A spicy liquor? This is Degollador, the first premium mochero chili liqueur

The Mochero chili is a chili that has grown in the Moche, Virú and Trujillo areas for more than seven thousand years. An ancestral chili that, despite having a great adaptation to water stress, resistance to several pests and an incomparable flavor, lost a lot of space compared to other chili peppers such as slime, which is also very similar in terms of color. One of the possible causes would be related to the production areas and better access to markets such as Lima.

However, and after great efforts on the part of his team, Fernando Abanto, manager of Better Food Company, sought to revalue this ancestral chili, giving it a place in the bars of Peru, by presenting the first mochero chili liqueur, Degollador, a spicy and sweet liquor that promises a different flavor experience to those who dare to try it.

It was a few years ago that Abanto discovered the work of Sabino Mendoza, a farmer from the Moche area who grew chili peppers on his land, at that time he was the only one working on its recovery. This would be the starting point for the creation of Degollador, which was born after the manager of the Better Food Company tasted a chili pepper liqueur. “The question that came to my mind was why Peru does not have a brand of premium chili liqueur, researching chili peppers to prepare a recipe, I remembered my grandmother’s family recipes. And there was the ají mochero, a native chili from La Libertad, ”he says.

The Cutthroat Process

Thus, two years ago the production process began, first and thanks to the organization of the producers, the cultivation of mochero chili began on more land. “The Agrarian University has rescued the plant and is looking for the appellation of origin, but it is also working with a couple of other people, in addition to Mr. Sabino. It is also known that it is being cultivated in the Pinilla estate, in Trujillo, this is more technical and they are working with three types of peppers, but we continue to work with the Moche pepper”, says Rolando Arias, ambassador of Degollador.

After obtaining sufficient production, work began on the recipe. Arias details that from the first moment Degollador was marketed abroad, so the chosen alcohol was Pisco quebranta from the Bailetti winery. From this, they began production, which takes approximately six weeks, because the mochero chili is dried in the sun, then it is macerated and syrup, vanilla and other ingredients are added that are part of Abanto’s best kept secret. . For the following productions, it is planned to implement the technique of drying in the same plant, a slower process, but less aggressive and that maintains the flavors of the pepper much more, reveals Arias.

Cutthroat as an export product

Degollador has an easy to identify personality, it has a toasted and honey aroma that is complemented by subtle spices and light notes of sea water. “At first glance it can be a difficult liquor to understand. But then one realizes that it is not necessary to be an expert to let yourself be enveloped by the punch that pisco gives you along with the innocence of the mochero chili, which complement each other very well with the notes of caramel”, this is how Luis Romero Bellido describes it. , Executive Chef of Koi Maki-Bar.

The new liquor began to be distributed two months ago and, according to Arias, the reception has been quite good. The point in its favor is that it does not have direct competition as it is the first made with a chili pepper and because it is easy to eat. In addition, many kitchens are also considering using it in the preparation of different dishes.

The bottle that is for sale is 750 ml with an alcoholic volume of 39 degrees, being the suggested price for the final public, 100 soles.

The Moche culture in all its splendor

It is a liqueur that pays homage to the local ingredient and also to the Moche culture, not only because of the chili with which it is made, but also because of other details that take us back to this culture, as is the case with the name, Degollador or also known as Aiapaec was the main god, a god who represented protection, who was responsible for harvests, military victories and water, but could also punish them. On the other hand, the bottle is shaped like La Huaca de la Luna, a cult, ceremonial and religious center. It is worth noting that Don Sabino, the “savior” of the mochero chili, is represented on the bottle label.