Salsa Xnipec

History & Origin

Xnipec - pronounced shee-ni-pek - is the salsa most identified with Yucatecan cuisine and one of the oldest in the Americas. Its name in the Mayan language literally means 'wet dog's nose', a vivid image that precisely describes the effect that habanero chilli produces in those who eat it: the nose runs, the eyes water and the skin perspires in a cascade, exactly like the moist muzzle of a dog. The habanero chilli (Capsicum chinense) originates in the Amazon and arrived in Mesoamerica via pre-Hispanic trade routes. In Yucatán it found ideal growing conditions - calcareous soils, tropical humidity and high temperatures - and became the most cultivated and consumed chilli on the peninsula since pre-Hispanic times. The Maya called it x-cat-ik or ik in the Yucatecan language and used it as food, medicine and ritual offering. Xnipec in its purest form is a pre-Hispanic preparation: simply raw chopped habanero mixed with bitter orange. The modern version incorporates red onion, tomato and coriander, elements that arrived with the Spanish but integrated so naturally into the Yucatecan diet that they are now considered part of the original recipe. Bitter orange (citrus aurantium), introduced by Franciscan missionaries in the 16th century, is the most characteristic and practically irreplaceable element of xnipec: its refreshing acidity tempers the habanero's heat without eliminating it. Xnipec not only accompanies Yucatecan dishes - it is also a table condiment placed in a small bowl alongside the salt, vinegar and soy sauce in all restaurants on the peninsula. In the markets of Mérida, xnipec is sold in small plastic bags, freshly prepared each morning, bought to take home like buying a newspaper.