The verb orear comes from the Latin word aura , which can be translated as “air.” It is the action that is carried out with the intention that something is in contact with the air to remove the odor or humidity .
For example: “I'm going to air the towel to dry,” “I think it's necessary to air my shoes,” “First you have to air the leaves and then, when they are dry, grind them with a grinder.”
It is common for the act of baking to be carried out in the field of gastronomy with various raw materials. The preparation of pasta, to mention one case, requires airing the preparations. You can also air-bread certain meats to make them crispy. In the case of animals that are slaughtered for use in food preparation, airing can be defined as leaving them hanging in the air for a period of time before cooking.
Although the basic meaning of the word airing is also applied in this cooking technique , since in principle we can say that the meat is left in an open space, where the wind cools it, in many cases this requires carrying out a well-defined cut, with rules that require almost millimetric attention to the way in which it should be marinated.
In other words, searing meat is not simply about putting it in the air to cool it, but begins by cutting it in a certain way, marinating it and waiting for the sun, wind and smoke to combine with the previous steps to obtain a particular result, that for those who transfer recipes from generation to generation, a series of requirements must be met that determine the standard of flavor , juiciness, tenderness and appearance of the product.
Taking the Santanderes region in Colombia as a reference, carne oreada is a very characteristic dish , served with an accompaniment of cassava, which is only grown in the nearby lands. This technique is one of conservation and at the same time of elaboration, and has been used in cultures such as Santander for several centuries. It should be noted that currently it is not so popular, but it is difficult to find people who still practice it.
Airing, in short, is equivalent to ventilating or aerating . When it is said that it is necessary to ventilate an environment, we are referring to opening a window or door to allow air to enter it. Thanks to this, the level of humidity can be reduced and the risk of the appearance of fungi and other microorganisms is minimized.
The latter is very important, since the action of airing is generally associated with simply letting environments or things ventilate so that their smell improves, but we cannot fail to highlight the need to do so to avoid or reduce the formation of these. microorganisms that can be extremely harmful to health. People with breathing problems, such as those with asthma, are especially sensitive to poorly ventilated rooms and humidity, but no one can lead a healthy life in such conditions.
Sometimes, earing has a symbolic use. An actor who, in a television interview, is in charge of airing the miseries of his co-workers, makes public the defects of his colleagues. A tennis player who takes a few minutes to announce his titles at a press conference, meanwhile, brings out his achievements.
In Costa Rica , finally, the artisanal search for gold in a river is called orear. This is an eminently manual work that is carried out with the help of certain utensils and implements.