Chicken Piri-Piri

Portuguese explorers sailed over coastal Africa during the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, discovering several new spices. A little fiery chili pepper known as Piri-Piri, Peri-Peri, or "African devil" was one of the spices.

A traditional Portuguese meal is Chicken Piri-Piri. Whole grilled and charred chicken pieces are generally wrapped in a chili-based paste or sauce. African Bird's Eye Chili is used in the sauce or paste, which is grown throughout northern Africa and southern Portugal. Piri Piri sauce is spiciness, sweetness, saltiness, and complexity all rolled into one. It's like a mini-flavor explosion in your mouth. The char from the griddle pan is what gives this chicken its distinctive flavor. It tastes like BBQ chicken, but it's even better. Chicken Piri-Piri served with chips or french fries, as well as a tiny lettuce, tomato, and onion salad.

You want to eat the chicken with your hands, which is called frango in Portuguese. A fork and knife are not used by the locals. The chicken is chopped up in such a way that you can easily tuck in and receive all the juicy pieces that are around the bones.