¿WHAT IS SANCOCHO?
Let’s start with the name: it can be called sancocho or «salcocho,» both forms are appropriate according to history.
It is important to clarify that sancocho and salcocho are suitable terms, but they are not synonyms.
The similarity in the spelling of these gastronomic terms often causes confusion about their meanings and leads to an incorrect impression that salcocho is the only correct term. Therefore, in the media, we often find phrases like these: «Bernat, who is Domini-Puerto Rican, says he likes to dance merengue and bachata, and eat salcocho» or «Among the savory dishes presented were albóndigas corazón from La Vega, salcocho de gandules…»
When referring to the typical dish of Dominican cuisine, the established term is sancocho, as can be verified in the corresponding entry in the Spanish language dictionary. While the noun salcocho is also valid, it refers more broadly to the preparation of food by boiling it in water and salt (salcochar).
Sancocho is a broth- ased dish with meats and tubers that can be found in various forms in several
countries in Latin America, especially those bordering the Caribbean Sea. There are various types of Colombian sancocho; I have tried Panamanian sancocho de gallina, and there is also Venezuelan and Puerto Rican sancocho. In some regions, it is known by other names such as Sancochado, Sopón, or Olla de Carne.