Whether you live in Andalucia, or you visit Marbella, Puerto Banus, Seville or Cordoba on holiday, you will find a vast range of local foods to sample. Known to be quite salty, Andalucian chefs also use an abundance of garlic and fresh herbs to flavour their food.
Recipes go back as far as the 9th to 12th Centuries when the Arabic influence in Andalucia introduced yeast soup, baked calves head, honey baked sweets, couscous dishes, wild game and the ever-popular ´guiso de lentejas´ or lentil stew, which is still served widely today. Aubergines were also used extensively in early Andalucian cuisine, and it is thought that ´Aubergines baked with honey´ originated from the Moorish influence in this part of Spain. Fish is also served widely, as Malaga literally has the Mediterranean on the doorstep.
Andalucian food is often prepared very simply, but with clever use of olive oil, garlic, herbs and sea salt, the results are delicious. One of the favourite dishes in Malaga is ´Fritura Malagueña´, or Fried Fish, which, served with fresh lemons and ali-oli, garlic mayonnaise, is simply delicious. Often served with a side dish of salad, this is a favourite dish in beach bars, and often includes squid, rosada, rapé, prawns, clams and boquerones.
The three most important ingredients in Andalucia are olive oil, garlic, and wine. The most widely used herbs are thyme, rosemary, fennel, oregano, bay leaf, plenty of parsley, and, in areas where there was a significant Muslim presence, mint. Andalucia is made up of eight administrative provinces, each with its own distinctive character, fitting into the four culinary zones. The culinary identity of each is dictated by geography and also by the degree to which Muslim cooks were in charge of the historic kitchen. Folklorists say that many Andalucian dishes travelled north to France when Eugenie married Napoleon III in the nineteenth century.
The original Andalucian kitchen was influenced by the geography of the region and also by the Arabs, who ruled here for centuries. The weather also had a great say in home kitchens, as it was thought too hot to cook on a stovetop indoors, and most residents cooked outside. Fuel usually included dried grape twigs or picon, which was charcoal, and any fuel which burnt smoke free.
Spanish omelette, or tortilla, although a simple dish to make, is absolutely delicious. This potato, garlic and onion omelette is often made with fried or sautéed potatoes, which add to the flavour. I have also eaten pea and green bean omelette in Murcia which sounds boring but was delicious. Simple flavours are made tasty by using fresh produce and plenty of seasoning and garlic. One of the best omelettes I ever tasted was a Spanish omelette with peppers and peas, served with a dash of fresh mushroom sauce. This was in a wonderful tapas bar in Seville, near the cathedral, called Tapas Robles. If you are ever in the area, try it!
Enjoying a fabulous warm climate, with over 320 days of sunshine a year, Andalucia is home to the world-famous chilled soup, gazpacho. A personal favourite, gazpacho is made with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic, peppers, and is usually served with chopped vegetables and bread. Simple, healthy and delicious and very refreshing on a warm Summer´s day. Cold almond soup with garlic is another favourite.
Being so close to the Mediterranean, fish features on many menus on the Costa del Sol, and you can see the catch coming to shore at the fishing port in Marbella and Fuengirola. Many of Puerto Banus´s top restaurants specialize in fresh fish and seafood, including the wonderful Marina side restaurants such as the Red Pepper. Santiago´s in Marbella is another king among fish restaurants.
Eating in Spain is taken very seriously, and the quality of the food is paramount. Whether you want to sit at one of Malaga´s top tapas bars with a dozen fresh oysters, or you fancy some fried squid in a beach bar, you will find it all, and more in Andalucia. So eat like the locals. Enjoy your food, relax and soak up the atmosphere. Jamón Serrano, a mountain ham, is eaten widely throughout Spain and is made from the meat of different breeds of white pigs such as duroc, landrace, or large white. The animals are fed mainly cereals and the ham is cured for between 7 and 16 months. There are almost 2,000 producers of Serrano ham in Spain, and the name jamón Serrano is now controlled by the European Union, which protects the processing of the product.
Jamón Ibérico, Iberian ham, is only made from the Iberian pig, the breeding of which is unique to southwestern Spain and southeastern Portugal. This king amongst hams is produced from pigs who roam the countryside and feed on acorns. The ham is cured for between 14 and 36 months.
So revered is the jamón in Spanish culture, that there is even a chain of Museos de Jamón, ham museums, around Spain. Some regions which are famous for their jamón are Trevelez, in the the Sierra Nevada, Girona province in the region of Cataluña and the Soria province in the region of Castilla-Leon.
Manchego Cheese is made in the La Mancha region of Spain, with milk from manchego ewes, and aged for at least 60 days. The cheese is made from pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, depending on whether it is hand-made, from ewes raised on registered ´Denomination of Origin´ farms.
The harsh, dry climate of La Mancha encourages tough plants to grow, which are then eaten by the manchego ewes, and the resulting cheese is both unique and delicious.
Tradition states that manchego cheese was first eaten many centuries before Christ, and the cheese-making methods were probably very similar to those of today. A similar cheese used to be made with the milk of a race of sheep said to be the ancestors of the modern manchego breed. This race of sheep would roam the land for centuries, accustomed to the rocky region of La Mancha. This delicious, milky cheese is enjoyed widely in Spain, and nowhere more so than in the restaurants and bodegas of Andalucia.
There are several different stories about the origin of tapas. Some say they were first introduced in Granada, and served with every drink, to stop thirsty workmen getting drunk before dinner. Another popular tale states that tapas (which is the Spanish word for covers) dates back to the time when plates were used to cover food to protect it from flies on the bar. Hmmm …. That´s an interesting one! You can still see uncovered food in most of today´s tapas bars, and for some reason, it just adds to the attraction. One thing is for certain. Tapas are still given away free in many bars in Granada, and it´s not unusual to be served crisps, olives or nuts with your drinks in other regions of Andalucia.
Wherever you travel in Andalucia, whether it is inland to the more rural regions, or to the beach bars of the Costa del Sol, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out. Try the chringuitos of Marbella, the five star luxury of Puerto Banus, or the superb tapas bars in Sevilla, for a real taste of Andalucia |
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