Causa limeña

Causa is best described as a sort of mini casserole, with the top and bottom consisting of yellow potato and the filling typically of any white meat.{{Cite web|date=2018-11-23|title=Authentic Causa Recipe: Quick and Easy Peruvian Food|url=https://www.fertur-travel.com/blog/2018/peruvian-causa-recipe/14070/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Peru Travel Blog|language=en-US}} In the ancient Peru, it was prepared with yellow potatoes, which have a soft texture, and kneaded with crushed chilli peppers, although it can also be made with any other variety of potato. It can also be known as "causa rellena," where causa refers to the yellow potato and rellena to the stuffing.{{Cite web|title=Peru Comfort Food: Causa Rellena|url=https://www.adventure-life.com/peru/articles/peru-comfort-food-causa-rellena|access-date=2022-02-15|website=www.adventure-life.com|language=en}} During the Viceroyalty era, between the 16th and 19th centuries, lemon (originally from Asia) was added, reaching the modern form, in both the ingredients and the presentation. As Peruvian Executive chef Nilo Do Carmo said, "Created with ingredients from the coast and the mountains, the causa limeña is a valuable appetizer and essential on the menu, representing pure Peruvian patriotism even to this day."{{Cite web|last=PERÚ|first=NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO|date=2019-07-30|title=La historia y preparación de la riquísima causa limeña {{!}} RECETA {{!}} VIU|url=https://elcomercio.pe/viu/fiestas-patrias-historia-preparacion-riquisima-causa-limena-noticia-nndc-659407-noticia/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=El Comercio Perú|language=es}}

There are many hypotheses about the name of the dish. Firstly it was suggested that it comes from the quechua Kawsay, which means "necessary sustenance" and "food", or "what feeds", a name also given to the potato.{{cite book |title=Vocabulario de la cocina limeña: historia y tradición|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zOHQZwEACAAJ|last=Tam Fox|first=Aída|publisher=Casa del Libro Viejo|page=91|language=es|date=1 January 2010|access-date=19 October 2018|isbn=9786124533662}}{{cite news|last=Coloma Porcari|first=César|title=Una buena causa|url=https://sites.google.com/site/historiadelaculinariaperuana/causa-plato-peruano|date=23 February 2004|access-date=29 October 2018|work=El Comercio|location=Lima|page=e-2}}

There are other hypotheses about the name of the dish that link it to war episodes of the contemporary history of the Andean country. In some versions of the story, it's said that causa was first prepared during the colonial period, with the Spanish knowing it as "kausay".{{Cite web|last=Digital|first=Magia|title=La historia de nuestro plato bandera: La causa limeña.|url=https://www.ilcb.edu.pe/blog-detalle/causa_limena|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Instituto Le Cordon Bleu|language=es}} According to Peruvian historian Rodolfo Tafur, the word "kausay" originates from the Quechuan dialect, meaning "life" or "giver of life."{{Cite web|last=Digital|first=Magia|title=La historia de nuestro plato bandera: La causa limeña.|url=https://www.ilcb.edu.pe/blog-detalle/causa_limena|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Instituto Le Cordon Bleu|language=es}}

Even though this clearly Limean dish exists since the Viceroyalty, it didn't have a specific name; it was with the arrival of the libertador José de San Martín that, in order to solve the expenses of the military campaign, this dish was sold in the corners of the Limean streets, as a way to contribute to the cause (por la causa in Spanish, "for the cause").{{cite web |title=Causa a la limeña: conozca la historia de este platillo nacional |url=https://panamericana.pe/enemigospublicos/locales/132638-causa-limena-conozca-historia-platillo-nacional |website=Panamericana Televisión |language=es |date=7 July 2013}}{{cite web |last1=Moreira |first1=Marta |title=Todo sobre la causa limeña, el plato de la revolución nacional peruana que nos vuelve locos |url=https://valenciaplaza.com/todo-sobre-la-causa-limena-el-plato-de-la-revolucion-nacional-peruana-que-nos-vuelve-locos |website=Guía Hedonista |language=es |date=24 March 2017}} On the other side, it may also be possible that causa limeña was a patriotic dish during the Peruvian-Chilean Pacific war. At the time, women would help the soldiers by offering them this cold dish.{{cite news|title=Causa con sabor a Perú|url=https://larepublica.pe/buenazo/1066597-causa-con-sabor-a-peru|date=27 July 2017|access-date=11 February 2019|work=La República}}

While this dish is called causa in Lima, in the northern city of Trujillo the name is used to designate any spicy dish.

This dish is traditionally made with yellow potato, lemon, boiled egg, yellow chilli pepper and black olives.{{cite book |title=Cartas de un turista|last=Carrillo|first=Enrique|publisher=Imprenta La Industria|location=Lima|language=es|year=1905|quote=justo es decir, sin embargo, que algunos de ellos tienen grato sabor y atractivo aspecto; y que una causa amarilla y jugosa rodeada de negras aceitunas y menudas tajadas de huevo duro y coronada por un hermoso ají rojo, es un manjar exquisito y que grita: comedme}} It also may have avocado for the stuffing and lettuce for decoration purposes. The preparation admits many variants, like the causa filled with tuna, trout,{{cite book |title=Primicias de cocina Peruana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=frFQAQAAIAAJ|last=Hinostroza|first=Rodolfo|author-link=Rodolfo Hinostroza|publisher=Everest|location=León (España)|page=148|language=es|year=2006|access-date=9 February 2018|isbn=84-241-1480-9}} chicken, shellfish or other white meat. In some cases, it can even be made with spider crab or octopus.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-13|title=Chicken Causa Limeña|url=https://www.thegourmetjournal.com/english-version/chicken-causa-limena/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=The Gourmet Journal: Periódico de Gastronomía|language=es}} It is served with a light coating of mayonnaise.

Apart from yellow potatoes, the dough can also be made with lima beans or yellow yuca.{{cite book |title=Larousse de la gastronomía peruana: diccionario gatronómico ilustrado|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MID-tgAACAAJ|last=Acurio|first=Gastón|author-link=Gastón Acurio|publisher=Q.W. Editores|location=Lima|page=84|language=es|date=2008|access-date=15 June 2019|isbn=9789972589379}}

• Ocopa
• Papa rellena
• Patatas bravas

{{reflist}}

• [https://valenciaplaza.com/todo-sobre-la-causa-limena-el-plato-de-la-revolucion-nacional-peruana-que-nos-vuelve-locos Todo sobre la causa limeña, el plato de la revolución nacional peruana que nos vuelve locos]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=zOHQZwEACAAJ Sabores del Perú: la cocina peruana desde los incas hasta nuestros días]

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Category:Potato dishes

Category:Appetizers

Category:Peruvian cuisine