AJIACO CALIENTE

‘Ajiaco caliente’ is a paean to Cuban soup

This article features a close link between music and food in the track ‘Ajiaco Caliente’ from the 1965 album ‘Mambo con Conga es Mozambique’ by the latin pianist par excellence Eddie Palmieri and his band ‘La Perfecta’.

La Perfecta were unusual at the time as the brass section was made up of two trombone players (https://youtu.be/74z32MK5P4U) lending the band a raw, ‘urban’ sound to music whose essential roots lay in the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. The trombone players included the great Barry Rogers (http://www.latinomusiccafe.com/2017/05/22/barry-rogers-remembering-his-legacy-to-latin-music/) who you can see and hear live on stage at the Cheetah club in the Bronx with the Fania All Stars see (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MCUwCDuX4Y).

The Ajiaco referred to in the Eddie Palmieri number is the stew of the same name from Cuba, typically made from meat, yucca, plantain and (as the song itself name checks) malanga (https://www.healthline.com/health/malanga) a wonderful root vegetable popular throughout the Caribean, Africa and parts of Latin America. The only time we can recall eating Malanga* was in Pinar del Río, Cuba about 25 years ago and delicious it was too!

”Esta caliente el ajiaco

La yuca quema en la boca

Si me la entibias un poco podré comerla sabrosa, malanga”

The vocals on the song were expertly handled by Ismael Quintana and the recording itself features one of the best Palmieri piano solos .

We have been lucky to see Eddie Palmieri and his band live on several locations as well as his late brother Charlie Palmieri.

Of all the great latin music pianists, Eddie Palmieri is our favourite.

We’ve eaten Colombian Ajiaco before in Bogota. One of the world’s great soups it features potatoes, chicken, capers, cream , corn, scallions, avocado, herbs and spices in a rich, heart warming mixture to fill you up and to help you combat the chilly air at night in the city (https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/colombia/articles/why-ajiaco-is-bogotas-most-famous-dish/).