IES CAURA

HERITAGE OF THE PAST – FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

“Heritage of the past. Foundation for the future” Page 1

4. TRADITIONAL COOKING. GASTRONOMY.The different cultures of Andalusia appear also in the Andalusian cuisine.

The Romans brought wine and olives into the country, from the Arabs derive not only the water supply systems but also

lemon and orange fruits, almonds, spices and cakes.

Fish and seafood from Mediterranean and Atlantic as well as the culinary delicatessen, above all meat, sausage and cheese are typical for the regional kitchen.

Many traditional meals are based on legumes (beans,

chickpeas, and lentils), vegetables, eggs, rice or potatoes.

The combination of ingredients and spices as well as the preparation is very varied: braised, roasted or fried – for sure always with olive oil.

Famous all over the world is the cold vegetable soup "gazpacho andaluz", a creamy mass of green paprika, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and pieces of white bread. It is eaten particularly during the hot summer months.The classic menu consists of two plates, the hors d’oeuvre ("1. plato"), the main course ("2. plato ") and a dessert ("postre").

A widespread alternative way of eating is the so called "tapas", small portions of meals, ham, cheese. In former times it was only a snack, today a good selection of two or three tapas replace a whole meal.

The food is accompanied by Sherry wine ("vino fino") from the region of Jerez de la Frontera, Montilla wine from the province Córdoba or a white Condado wine from Huelva.

Ibérico ham is another regional delicacy. The Andalusian highlands have low humidity and cold winters ideal for curing this iconic Spanish meat. Tourists will see shanks of ibérico ham dangling from the rafters in most taverns and restaurants throughout Andalusia. The ham is cured and then sliced wafer-thin. It can be eaten as is or combined with tapas, cheese or melon.

The Mediterranean tradition and gastronomic culture

have made Andalusia the region with the majority of olive trees in the world. The sun and characteristic weather are ideally suited for these centenary trees in producing and bearing the best fruit. Situated in the heart of Andalusia, surrounded by astonishing scenery, Andalusian Olives is committed to the preservation of our environment, having at the same time one of the best communications networks in Spain. Proud of our environment not only we distribute olives to foreign countries, also we export Andalusia and Spain.