), ▁ ▁( Ital ian , ▁), ▁or ▁ ▁( Port ug uese , ▁/ ) ▁is ▁a ▁sau ce ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁in ▁Latin ▁American , ▁Spanish , ▁Italian ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁cook ing . ▁Pre par ations ▁may ▁vary , ▁but ▁it ▁typically ▁consists ▁of ▁a rom atic ▁ing red ients ▁cut ▁into ▁small ▁pieces ▁and ▁sa ute ed ▁or ▁bra ised ▁in ▁cook ing ▁oil . ▁ ▁In ▁modern - day ▁Spanish ▁cu is ine , ▁ ▁consists ▁of ▁gar lic , ▁on ion , ▁pe ppers , ▁and ▁tom atoes ▁cook ed ▁in ▁o live ▁oil . ▁This ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁, ▁or ▁sometimes ▁as ▁ ▁in ▁Portuguese - spe aking ▁nations , ▁where ▁only ▁on ions ▁and ▁o live ▁oil ▁are ▁often ▁essential , ▁tom ato , ▁gar lic ▁and ▁bay ▁la ure l ▁leaves ▁being ▁the ▁other ▁most ▁common ▁ing red ients . ▁ ▁Mediter rane an ▁In ▁ ▁Mediter rane an ▁cu is ine , ▁o live ▁oil ▁is ▁heavily ▁emphas ized ▁as ▁the ▁third ▁critical ▁component ▁in ▁base ▁along ▁with ▁tom atoes ▁and ▁on ions . ▁Gar lic ▁is ▁optional , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁ ▁reci pe . ▁The ▁earliest ▁mentioned ▁reci pe ▁of ▁so f reg it , ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁is ▁made ▁with ▁on ion ▁and ▁oil ▁only ▁as ▁tom atoes ▁or ▁pe ppers ▁did ▁not ▁arrive ▁in ▁Europe ▁until ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the