today I was in my (very) local Wal-Mart. They have opted for the Columbian version of microwaveable chicharron–because Costco has Morelos? But it’s clearly on the march.
Alex, do you mean chicharron in salsa roja or verde? It’s one of my favorite breakfasts. But I don’t like to cook it much. I like the chicarron just on the cusp of soft and crunchy. Spectacular.
Dear Mrs. Laudan,
I have lived in Middle east since 2003 and i find it amazing the idea of microwave chicharon because now i can bring some back from Mexico. I love it!! I have been looking for a way to buy them in mexico but sometimes i cant find them. Can you please tell me in which parts of Mexico City i can find the microwave chicharon…
Sincerely,
Giselle.
Hi Giselle, I can’t tell you right now but I will look when I get back to Mexico next month. I have the feeling they weren’t a success because I don’t remember seeing them lately. But then may be I am looking in the wrong places.