Migas () ("crumbs" in English) is a dish traditionally made from stale

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

and other ingredients in Spanish and

Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

s. Originally introduced by

shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...

s, migas are very popular across the Iberian Peninsula, and are the typical breakfast of hunters at '' monterías'' in southern Spain. The same name is used for a different dish made from

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

tortillas in

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

and Tex-Mex cuisines.

Iberian migas

Spanish migas

Migas is a traditional dish in Spanish cuisine. It was originally a breakfast dish that made use of leftover bread or tortas. Migas is usually served as a first course for lunch or dinner in restaurants in Spain. Migas en Navas de Estena

The ingredients of migas vary across the provinces of Spain. In Extremadura, this dish includes day-old bread soaked in water,

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...

, and olive oil. In

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with a ...

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

, migas includes

chorizo Chorizo (, from Spanish ; similar to but distinct from Portuguese ) is a type of pork cured meat originating from the Iberian Peninsula. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked meat, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, or ...

and bacon, and is often served with grapes. In La Mancha, ''migas manchegas'' is a more elaborate preparation using basically the same ingredients as Aragonese migas. In

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

, Almería and Murcia, in southeastern Spain, migas is similar to North African couscous, using flour and water, but no bread. Preparations commonly feature a variety of ingredients, including fish. Andalusian migas is often eaten with sardines as a tapa, in the form of fried breadcrumbs. In some places the dish is eaten on the morning of the ''matanza'' ( butchery) and is served with a stew including curdled blood, liver, kidneys, and other offal, traditionally eaten right after butchering a pig, a sheep or a goat. Migas is often cooked over an open stove or coals. In Almería, migas is a staple dish when it rains, yet the reason is still subject to much discussion.

Portuguese migas

Migas is also a traditional dish in

. It is usually made with leftover bread, either wheat bread traditionally associated with the

Alentejo Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo''). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...

region in Southern Portugal, or corn bread as used in Beira. In Alentejo migas can also be made with

potatoes The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...

(''migas de batata'') instead of bread. Garlic and olive oil are always an ingredient. Other ingredients such as pork meat drippings, wild asparagus, tomato, and seasonings such as red pepper paste and fresh

coriander Coriander (;

are usually included in Alentejo, while in Beira the other ingredients typically include cooked

kale Kale (), or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head ...

cut in caldo verde style, cooked beans (pinto,

black eyed peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper), Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie (singer ...

or kidney beans), and sometimes cooked rice. Migas usually accompanies meats or other main dishes.

North American migas

Mexican migas

In different areas of Mexico, migas is a traditional breakfast dish consisting of corn tortilla strips fried on a pan or griddle until almost crispy, to which eggs are then added to create a scrambled egg/fried tortilla mixture. This preparation makes use of hardened corn tortillas left over from previous meals.

Chilaquiles Chilaquiles () are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried. Ingredients and variations Typically, corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried or baked for a lighter version ...

is a similar meal that substitutes salsa for eggs during cooking. Both are hearty, inexpensive working-class breakfast meals.

Mexico City migas

Mexico City also has its own version of migas. It is a garlic soup which is thickened with sliced day-old bolillos (bread). It is usually flavored with pork shanks, ham bones, epazote,

oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a woody perennial pla ...

and different types of dried chillies. A raw egg is usually added to each plate when served and it is slowly cooked by the warm soup, similar to

egg drop soup Egg drop soup ( zh , t= , p=Dànhuātāng , lit=egg flower soup ) is a Chinese soup of wispy beaten eggs in chicken broth. Condiments such as black or white pepper, and finely chopped scallions and tofu are commonly added to the soup. The soup ...

. It is a very popular dish in fondas around downtown Mexico City, especially in Tepito.

Tex-Mex migas

There is also a Tex-Mex variation of Mexican migas. This includes additional ingredients, such as diced onions, sliced chile peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, or

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

, as well as various spices and condiments (e.g.,

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

or '' pico de gallo''). Another common variation is to add

to the standard ingredients. Migas is typically served with refried beans, and corn or flour tortillas may be used to enfold all of the ingredients into

tacos A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filling ...

. Migas

breakfast taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filling ...

s are popular in Texas. In some areas, it may have been traditionally eaten during

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Recipe for Tex-Mex migas
{{Mexican cuisine Ancient dishes Andalusian cuisine Extremaduran cuisine Mexican cuisine Portuguese cuisine Spanish cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine National dishes Spanish breads