Ask a Peruvian what the first thing that pops in their mind is when they hear the word “sandwich,” and they’re guaranteed to say butifarra—not grilled cheese, not hamburgers.
This classic Peruvian-style ham sandwich is available everywhere, from roadside food carts to large family restaurants, but why is it so popular? Unfortunately, not many people outside of Peru understand why butifarra is so iconic.
The butifarra sandwich consists of spiced ham, rosetta bread, salsa criolla, chili peppers, lettuce, and radishes. It’s traditional for canteens and street vendors to sell this classic Peruvian ham sandwich with pork rind every morning. Records show that the butifarra dates back to the 1700s.
If you’ve never tasted a butifarra before, don’t worry!
Keep reading as I discuss more on the history and origins of this classic Peruvian sandwich, as well as how you can make an authentic one at home.
What Is the Butifarra Sandwich?
Anyone who has ever traveled to Peru knows how much the locals adore their butifarra.
If you see sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers everywhere in America, expect to see various street vendors and canteens selling butifarras in Peru.
It’s a classic dish that plays an integral part in Peruvian cuisine.
In layman’s terms, butifarra is a type of Peruvian ham sandwich. There are plenty of variations all across the country, but its base ingredients remain the same: jamón del país, salsa criolla, and rosetta bread.
For a fully authentic Peruvian dining experience, try eating your butifarra sandwich with the following:
- Pork Rinds: It has become customary for Peruvian natives to sell butifarra with fried pork rinds or chicharrones every morning. You can try mixing the pork rinds in the sandwich or simply eat them on the side.
- Extra Rosetta Bread: You can never have too much bread. Feel free to add more rosetta bread rolls into the dish if you feel the ham is a bit too spicy and flavorful for your liking.
Butifarra Sausages vs. Butifarra Sandwiches
Unfortunately, butifarra does not universally refer to the Peruvian sandwich. Most European and South American regions use the original Spanish definition of butifarra: Catalan sausages.
It’s only in Peruvian cuisine that butifarra refers to the local specialty ham sandwich. This language barrier often causes confusion among foreigners and travelers researching popular European and South American dishes.
However, more and more individuals began to understand the distinction between the two as the Peruvian butifarra sandwich is one of Peru’s most popular foods and continues to gain popularity worldwide.
Natives are proud of this local delicacy. Multiple news features, articles, and blogs have even been published about it already.
History of the Butifarra Sandwich
The butifarra sandwich is more than just a ham sandwich. It is an integral part of Peruvian cuisine with a rich, impressive history dating back to the 16th century during Spain’s unification.
Spanish colonizers introduced the term butifarra to Peruvian natives during the peak of their colonization expeditions back in the early 1500s.
Butifarra grew to become a prevalent type of sausage in Catalonia, where it first spread.
However, the term’s definition slightly shifted after around three centuries later. Peruvian cuisine used the name butifarra for their spiced ham sandwich.
At first, this may have confused some individuals, but the butifarra sandwiches started popularizing across the country. Butifarra sausages, on the other hand, only stayed popular in their regions.
The earliest mention of butifarra sandwiches traces back to 1768. Historians believe that butifarra sandwiches were the fast-foods of our ancestral natives and were served as ready-to-eat meals on buns during bull fighting games.
Butifarras were easy to make, sell, and eat. This convenience is what helped the peruvian sandwich recipe retain its popularity in the country and commonly sold as a Peruvian street food.
How To Make a Classic Butifarra Sandwich
Are you curious how the classic butifarra sandwich served at 18th-century bullfights tasted? Check out this recipe!
Here’s a simple way to make authentic-tasting butifarras straight from your kitchen:
Butifarra Ingredients
Butifarra Sandwich
- 1 lb. Peruvian jamon del pais, sliced
- 4 rosetta bread rolls
- 1 cup salsa criolla
- salt
- pepper
Salsa Criolla
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
- 2 chili peppers, minced
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- salt
- pepper
Butifarra Instructions
Salsa Criolla
- Submerge the sliced onions in a small bowl of saltwater—let soak for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the cilantro and chili peppers in a separate small bowl, scoop in the lime juice and vinegar, then sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
- Afterward, drain the onions, discard the saltwater, and pat the onions dry with a paper towel.
- Let the onion slices dry for about 10 minutes, then mix them in with the other ingredients. Stir until the ingredients combine.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap, then let the salsa criolla mixture rest at room temperature for around 30 minutes. Serve.
- Store the excess salsa criolla in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for another day or two.
Butifarra Sandwich
- Slice the rosetta bread rolls in half crosswise.
- Next, take the jamon del pais and lettuce, divide them equally among your rosetta bread rolls.
- Afterward, scoop three to four tablespoons—about 1/4 cup—of salsa criolla into each ham-filled rosetta bread roll.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer the butifarra sandwiches to clean plates and serve.
Ingredients for Butifarra Recipe Variations
Switch up the classic butifarra sandwich recipe by adding in any of the following ingredients:
White Wine
Sweet white wine blends well with savory spiced ham, freshly picked lettuce, and zesty salsa criolla.
Submerge and cook the ham in a deep skillet filled with wine before assembling the Peruvian sandwich.
Ideally, the wine should thicken into rich salsa.
For a more realistic and authentic butifarra sandwich, make sure to use Peruvian white wine.
Go with sweet, fruit-driven, and versatile options that pair well with light and heavily flavored meats.
Note: Red wine is fine, but they pair better with thick meat cuts such as steak, sausages, or chorizos.
Ciabatta
Add a European twist to your Peruvian butifarra with Italian ciabatta.
It’s a type of white bread with a hard, crunchy exterior.
Most people use ciabattas in Italian delicacies such as pasta and stew dishes, but you can also use them for your ham sandwich.
Will it taste good? The combination between the bread’s plain, crunchy exterior and soft interior loaded with spiced ham is something everyone should try out once.
It’s a refreshing, simple alternative to rosetta bread.
Extra Smoked Meat Slices
If you think your butifarra sandwich tastes a tad bit too light, opt to beef it up with some extra meat slices. Explore all your beef, poultry, and pork options.
However, I strongly suggest preparing the extra meat cuts to achieve a smokey, savory flavor that would complement your ham’s spicy, robust flavors.
Otherwise, you’ll ruin the integrity of the sandwich.
Chili Peppers
As with many other South Americans, Peruvians like their food hot, so don’t shy from loading your butifarra with all kinds of chili peppers and spices.
Mix the minced peppers into the salsa criolla.
For a creamier, richer consistency, opt to saute all the veggies in butter.
Just one to two tablespoons will already have a huge difference.
Read: 16 Best Latin Sandwiches You Need To Try Right Now
Final Butifarra Thoughts
Butifarra is the somewhat Peruvian equivalent of an American hamburger.
Serve with your favorite Peruvian drink to really soak in the Peruvian culture.
As I mentioned earlier, they’re a popular fast-food choice in Peru.
The taste is mass appealing, its ingredients are easy to source locally, and the dish is served everywhere from small canteens to large family restaurants.
Also, feel free to customize the butifarra recipes listed if they don’t suit your taste.
You can dial down the spices if you’re not used to spicy foods.
Meanwhile, those who want to add extra layers of robust flavors to the Peruvian sandwich can throw in other local herbs, spices, and even meat cuts.
Butifarra Sandwich Recipe
Ask a Peruvian what the first thing that pops in their mind is when they hear the word “sandwich,” and they’re guaranteed to say butifarra.
Ingredients
Butifarra Sandwich
- 1 lb. Peruvian jamon del pais, sliced
- 4 rosetta bread rolls
- 1 cup salsa criolla
- Salt & Pepper
Salsa Criolla
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
- 2 chili peppers, minced
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Submerge the sliced onions in a small bowl of saltwater—let soak for 10 minutes.
- Place the cilantro and chili peppers in a separate small bowl, scoop in the lime juice and vinegar, then sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
- Drain the onions, discard the saltwater, and pat the onions dry with a paper towel.
- Let the onion slices dry for about 10 minutes, then mix them in with the other ingredients. Stir until the ingredients combine.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap, then let the salsa criolla mixture rest at room temperature for around 30 minutes. Serve.
- Slice the rosetta bread rolls in half crosswise.
- Take the jamon del pais and lettuce, divide them equally among your rosetta bread rolls.
- Scoop three to four tablespoons—about 1/4 cup—of salsa criolla into each ham-filled rosetta bread roll.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
- Enjoy!
Salsa Criolla
Butifarra Sandwich
Notes
Store the excess salsa criolla in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for another day or two.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Botifarra
- Peru Delights: Butifarras – Much more than a ham sandwich
- Eat Peru: BUTIFARRA SANDWICH – THE ESSENTIAL PERUVIAN HAM SANDWICH
- Cuzco Eats: Peru´s Sandwich, the Butifarra, Rules in Cuzco
- History of Peruvian Cuisine: Lima sausage
- Taste Atlas: Butifarra
- The Spruce Eats: Butifarra Sandwich Is a Peruvian Tradition
- The Spruce Eats: Peruvian Pepper and Lime Salsa Criolla
- Wikipedia: History of Spain
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.