Trend Alert: Chimichurri Sauce Is Spreading Fast and Delicious
The tangy Argentinian steak sauce is rapidly gaining ground with American diners.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
For those who like to stake out the latest restaurant-menu trends, here’s one you may actually prefer to steak out: chimichurri.
The grilled-meat condiment or marinade, which is super popular in Argentina, has been rapidly gaining traction at U.S. eateries. Made, generally speaking, from parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and chile flakes, with no cooking necessary, the green sauce has seen an 83 percent rise in menu appearances in the past four years, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, prompting the industry publication to declare that it has now “moved into the mainstream.”
“Though awareness of the condiment is highest among Hispanic consumers, chimichurri has mainstream appeal with its use on burgers, wraps and sandwiches,” NRN asserts, noting that the sauce is currently in the “adoption” phase of its trajectory -- between “inception” and “proliferation” on its way, perhaps, toward “ubiquity.”
While currently found only on 7 percent of restaurant menus, according to NRN-cited stats compiled by Datassential, 45 percent of the U.S. population knows what chimichurri is and 22 percent of us have tried it.
For those of you who have not yet tried it but would like to do so and to make your own (not just to stay on trend, but because it is delicious!), here are some recipes and videos to help you get started:
Classic Chimichurri Sauce (pictured top)
