Impressed by my current travels and previous posts right here!
When in Córdoba, you need to attempt quite a lot of native dishes. Fried eggplant with sugarcane honey, flamenquin (a beautiful fried roll of pork loin and jamón), oxtail stew, and a standard candy known as “Manolete”.
Then we have now what for me are the king and queen of all Cordobés dishes. Mazamorra and Salmorejo.
Lengthy earlier than the tomato arrived in Europe, individuals have been getting ready dishes that concerned the mashing or creaming of many merchandise, like almonds and bread. Mazamorra is a thicker model of the Ajoblanco defined in my earlier article. The phrase mazamorra most probably comes from the Greek phrase “mâza” (a barley cake) or másso (to knead), similar to within the phrase mazapán (marzipan). Amasar in Castilian Spanish means to mash or to knead. There are totally different theories in regards to the etymology of the phrase.
Mazamorra can be ready in numerous South and Central American nations and may date again to the Aztecs and Mayas the place it was ready with cornmeal. It may be a salty dish, dessert, or a drink relying on the nation. The mazamorra cordobesa is totally totally different from these dishes that originated within the Andes.
In Córdoba, it’s a chilly cream served with bread or sesame breadsticks. This Mazamorra is just ready with bread, almonds, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Whereas Ajoblanco has related substances, the Mazamorra requires extra bread. You will discover totally different variations relying on the house or restaurant. Certainly one of my favourite Mazamorras is served at Casa Rubio in Córdoba. Their model may be very mild on the garlic (at residence I add extra), and it’s garnished with almonds, apples, and raisins. The feel is clean as silk.
Allow us to transfer on to Salmorejo. We will say that Mazamorra is to Ajoblanco as Salmorejo is to Gazpacho.
Summer time in Spain means gazpacho. I’ll always remember my first yr in Granada after I studied on the Centro de Lenguas Modernas. I truly did examine and go to most of my lessons. One thing that’s not simple for a scholar in a metropolis that doesn’t sleep. We had nice professors from the College of Granada. My Islamic Research professor ended up being an advisor for my Grasp’s diploma years later. We did exit so much. I’m positive I noticed the solar rise extra that yr than I ever have since. Bar Alfonso was an excellent household restaurant within the Realejo quarter with a menu of the day for about 600 pesetas (about $2.50). When the climate received hotter and I used to be in want of some critical nutritional vitamins, I’d go to Bar Alfonso for a tall glass of his spouse’s gazpacho. It might revive me and provides me the vitality to make it by way of my lessons.
In my thoughts, gazpacho is a beverage served in a glass with ice. I by no means translate it to “chilly soup” which has by no means sounded appetizing to me. You will see it served in a bowl in some eating places however that also doesn’t make it a soup in my eyes. My daughter’s Grandmother prepares Gazpacho a la Antigua which has similarities to a salad with all of the gazpacho substances chopped and served in chilly water with the addition of cumin. You may name it gazpacho, salad, or salsa relying on the place you might be from.
Salmorejo at Casa Rubio in Córdoba
My favourite relative to gazpacho is the Salmorejo. Salmorejo is deeply rooted within the metropolis of Córdoba the place it’s a regional specialty. My pricey good friend Charo from the city of Cabra within the province of Córdoba was my first Salmorejo teacher over 20 years in the past. Not like it’s cousin, gazpacho, Salmorejo will not be at all times thought of a seasonal dish. Regardless that the bottom is tomato, yow will discover Salmorejo yr spherical in lots of locations. The substances are easy: tomato, bread (no crust), olive oil and salt. It’s blended to a cream and garnished with egg and strips of jamón. In Andalucia additionally, you will discover Porra in Antequera, Loja and Granada. That is similar to their cousin, Salmorejo, however served with some tuna hiding beneath the tomato cream.
Above is a “white porra” that we loved in Antequera. It was made with almonds and garnished with mango ice-cream. The restaurant is known as Bienmesabe Santa Maria.
Tomorrow the climate is meant to alter a bit, however I do know that I nonetheless have a couple of weeks forward to buy the contemporary substances for salmorejo and gazpacho from my good friend Manolo, who has an excellent backyard alongside the river.
