It is just another boring day, and you make your way to McDonald’s to spice up the mood. You drop your Fries into a brown bag, sprinkle the Piri Piri Spice Mix, and you break into a dance full of shakes from left to right. As you take a bite and savor the robust flavor, have you ever wondered where this incredible taste comes from?
If so, then you are in for a treat, because we are going all the way back to where it all began.
You may have thought that piri piri is a Portuguese invention, and you are right to believe it. But it is not entirely Portuguese in origin. It so happened that Portuguese settlers in Mozambique discovered the African Birdeye chili pepper, a hot climate plant in Southern Africa. These 15th-century Portuguese explorers blended it with garlic, paprika, red wine vinegar, and other ingredients.
Fun fact: “Piri Piri” literally means pepper pepper in Swahili!
It is quite crazy that the condiment that covers your fries comes from peppers raised in the African wild for hundreds of years, right?
The fiery Piri Piri flavor has totally immersed itself in South African cuisine. It is a spice so rich in heritage that, be it in restaurants or homes, you will always find it on the kitchen shelf.
The Birdseye chili is actually native to American lands. It came to European countries like Spain and Portugal with Christopher Columbus’ expeditions in the west. It might be shocking, but the Portuguese were not entirely impressed by the spice. So they traded them to Africa and Asia, where they received a much warmer welcome.
While the Africans included the pepper in their diet, the Piri Piri sauce is one of the Portuguese practices that the people of Mozambique embraced.
Though discovered much earlier, Piri Piri flavor and Piri Piri chicken attracted attention a couple of decades ago. Only when the Portuguese settlers were returning home during the freedom struggle in Mozambique in the 1960s was the flavor introduced to the rest of the world.
It has been refashioned and is a signature dish in so many countries, like the Goan Chicken Cafreal in Goa, India.
Although it is more commonly known as a sauce, its new adaptation as a spice mix has a very high popularity and a very dedicated fan base. That is because it is a sachet full of exoticness that you would love to accompany your fries with.
It is a little sour, a little sweet, tangy, and, oh, it is super hot and peppery! That’s the Piri Piri Spice Mix for you.
For an incredibly flavorsome and spicy snack, you know what to do. Drop by a McDonald’s outlet near you for lip-smackingly awesome best spice mix, light bites, and meals. Or, you can also get them delivered to your doorstep by placing an order on the McDelivery app or the McDelivery website. Stay tuned to the McDonald’s app for offers and deals on your favorite food.
