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 Ajoblanco served withgrapes | |
| Alternative names | Ajo blanco, white gazpacho |
|---|---|
| Course | Appetiser |
| Place of origin | Spain |
| Region or state | Andalusia |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Bread,almonds,garlic,water,olive oil |
Ajoblanco (sometimes writtenajo blanco) is a popular Spanish coldsoup typical fromGranada andMálaga (Andalusia). This dish is made ofbread, crushedalmonds,garlic,water,olive oil,salt and sometimesvinegar. It is usually served withgrapes or slices ofmelon. When almonds were not available, for instance during thepost-war period,flour from dried beans was used.
Ajoblanco is sometimes referred to as "whitegazpacho".[1]
Extremaduran ajoblanco (ajoblanco extremeño) is a related though somewhat different dish, since it contains egg yolk in the emulsion as well as water, olive oil, garlic and bread, and while vegetables such as tomatoes or cucumbers may be added, it does not usually contain almonds.[2][3]
The dish has its origins in theArab cuisine sincealmond, like many other foods and fruits, were introduced to Spain by theArabs.[4]The narrative that its origin is Roman cuisine, which was introduced to the Roman Province ofHispania is weak and has very little basis considering that almonds were introduced by the Arabs[citation needed] It would eventually become a traditional dish ofAndalucía.[5][citation needed]
The bread (generally hard bread) is soaked overnight in order to soften it. The almonds and the garlic are mixed together (sometimes withvinegar) with amortar and pestle until a white paste is formed. Finally water and olive oil are added and the mixture is beaten until it has anemulsion-like texture.
In some areas of Granada it is customary to have ajoblanco as an accompaniment to a"papa asada" (baked potato). When served this way, the soup is thinned so that it can be drunk directly from a glass.
In Málaga, ajoblanco is served withMuscat grapes or, less commonly, other fresh fruit, such asapple ormelon. There is a current trend to experiment with other such combinations.
Every year in the town ofAlmáchar, Málaga, a festival is held on 2 September to celebrate ajoblanco.[6]
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