“Chicken and french fries. Chicken and french fries. Chicken and french fries.” The caserita, vendor, shouts out as I approach. “Caserita, how about you serve me up a thigh here, and another over here. And, if you wish, give me lots of french fries. Make sure it all has that taste we love.”
Pollo a la brasa, rotisserie chicken, is famous all over Peru. You will find it here or there, wherever you go. There will always be a chicken shop tempting you. Besides being common on our streets it is Peru’s favorite food.
Because pollo a la brasa is so famous and loved it even has its own song. We all get a kick from it. The well known Peruvian comic Melcochita recently came out with a creative version. He made his own this song that keeps playing over and over in your mind, long after you have heard it. As he says: “Don’t listen to it. Don’t look at it. Don’t eat it.”
Now, whenever I want some rotisserie chicken this song comes to mind along with it. I hum it as I walk down the street to my favorite chicken store. My friends and I always play around and joke a lot. They tell me about their dates with various chicks.
They go into the street. Suddenly the women says “Hey Juan, Juan… Do you smell that?”
And Juan acts like he doesn’t know what she is talking about. He says “Yes, yes my love. Pollito con papas (chicken with potatoes).” Then Juan suddenly says to himself. “Before ordering let’s get a liter of Inca Cola. I hope it has a lot of gas and that way when we order, she will only get a small portion of chicken and not a large order. ha ha ha”.
There is no doubt that the creativity and sense of humor of our Peruvian comedians has led not just to songs, but to a world of jokes and tricks about this delicious food that is our favorite. So, without failing, tonight we shall enjoy chicken with french fries.
