Appreciating Andalucia

I once asked a Madrid living authority on Spanish food why he came south every summer and lived in Andalucia for two months. Was it for the food I asked?
His face turned red, and that was before he had sat in the sun.

Jose told me: “I love Andalucia and I come here to warm up in the winter and for the family holiday in summer. But I don’t come here for the food. I fill the car with food from home and I go back home with some serrano ham and some olive oil, but I don’t eat out in Andalucia. They feed me food I wouldn’t give to my dog.”

A bit harsh, I ventured to say. I found myself defending a cuisine that often leaves even me despairing. But that’s only when eating out. Too many restaurants seem to lack to care. They don’t appear to have the culinary gene that is so often evident in northern Spain.

But Jose is not alone in being a bit of a food snob when it comes to my home province.
I once watched in horror a Spanish television programme in which a coach load of foodies from northern Spain were interviewed and asked why they were visiting Andalucia in general and La Alpujarra in particular.

The answers came thus: “We wanted to see how the poor people of Spain eat.” “Is it true they boil leaves and eat them as a soup?” Another said: “I read that they eat cat in Andalucia but I don’t believe it – there are cats running around everywhere I look.”

Clearly these people were basing their information on what they were taught at school, many decades ago.

I recounted this story to Jose before he fled back to Madrid.
“Tell me Vernon, what have the Andalucians put on our dining table?”

Now there was a challenge I was happy to accept.

There are some wonderful ingredients that are grown and produced in Andalucia. Make no mistake about that. Many of them benefit directly from the quantity of light on offer down south and, of course, the hot temperatures for much of the year.

True, Andalucia was for centuries the poorest part of Spain. People had to make do with whatever they could lay their hands on, or get their sustenance from the trees.

But much has altered since. Cities as Granada, Seville and Jerez are now much wealthier places and the food on offer in such locations reflects that.

If you are buying your own ingredients then the local weekly markets are awash with fresh vegetables and fruit.

The Moors ruled here for 800 years and Arab influence has left its mark on the cooking in the region. Kebabs, meatballs and the use of spices in cooking are so typical of what the Moors left behind.

Pork is the Andalucian meat of choice. It is everywhere. I’ve seen some very, very fat pigs walking about in Andalucia but they always end up on the plate. Every last bit of the pig is used in cooking.
Chorizo and Morcilla are very popular tapas serving in the bars of Seville and Granada.

Newcomers to shopping in Spanish supermarkets are often shocked by seeing packages of meat that will comprise of a pigs ear or snout.

I understand why Jose drives back to Madrid with some ham from La Alpujarra. At its best it is a memorable facet of eating in Andalucia.
The finest I have enjoyed was in a bar in Capileira. It transpired that the bar owners mother produced the ham in Lanjaron, the town that is called the gateway to La Alpujarra.
The fact remains that jamón serrano is one of the top culinary exports that leaves Spain for other countries.

Where would Spain be without Gazpacho? Well, like Salmorejo, these refreshing dishes hail from down south in Andalucia.
Then there are the olives, almonds, lemons and oranges that grow aplenty under the sunny skies.

Fresh fish is plentiful, whether you live on the coast, near it or even inland.
Down on the coast, sardines are always popular and can often be found being grilled on the beach itself outside frontline restaurants.

What about the booze produced down south? Especially Sherry from places such as Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

And finally Jose, I give you the whole tapas experience.
It originated in Andalucia. The oldest tapas bars is reputed to be in Seville.
In the province of Granada, these often delightful snacks are served free with your drinks in a bar.

Next time you are down south my friend Jose, I shall take you on a tour of tasting food that will prove to once and for all that, when it comes to Spanish food, there is much to appreciate in Andalucia.