Andalucian cuisine - a guide
Undoubtedly one of Spain’s most culinary rich regions, Andalusia
is an area famed for its cuisine and its culture of food. Much
like the rest of Spain, food is an important part of social
life; here the meal is about a lot more than simply eating.
Andalusia is also the home of one of Spain’s favourite exports;
tapas. Restaurants can now be found in most major cities around
the world, but to taste the original you should head to Seville.
Also the region is the world’s largest producer of olive oil
with some of the finest in the world being produced in
Andalusia’s olive groves. As you would expect, olive oil is the
basis for lots of the region’s cooking and accompanies many of
the dishes.
The diversity throughout different areas of the region is huge,
a myriad of different influences have shaped the regions
gastronomy over the past centuries as well as its geographical
diversity. The Moorish legacy still remains strong and can be
seen especially in the sweets and desserts of the region, many
of which are flavoured with aniseed, cinnamon, almonds and
honey.
Blessed with a superb climate the region has a year round
growing season meaning that fruit and vegetables can be picked
locally, even in winter. Locally grown asparagus and avocados
are regarded as some of the best in the world and there’s never
a shortage of fresh produce to add weight to regional menus.
Probably the most famous dish in Andalusia is “Gazpacho”; a
chilled soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables and one
that has been copied the world over. In the stifling heat of an
Andalusian summer, “Gazpacho” is a very refreshing lunch dish or
starter and shouldn’t be missed by those visiting the area.
Coastal areas of Andalusia tend still to be dominated by seafood
with many options for sampling the bounty of the Mediterranean.
“Pesca’ito frito”, a regional favourite, is a variety of fish
fried together in olive oil and is perfect to display the broad
range of fish on offer. Beach-side restaurants, locally known as
“Chirengitas”, are excellent ways to sample local seafood with
more emphasis being put on fresh cooked produce than comfort,
pomp and service. These informal eateries serve up a massive
variety of dishes from baby squid in garlic to fresh barbequed
sardines (usually cooked on a bamboo spit) and really constitute
fantastic value for money. For those looking for finer dining
then cities like Malaga and Seville boast no shortage of gourmet
restaurants, and many have excellent reputations throughout
Spain.
Inland regions tend to lean more towards poultry, game and, the
regions favourite meat, pork. Indeed the pig is a highly lauded
animal in Andalusia whether cooked fresh to make dishes such as
meat balls in almond sauce and pork loins in orange and sherry,
or whether cured to make sausages and “Jamon Serrano”. Indeed
the region is home to a special breed of pig known as the
“Iberico” or, more colloquially, the “pata negra” (literally
“black foot”, denoting the pigs black hooves). This small, brown
pig is used to make some of the finest cured hams in the world -
the town of Jabugo is reputed to produce the very best - the
flavour of the ham is down to the strict diet of acorns which is
administered to the pig, and this particular part of the Huelva
region has the perfect micro-climate for sustaining oak trees.
Andalusia, as mentioned above, also utilises the pig for making
sausages, a foodstuff intrinsically linked with Spain’s cuisine.
The “cana de lomo” is a smoked sausage made with tripe and the
“moron” is made with trimmings of pig shin and both serve as
excellent examples of the many regional variations that are
produced. However it’s not all pork; deer and wild boar can be
found in Cordoba and the Guadalquivir region around Seville
provides the area with excellent duck, often cooked with Seville
onions and widely eaten throughout the city. It is this
diversity in one of Spain’s largest provinces that make it such
a rich culinary region and a real must for food lovers.
