Food

Overview

Andalucía, like all the regions of Spain, has developed over the years a huge variety of local dishes. Being such a hot region it’s not surprising that it is home to gazpacho. (a cold tomato soup well known now throughout Europe), but you will be surprised, just how many other cold soups are on offer – and all equally delicious. With the 900kms of coastline, taking in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, fish is always well represented on menus. Andalucía’s exceptional climate also makes year round harvesting possible and there is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The whole process of eating is taken very seriously here, whether it be a bar crawl with tapas., or a sit down meal with seafood and paella.. It should be done just right. It is not just a case of sustenance, but relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere are equally important. So while knowing a little of what to ask for is a good idea, the where, when and how are equally important. Here is a general guide and some hints on how to sample the culinary delights of the area in the same way as the andaluces.

Tapas

There is a whole culture surrounding the word tapas, which originally comes from Sevilla. The equivalent English is something like tit bits, or small snack. The word tapa, means “cover”, and originally comes from the small plates used to cover food on the bars so that the flies didn’t get on them. In some places in Andalucía you might be given a tiny tapa, free with a drink - very often olives, crisps or nuts. More elaborate tapas have to be ordered and are usually charged for. The range of tapas is literally enormous. You can ask for a tapa of anything you can see on the bar or the menu and you will be given a small plate of it. This is great for trying out some of the rices and regional dishes before you order a whole plate. Tapear, is most usually done at aperitivo time before lunch or even instead of lunch. You can stay in one bar and have several drinks and tapas but it is more common to do a bar crawl and try a drink and a tapa at each. Every town and city in Andalucía will have its tapas, area, full of small bars. The idea is that the tapa, and drink open up the appetite and that eating something with each drink slows the effect of the alcohol. Drinks are usually a caña, (small beer) or a fino, (dry sherry) or a vermut, (vermouth). Very popular and refreshing for the locals is a drink called tinto de verano, (literally summer red wine), made with ice, red wine and sparkling water. Don’t confuse this light, refreshing drink with the famous sangría, which is made with much more fruit and a much heavier wine.

Popular tapas

Aceitunas Olives (usually free)
Patatas fritas Crisps (usually free)
Jamon Serrano Cured ham
Jamon Iberico Excellent quality cured ham (Be careful when ordering, if you don’t want the most expensive, or you may get a shock with the bill!)
Marisco Seafood
Chirlas Tiny clams with rice and sauce
Calamares Squid rings
Chipirones Small squid (you eat the whole thing)
Gambas Prawns (a la plancha grilled, al ajo with garlic)
Langostinos King prawns boiled
Cigalas type of large prawn boiled and salted (exquisite)
Chopitos or puntillitas Tiny tasty baby fried squid, very popular

Mejillones Mussels (served in a variety of ways - stuffed or in a sauce)
Pescado Fish
Pescadito frito Plate of mixed fish (very common all over Andalucía)
Bacalao Cod
Boquerones White bait, small delicate white fish, fried in batter or done in vinegar with olives
Huevas Fish eggs (Peculiar to Andalucía and a much prized conserve, usually in a tin or jar. When pressed and cut into slices, it looks more like cured ham than caviar.)
Sausages
There is a wide variety of chorizo type Spanish sausages, served in many different ways. You may even have to cook it yourself with paraffin! Once again all are usually cheap except the chorizo iberico and lomo ibérico

Raciones

The culture of raciones is very similar to tapas, but you usually sit down and order a selection all at once to make a meal of it and the raciones are a full plateful of food rather than a small snack. If you are a couple or only a small group you can also order half the quantity media ración, meaning you can try more plates of things without getting full. It is especially popular during the long summer evenings when the andaluces will go and sit out on a terrace and, instead of a proper meal, will keep on ordering different plates of raciones until everyone has had enough. Most tapas can also be raciones. In addition to those mentioned above, popular raciones include the following (more can be found in the general topic of Food):

Tortilla española Spanish potato omelette
Patatatas Bravas Tiny roast potatoes with a spicy sauce on top
Morcilla Similar to black pudding but with other ingredients added, more like a tasty sausage.
Pescadito frito A whole plateful of different fried fish (a real favourite!)
Langostinos King prawns

Tortitas de camarones Chickpea-basedpancakes with shrimps
Bienmesabe Small pieces of fried fish with special herb coating
Sepia Large, grilled cuttle fish served with garlic mayonese
Sardinas Sardines (usually a summer food grilled on an open fire and often served in the beach bars at night)
Tortas de gachas Small fish pancake

Restaurants

There may be times when you tire of tapas and raciones and would like to sit down for a whole three course meal in a relaxed atmosphere and take your time over it. And that is exactly what the andaluces do - take their time over it. No decent restaurant would expect you to hurry up and be in and out in less than two hours. That’s one of the reasons that some of the good restaurants are very expensive - they don’t expect to have more than two sittings at any one opening session. Of course you can always sit down in one of the many bars and have a meal of the day (menu del día). This is more of a quick meal at lunchtime with a choice of two or three things in each course and coffee all included in the price. This is usually very good value and the price is always displayed outside the bar so you know what it will cost before you go in. One of the things to remember about andaluz restaurants is that you usually get exactly what you order. Main courses for example are just a large plate of fish or the meat you asked for - don’t expect vegetables or chips (unless you ask for them specifically). Unless the restaurant describes itself as typically andaluz, the menu will usually also include dishes from other parts of Spain. Eating in Andalucía is seasonal. In spring, and summer you will find lots of cold soups and fresh fish on offer. Heavier pot roasts, which are very common inland, are made more often in winter. Here are some typical andaluz dishes.

Starters or First Courses

Salads are as varied as the vegetables in Andalucía. They can be eaten as a first course but are often put in the centre of the table for people to share. It’s considered quite normal to order a variety of starters and put them all in the middle for everyone to have a taste. Fresh vegetables (aubergines, peppers and courgettes) grilled on the spit are particularly delicious.

Gazpacho Cold tomato soup
Salmorejo Cold tomato bread and garlic soup (a thicker version of gazpacho without the peppers)
Ajo Blanco Cold soup made with garlic and almonds
Sopa de pescado Fish soup (made in a variety of different ways and with lots of different fish, usually delicious if you like fish and seafood. Served hot)

Cazuelas de habas One pot dishes made with a variety of beans, chorizo, bacon and pepper sauces or a variety of fish with parsley. The key word is Cazuela - on menus it usually means a stew of something cooked with beans and fish or meat
Chacina Selection of cured meats of the area
Potage Pulse-based thick soup with vegetables and cured meat, such as chorizo or morcilla

Main Courses

All good restaurants have fresh fish of the day, depending on the market availability. This is one of the best places in Spain to eat fresh fish - some can be very expensive, but well worth the experience.

Arroces Rice dishes (Andaluz syles are usually completely based on fish)
Arroz Bogavante Lobster with rice
El atún con tomate Tuna fish slowly stewed in a tomato sauce
El cabrito en ajo caballón A strong tasting goat stew, great in winter
La caldereta de cordero Slowly stewed lamb very tender in a tasty
sauce. Caldereta can be also any stewed meat
La cazuela de fideos a la malagueña A pot made with fish and thin pasta, with garlic and onion. The pasta absorbs all the flavours - this is really an andaluz version of a catalán dish
Las chirlas con arroz Small clams slowly cooked with rice, allowing the delicate flavour to permeate the rice
Los chocos con habas Small baby clams stewed with beans
Las espinacas jiennense Spinach with chickpeas and cumin
Guisos de caza Wild game stews very common in Córdoba because of the hunting area. Most are based on wild boar and venison and often stewed slowly in red wine. They can be quite strong, but delicious and filling after a winter’s day in the mountains
Los guisos marineros There are a large variety of fish stews in Andalucía. Most restaurants will have one on the menu - they are nice, light stews usually with pulses or vegetables added
Los huevos a la flamenca Eggs flamenco style. A great favourite with kids (or when you

just feel like eggs for tea). The eggs are dropped into a thick tomato and vegetable soup and allowed to poach slowly
Las manos de cerdo al horno Pigs trotters baked in the oven and served with various garnishes
Migas A popular dish traditionally eaten by field workers, but now also found in trendy restaurants! Basically breadcrumbs fried with garlic, oil, water and salt and eaten with all sorts of things, from chorizo to grapes!
La olla de trigo A dish most common in Córdoba where wheat is grown. It was the farmer’s midday meal, with grains of wheat stewed with meat and chorizo; lots of variations – all filling
El pato con aceitunas A dish from Huelva. This used to be made from wild duck, because Huelva is close to Doñana. Now made from farmed duck, but with the same delicious flavour - the duck is steamed with olives
El pez de espada en amarillo Sword fish cooked on the grill with saffron
Rabo de toro A stew of bulls tail, very strong tasting, but delicious and tender - very typical of Córdoba
La raya en pimentón Skate with cayenne pepper
Los riñones al Jerez Kidneys in dry sherry usually served with a garnish
La ternera con alcachofas Very fine strips of roast veal served with delicate artichoke hearts

Sweets and Puddings

This is perhaps where there is less variety - the andaluces have never really had a sweet tooth and their most common sweet cakes are usually eaten for breakfast or with a coffee mid afternoon (merienda). All good restaurants have a long list of the European sweets that we are used to, from ice creams and sorbets to meringues and gateaux. Here are a few andaluz sweets.

Torrijas Pancakes with cream and chocolate sauce
Polvorones Powdery sugary cakes usually eaten at the end of the meal with coffee, very popular at Xmas

Tocino de cielo A kind of crème caramel, very light and sweet, made with eggs and sugar
Yemas de San Leandro Egg yolks honey and sugar
Bizcocho malagueño A rich cake

A Final Word

The andaluces are very friendly people - they seriously want you to enjoy your meal and come back. Don’t be surprised if, after you’ve paid and are ready to go, your glasses are filled again. It happens often here, if you’ve spent time and money in a bar or restaurant. Just say gracias and leave some loose change on the plate.

With thanks to Iboff for permission to use his photograph of mussels