Try to imagine Native American, British, French and Arabic tastes all in one cuisine. Tasting a Spanish dish is often like having a trip somewhere just sitting at the table. During the years, in fact, invasions and conquests of new territories have made up and modified traditions. The Romans introduced the use of collecting mushrooms and the viticulture that it’s still very important. Moreover, Spain is the first world producer of olive oil! Muslims troops that included Arabs and Berbers, instead, brought such ingredients as sugar cane, eggplant, almonds, lemon, and orange. Spain was also the first country where chocolate, come from America, was mixed with sugar in order to remove its bitterness. Paella, churros and, obviously, appetizers before lunch or dinner called “tapas” are now renowned all over the world. We will focus this article on a very special aspect of Spanish food: the Andalusian cuisine!
Andalusian cuisine is probably the most influenced by Muslim period. Notable dishes include gazpacho, fried fish, and jamones of Jabugo. Frying is dominated by the use of olive oil (is produced Seville, Granada, and Córdoba), but a very special tradition is the use of chickpea flour for dredging very typical also in Persia and Middle East countries. The king of Andalusian cuisine, anyways, is fish. A large variety of exceptional seafood like the white shrimp of the Bay of Cadiz or the “bocas de la Isla” from San Fernando is prepared. Sweets are have been heavily influenced by Arabic medieval cuisine like a deep-fried pastry bathed in honey called “pestiños”. Wines and liquors are very popular: the wines of Jerez, well-known as sherry, dominate the scene having been praised even by
William Shakespeare.
