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Yeah, Buche perico (pumpkin and sweet corn stew) has a weird name and an unusual list of ingredients, but it's a fantastic, comforting soup, a combination of smoked meats, sweet corn, and Dominican pumpkin. The cibaeño classic's most popular recipe on the internet.
By Clara Gonzalez - Last reviewed . Published Apr 5, 2011
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Why we ❤️ it
Buche' Perico (Corn and Pumpkin Stew) is the kind of comforting dish I sometimes like to have to forget about the stresses of life. There are dishes like that. And while this marvel of Dominican cuisine has lingered in relative obscurity for too long, our recipe has helped spark a rediscovery of this lovely dish.
I would call this dish a "Dominican chowder", except that it does not contain dairy (yay for us lactose intolerants!), but the dairy is unnecessary. The creaminess in this flavorful stew comes from auyama, or Dominican pumpkin. While this recipe contains meat, you can easily adapt it to a vegan/vegetarian dish.
Origin
This dish earned its place in our list of foods with bizarre names, as it translates into English as "parrot's gut". It hails from the Cibao region, specifically from the Moca - Seybo region. The name comes from the corn that is the base of the recipe. Parrots (pericos) and other domestic birds are usually fed dry corn.
In its native Moca, this is also served as a substitute for beans at lunch, not necessarily as a soup itself, and may contain fewer ingredients, and even no meat. You can try these alternatives.
If you've met Aunt Ilana's husband, Pedro, you probably know that he calls himself "a mocano" – despite the fact that he was born in Ciudad Colonial. This was my chance to call his bluff. So, I made a giant pot of this stew and called him to tell him I had some for him.
Not surprisingly, he had never heard of this dish. "Not surprisingly", I say, because I don't think that even all "real" mocanos have heard of it.
Buche' perico (sweet corn stew).
Serving suggestions
You can either serve this dish as a stew alongside Arroz blanco (white rice) and concon (crispy rice), some slices of Dominican avocado, and – my preference – some Agrio de naranja or hot sauce.
In its native region, a meatless version is also served as a substitute for Habichuelas guisadas in an exciting version of La Bandera Dominicana, our national lunch dish of rice, beans, Carne guisada (braised chicken, beef, or pork) and Dominican salad.
If you can, serve alongside an ice-cold tamarind drink, or any of our refreshing Dominican fruit juices.
Top tips
- This is best made with tender, freshly-cut corn, but I couldn't find those, and probably neither can you, so I adapted the recipe to the corn on the cob commonly found in supermarkets. This is why I added cornstarch to the soup, as fresh corn is starchier than the sweet variety in supermarkets.
- While researching this dish, I found that, like with every Dominican dish, each household has a different recipe; some people add longaniza (Dominican pork sausages) to it, some add smoked pork chops, and some don't use any meat at all.
- To make a meatless version: You only have to leave out the meat and proceed to saute the vegetables in step 3.
About this recipe
I have tried to keep this recipe as close as possible to the traditional Mocano one, but – as is all too-common in our cuisine – there are myriad ways in which people adapt it to their own taste. I suggest you go with whatever pleases you most. The one here has the ingredients that my family enjoys best.
The result should be a creamy, rich stew with just the faintest bit of sweetness from both the corn and the auyama, and the smoky flavor from chuleta ahumada.
Please share if this is something that belongs to your family heritage. If your family's version has different ingredients and methods, drop them in the comments below.
Buen provecho!
Recipe
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Buche' Perico Recipe (Sweet Corn Stew)
By: Clara Gonzalez
Buche' perico (corn stew) is a delicious and oddly-named corn and pumpkin stew. I love the contrasting savory flavors with a hint of sweetness from the corn.
5 from 2 votes
Save for Later Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Dominican
Servings 6 servings
Calories 501 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 corn cob
- 3 pound smoked pork chops, [1.36 kg] diced, bones set aside
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, (corn, peanut or soy)
- 1 onion, cut into eighths
- 1 clove mashed garlic
- 1 cup diced tomato
- ½ cup cubanela, (cubanelle) peppers cut into 1" x 1" squares
- 1 small carrot, sliced
- ½ cup celery, stalks cut into slices
- 2 cups auyama (kabocha squash), (West Indian pumpkin) cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, (or parsley)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)
Instructions
1. Cut corn
Using a sharp knife cut the corn from the cob, making sure not to go too deep as the corn is very fibrous and tough.
2. Boil corn
Boil the corn in 2 qt [2 lt] of water until it is very tender, Maintain the same level of water adding more as necessary. You can shorten the cooking time by doing it in a pressure cooker. It takes about 40 mins in a conventional pot, and about 20 in a pressure cooker.
Separate corn and water and set both aside.
3. Brown pork chops
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy aluminum or cast iron pot. Add the pork chop and brown.
Stir in the onion and garlic, cook until the onion starts to become translucent.
4. Saute vegetables
Stir in tomatoes and cubanelle peppers and cook and stir for a couple of minutes, careful that it doesn't burn.
Add the carrots, celery, and auyama.
5. Add liquids
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 qt [1 lt] of water (the water in which the corn boiled) and pour it into the pot with the meat and vegetables.
Add the corn and cilantro, and boil over medium heat until everything is cooked through. Add extra water as it becomes necessary to maintain the same level.
6. Boil soup
Scoop out half of the squash, mash and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve
Serve hot with arroz blanco, and avocado on the side. You can also add some agrio de naranja, if you have any.
Cook's Notes
To make a meatless version: Leave out the meat and proceed to saute the vegetables in step 3.
Nutrition
Calories: 501kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 52gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 718mgPotassium: 1314mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 7235IUVitamin C: 34.8mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2.2mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More recipes with corn
You can find this ingredient used in many recipes with corn in our blog, from savory to sweet. Majarete, a Dominican corn pudding, and Arepa Dominicana are probably the most popular ones. We also love Chacá or Maíz caquiao, a soup-like dessert, and Chocolate de maíz, a corn-based, chocolate-less hot drink
Recipes with cornmeal are even more popular, like Harina de maíz, a popular breakfast dish, Guanimo salado, a type of Dominican tamal, Arepitas de maíz a cornmeal fritter, Pan de maíz, a rustic cornmeal cake, and many more.
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More Comforting Dominican Soups and Stews Recipes
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- Sopa Boba (Traditional Vegetable Soup)
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