Andalusian cuisine is the regional cuisine ofAndalusia, Spain. Notable dishes includegazpacho, friedfish (often calledpescaíto frito[1] in the local vernacular), thejamones ofJabugo,Valle de los Pedroches andTrevélez, and the wines ofJerez, particularlysherry. Culinary influences come from the historicChristian,Muslim, andJewish traditions of the region. The oldest known cookbook of Andalusian cuisine,Kitab al tabij fi-l-Maghrib wa-l-Andalus fi `asr al-Muwahhidin, li-mu'allif mayhul, dates from the 13th century.[2]
Frying in Andalusian cuisine is dominated by the use ofolive oil, produced mainly in the provinces ofJaén,Córdoba,Seville, andGranada.[3]Málaga,Almería,Cádiz andHuelva produce olive oil too, but in smaller amounts.The foods are dredged in floura la Andaluza (meaning only flour, withoutegg or other ingredients, but may include flour from thechickpea especially for use in batters). They are then fried in a large quantity of hot olive oil.
Andalusia's coast has unique access to both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.[4] With five coastal provinces, the consumption of fish andshellfish is high: whiteshrimp from the Bay ofCádiz;prawns;murex;anchovies; babysquid;cuttlefish; "bocas de la Isla", a dish found inSan Fernando that uses a localcrab that can regenerate itsclaw;flounder; etc. Another important fish to the region is tuna which is caught during their Atlantic migration.[4] Tuna can be used to make the traditional dishatún encebollado.[5]
Andalusian cuisine includes also some less frequently seen seafood dishes, likeortiguillas,sea anemones in batter.
Sugar was first introduced to Andalusia by theMoors around the 10th-century and cultivated inGranada.[6]
Andalusian desserts are heavily influenced byArabicmedieval Andalucian cuisine. Notable dishes includepestiños (a deep-friedpastry bathed inhoney),amarguillo [es] (a form ofalmondmacaroon) fromMedina Sidonia,polvorones (almondcookies ofEstepa),lard bread, winedoughnuts,torrija [es] andcalentitos.
The wines ofJerez (also known assherry) are famous the world over, praised even byWilliam Shakespeare. Other standouts are themanzanilla ofSanlúcar de Barrameda, the white wines ofCádiz,paxarete (a sherry derivative), wines of Condado inHuelva, wines ofMontilla-Moriles inCórdoba, wines ofMálaga, andlatintilla ofRota. Theliquors of the region are also popular, included theanís made in Rute, and inCazalla de la Sierra, and therums from the Tropical Coast ofGranada (Motril).
Typical Andalucian dishes includepescaito frito (fried fish),gazpacho,Cordobansalmorejo,pringá,oxtail,jamón ibérico (Iberian ham), prepared olives,alboronía,poleá,anise, and various kinds of wine, includingsherries (fino, manzanilla,oloroso,Pedro Ximénez,amontillado) which are undoubtedly the most exported and most widely available of all Spanish wines, as well asMálagawine. The wine fromMontilla, while similar to sherry, is not technically a sherry, but gives its name toamontillado, meaning "in the style of Montilla".
Some other Andalucian dishes include:
Empezaba a nacer así aquel "espeso bosque" o "mar de olivos" de las provincias de Jaén, Córdoba y Sevilla, que en 1888 ya sumaban más de medio millón de hectáreas de olivar que representaban más del 40% de la superficie total española.
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