Andalusian cuisine is the cuisine of

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

, Spain. Notable dishes include

gazpacho Gazpacho (; ) or Gaspacho (), also called Andalusian gazpacho, is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. It originated in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula and spread into other areas. Gazpacho is widely eaten in Sp ...

, fried

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

(often called ''pescaíto frito'' in the local vernacular), the jamones of

Jabugo Jabugo is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, it has a population of 2,475 inhabitants. The region is known for its signature ham, Jamón ibérico.Jo Williams"Huelva Province - Jabugo" A ...

, Valle de los Pedroches and

Trevélez Trevélez is a village in the province of Granada, Spain. Its population in 2011 was estimated at 823. The river Trevélez flows through the village. They are located in the western part of the Alpujarras region. Two of the highest mountains in ...

, and the wines of

Jerez Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...

, particularly

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

. The oldest known cookbook of Andalusian cuisine dates from the 14th century.

Fried foods

Frying in Andalusian cuisine is dominated by the use of olive oil that is produced in the provinces of Jaén, Córdoba,

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, and Granada. Málaga,

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

and

Huelva Huelva (, ) is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is between two short rias though has an outlying spur including nature reserve on the Gulf of Cádiz coast. The ria ...

produce olive oil too, but in smaller amounts. The foods are dredged in flour ''a la Andaluza'' (meaning only flour, without

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

or other ingredients, but may include flour from the chickpea especially for use in batters). They are then fried in a large quantity of hot olive oil.

Fish and shellfish

With five coastal provinces, the consumption of fish and shellfish is rather high: white shrimp from the Bay of

;

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature' ...

murex ''Murex'' is a genus of medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snails. These are carnivorous marine gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae, commonly called "murexes" or "rock snails".Houart, R.; Gofas, S. (2010). Murex Linnaeus, 175 ...

;

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

; baby squid; cuttlefish; "bocas de la Isla", a dish found in

San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...

that uses a local crab that can regenerate its

claw A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

; flounder; etc. Andalucian cuisine includes also some less frequently seen seafood dishes, like '' ortiguillas'', sea anemones in batter.

Desserts

Sugar was first introduced to Andalusia by the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

around the 10th-century and cultivated in Granada. Andalucian desserts are heavily influenced by Arabic

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Andalucian cuisine. Notable dishes include '' pestiños'' (a deep-fried

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" sugges ...

bathed in

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

), ' (a form of almond

macaroon A macaroon ( ) is a small cake or biscuit, typically made from ground almonds (the original main ingredient), coconut or other nuts (or even potato), with sugar and sometimes flavourings (e.g. honey, vanilla, spices), food colouring, glacé ...

) from

Medina Sidonia Medina Sidonia is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. Considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, it is used as a military defence location because of its elevation. ...

, '' polvorones'' ( almond cookies of

Estepa Estepa is a municipality in the extreme south-east of the province of Seville. It had a population of 12.631 in 2013. The town is located north of the Sierra del Becerro mountains. History Estepa possesses a very ancient past and has well-preserv ...

), lard bread, wine doughnuts, ' and '' calentitos''.

Wines and liquors

The wines of

(also known as

) are famous the world over, praised even by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. Other standouts are the manzanilla of

Sanlúcar de Barrameda Sanlúcar de Barrameda (), or simply Sanlúcar, is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River opposit ...

, the white wines of

, paxarete (a sherry derivative), wines of Condado in

, wines of

Montilla Montilla () is a town and municipality of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Andalusia. , the town had a population of 23,209, which makes it the fourth most populated municipality of the Province of Córdoba. It lies 32 miles south o ...

- Moriles in Córdoba, wines of Málaga, and ''la

tintilla Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditio ...

'' of Rota. The liquors of the region are also popular, included the anís made in Rute, and in

Cazalla de la Sierra Cazalla de la Sierra is a small town in the province of Seville, in southern Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla, part of the Sierra Morena, which acts as a border between the region of Andalusia and the regions o ...

, and the

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

s from the Tropical Coast of Granada (

Motril Motril () is a town and municipality on the Mediterranean coast in the Granada, Spain. It is the second largest town in the province, with a population of 60,368 as of 2016. The town is located near the Guadalfeo River and is from Granada. Hi ...

Typical dishes

Typical Andalucian dishes include ''pescaito frito'' (

fried fish Fried fish is any fish or shellfish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, egg and breadcrumbs, flour, or herbs and spices before being fried and served, often with a slice of lemon. Fish is fried in many parts ...

, Cordoban ''

salmorejo Salmorejo, sometimes known as ardoria or ardorío, is a traditional soup originating from Andalusia, southern Spain, made of tomato, bread, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Normally, the tomatoes are skinned and then puréed with the other ing ...

pringá Pringá is a Spanish dish popular in Andalusia. It consists of roast beef or pork, cured sausages such as chorizo and morcilla, and beef or pork fat slow-cooked for many hours until the meat falls apart easily. Pieces of crusty bread are used to ...

'',

oxtail Oxtail (occasionally spelled ox tail or ox-tail) is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. While the word once meant only the tail of an ox, today it can also refer to the tails of other cattle. An oxtail typically weighs around and is ski ...

, ''

jamón ibérico ''Jamón ibérico'' (; pt, presunto ibérico ), "Iberian ham" is a variety of ''jamón'' or ''presunto'', a type of cured leg of pork produced in Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal. Description According to Spain's '' denominación d ...

'' (Iberian ham), prepared olives, ''alboronía, poleá,'' anise, and various kinds of wine, including

sherries Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light ver ...

( fino, manzanilla,

oloroso Oloroso ("scented" in Spanish) is a variety of fortified wine (sherry) made in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles and produced by oxidative aging. It is normally darker than Amontillado. Oloroso is usually dark and nutty. Unlike the fino and Amontillad ...

Pedro Ximénez Pedro Ximénez (also known as PX and many other variations) is the name of a white Spanish wine grape variety grown in several Spanish wine regions but most notably in the '' denominación de origen'' (DO) of Montilla-Moriles. Here it is used to ...

amontillado Amontillado () is a variety of sherry wine characterised by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named after the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name "Amontillado" is somet ...

) which are undoubtedly the most exported and most widely available of all Spanish wines, as well as Málaga

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. The wine from

, while similar to sherry, is not technically a sherry, but gives its name to ''amontillado'', meaning "in the style of Montilla". Some other Andalucian dishes include: *

Salmorejo Salmorejo, sometimes known as ardoria or ardorío, is a traditional soup originating from Andalusia, southern Spain, made of tomato, bread, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Normally, the tomatoes are skinned and then puréed with the other ing ...

(Córdoba) * Flamenquín (Córdoba) *

Ajoblanco Ajoblanco (sometimes written ajo blanco) is a popular Spanish cold soup typical from Granada and Málaga (Andalusia). This dish is made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar. It is usually served with gr ...

(Málaga-Cádiz) * Gazpacho andaluz (Andalucian gazpacho) * Pipirrana (Jaén) * Habas ''con calzones'' * Huevos a la flamenca * Alcauciles rellenos (Cádiz) * Migas de harina *

Gachas Gachas is an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt. Origin Gachas are based on a very ancient Iberian flour-based staple food preparation. Gachas may hav ...

* Olla gitana *

Puchero Puchero is a type of stew originally from Spain, prepared in Yucatán, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Perú, south of Brazil, the Philippines, and Spain, specifically the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Canary Islands. The S ...

Gazpachuelo Gazpachuelo is a soup originating in Málaga, Spain and is a typical fisherman's dish, consisting of mayonnaise, garlic, egg yolk and olive oil. The white of egg is added to thicken the mixture along with cubed potatoes. Although it is cons ...

(Málaga) * Biénmesabe o

adobo or (Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of cooked food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese variant is known as . ...

* Ajo harina (Jaén) * Soldaditos de Pavía *

Pringá Pringá is a Spanish dish popular in Andalusia. It consists of roast beef or pork, cured sausages such as chorizo and morcilla, and beef or pork fat slow-cooked for many hours until the meat falls apart easily. Pieces of crusty bread are used to ...

* Patatas a lo pobre *

Tortilla de patatas Spanish omelette or Spanish tortilla is a traditional dish from Spain. Celebrated as a national dish by Spaniards, it is an essential part of the Spanish cuisine. It is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, optionally including onion. It is of ...

Tortillitas de camarones Tortillitas de camarones are shrimp fritters from the province of Cádiz in Andalusia, Spain. They are made with a batter of wheat flour, chickpea flour, water, onion (alternatively shallot or scallion), parsley, shrimp, salt and pepper. Th ...

(Cádiz) *

Pinchitos Pinchitos or Pinchos Morunos is a Moorish-derived food in Spanish cuisine, similar to kebab. The name ''pinchitos'' is used in the southern Spanish autonomous communities of Andalusia and Extremadura. They consist of small cubes of meat thre ...

References

External links

Gastronomía Andaluza en Tertulia Andaluza

Andalusian cookbook - English translation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andalusian Cuisine