Venezuela: Perico

Eggs are generally considered to be the quickest and affordable source of protein and starting a first meal of the day with this nutrient dense ingredient is common in most parts of the world. There are so many ways in which one can consume eggs: boiled, fried, poached or scrambled.

Among the different preparation of eggs, scrambled eggs are more popular around the globe. They are so simple to prepare and is one of the easy-to-make recipes. Naturally, they became a common go-to breakfast for many.

Did you know that each country has its own style of scrambling eggs? Yes, there are so many ways to prepare this simple dish.

One of the versions is perico; a South American styled scrambled eggs, which is popular in both Venezuela and Colombia. Perico is a jazzed up version of the plain old scrambled eggs eaten throughout the world. In this Latin American version, eggs are scrambled along with flavorful South American staples like onion, tomatoes, red bell peppers and scallions to yield a bright and colorful dish.

Parakeet is known as perico in Spanish. As the dish mimics the vibrant colors of a parakeet, predominantly the red and green, this dish is also known as perico.

There is a slight difference between the Colombian and Venezuelan version of perico. Colombians prefer scallions instead of onions and vice versa in Venezuela. In the present day cooking, it doesn’t matter. People either mix both or add whatever is available in their pantry.

Perico is usually served for breakfast or brunch along with bread or stuffed into arepas, traditional Venezuelan bread made of corn. Perico and arepa together are usually served as Sunday brunch in many homes. The combination is so popular and common among Venezuelans just like a toast and scrambled eggs are common in British and American homes. Perico is also served with cheese, beans and bread on the side to form a complete meal. This is usually a brunch meal plan.

Most of the scrambled eggs are plain, just eggs, little butter, salt and pepper. The difference lies in the method of cooking, which changes the texture, taste and consistency.

The classic American style scrambled eggs are plain and they have large curds whereas the British stir their eggs constantly, which in turn yield small curds and give a soft and fine texture. Another major difference is that the eggs are directly broken over the pan, especially in an American diner style scrambled eggs. They are also known as hard scrambled eggs and the white and yolk strands are separate yielding white and yellow-colored scrambled eggs.

The French take it up a notch by cooking the eggs in a double boiler method. Since it is slow cooked, it gives the most fine and moist scrambled eggs. They literally melt in your mouth.

While the Europeans and Americans keep it simple, the Latin and the Asian countries dress it up. Just like their people and culture, the scrambled eggs from those regions are vibrant, colorful and sometimes hot.

The Mexicans style scrambled eggs – huevos a la Mexicana, are made with tomatoes.

The Indians have their egg bhurji (scrambled in hindi), which is in many ways similar to perico. The eggs are on the slightly drier side and they include onions, tomatoes, and green chili peppers and sometimes peas. You can spice them up all you like! The Parsi community in India makes slightly undercooked spicy scrambled eggs called akuri. Rather than a breakfast, Indians have their eggs as a side dish during the main meal.

The Bulgarians make mish mash, and include tomatoes as well as sirene, their version of feta cheese.

The list is endless and as mentioned earlier, there are so many ways in which this dish can be made drilling down to personal preferences in cooking to get that desirable texture and consistency.

Breakfast or brunch, lunch or dinner, scrambled eggs like perico, loaded with flavor and goodness, are sure to please all taste buds!

Print

Perico

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Perico is a popular South American styled scrambled eggs. It is a classical breakfast item that is popular both in Venezuela and Colombia.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: Colombian, Vegetarian, Venezuelan

Keyword: scrambled eggs

Servings: 2 people

Author: Nisha Ramesh

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato , peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 scallions , finely chopped
• ½ small green bell pepper , finely chopped
• ½ small red bell pepper , finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pinch baking soda
• Salt
• Pepper , freshly ground

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the scallions and peppers over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Add the tomato and sauté again for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. In a bowl, mix the eggs very lightly with water and baking soda.
4. Add the eggs to the pan.
5. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the eggs are cooked.
6. Serve immediately.

Nisha Ramesh

Nisha, born and raised in South India currently lives in Munich. She blogs at The Magic Saucepan, her personal creative space, focusing on traditional South Indian vegetarian food.