mojo

Note: Attestations of Spanish mojo in approximately the sense of the definition go back to at least the early twentieth century, to judge from the following passage: "Un puerco ahumado con hojas de guayaba, con plátano verde y mojo de naranja agria, es el alimento predilecto del guajiro criollo." (A. Pompeyo, "Protesta de un cuerdo," Cuba y América, revista illustrada, vol. 14, no. 1, January 3, 1904, p. 17; "A hog cooked [literally, smoked] with guava leaves, green plantain and mojo of sour orange is the favorite dish of the native-born countryman.") The sauce is described earlier without inclusion of citrus in an account of Cuba by the American Samuel Hazard: "El aporreado is made of half raw meat, dressed with water, vinegar, salt, etc., which operation is known as perdigar (or stewing in an earthen pan); then mashed and stirred together it is fried slightly in a sauce (mojo) of lard, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and peppers" (Cuba with Pen and Pencil, Hartford CT, 1871, pp. 537-38). A similar description can be found in the anonymous cookbook El cocinero de los enfermos, convalecientes y desganados (Havana, 1862): "… el mojo, que es una fritura de tomates, cebollas, ajíes dulces con manteca y sal" (p. 41; "mojo, which is a fried mix of tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers with lard and salt"). See also mojito.