 Gachas de matalauva. Sweetgachas from Andalucía flavored withanise | |
| Course | Staple dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Spain |
| Region or state | Andalusia,Castile-La Mancha,Region of Murcia, parts ofExtremadura andValencia |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredients | Wheat flour,grass pea flour orcorn flour |
| Variations | Sweet gachas (gachas dulces) |
Gachas is an ancestral basic dish of central and southern Spain. It is agruel whose main ingredients are flour, water,olive oil,garlic,paprika and salt.
Gachas is considered an unrefined rural dish, the food of shepherds, farmers and itinerant labourers. It has been also described as a "fundamentalgitano (gypsy) dish".[1]
Gachas was largely replaced by rice and potato dishes in most areas of Spain during the 20th century, especially in the towns and cities. Consumption of this simple dish resurfaced during economic downturns and upheavals, such as theSpanish Civil War, earning it the namegachas de los años difíciles (gachas of the hard years). Certain modern chefs argue, though, that well-prepared gachas is not necessarily a coarse dish.[2]
Andalusian gachas,gachas andaluzas, are traditionally made ofwheat flour. The traditional way of cooking them consists in frying garlic slices in olive oil until they are golden. Then the flour is added by sprinkling it over the hot oil with one hand and mixing well with the spoon until the mixture is slightly roasted. Water is added then, pouring it very slowly, while stirring the mixture all the while without interrupting the bubbling. Salt and water are added to taste and desired consistency, the gachas being ready when they "smell cooked".[3]
There are many variations of the gachas in Andalusia itself, as the sweetpoleá, thegachas colorás flavoured withpaprika orsaffron, or thegachas de matanza (butcherygachas), served with a stew withcurdled blood,liver andoffal. Fried onion and bread croutons may be also added in certain regions.
Gachas manchegas orgachas de almorta is cooked with flour made from thegrass peas (Lathyrus sativus, alegume;Spanish:almorta).[4] Accompaniments for the dish vary throughoutLa Mancha. It was generally consumed during the cold winter months.
Thegachas serranas ofCuenca is a local variant, usually served with mushrooms and potatoes (Called zarangullo). In the comarca of la Serranía, stewed and pickled pork liver and lung is added to the gachas when the water is added, or is eaten to accompany the gachas. Other possible accompaniments include hot chilis or pickled gherkins.[5]
Thegachas murcianas of theMurcia region is a variation ofgachas manchegas spiced withcaraway(Carum carvi),black pepper andcloves.[6]
Grass peas, which grow well in dry conditions, can be toxic if eaten over a long period, causinglathyrism. Grass-pea products were banned for sale for human consumption in Spain from 1967[7] to 2018, due to toxicity. Grass pea flour remains difficult to obtain outside of Castilla-La Mancha, especially if not mixed with other flours; commercial forms are mixed with wheat flour because of the toxicity of grass peas if often eaten in large quantities.
Like other forms of gachas,gachas de almorta is resorted to in difficult times.Goya in his 1810–1815The Disasters of War series illustrates the harm that can be done by excessive consumption of grass peas in times of famine in his printGracias á la almorta (Thanks to the grass pea),[8] about Napoleon's siege of Madrid. It depicts a woman who can no longer walk due to lathyrism, surrounded by starving people waiting for bowls of grass pea-based food.[9]
A type of gachas made with corn flour are popular in the area ofAdemuz, in the comarca ofRincón de Ademuz, aValencian enclave in the eastern fringes of the ancient New Castile. These gachas are generally mixed with pork orcod, as well astomatoes andsnails. The dish is part of the traditional cuisine of the area, in addition to the grass pea gachas of neighboring La Mancha that are eaten in Ademuz as well. In the ValencianPorts mountain region further northeast, a similar dish is known locally asfarro.
InAragon the same dish may be also calledgachas, but more often it is referred to by the local name offarinetas. It is prepared by frying thick pieces of bacon in olive oil and taking them off the pan when they have released some fat. Then water and fine corn flour are added to the same pan, slowly stirring the mixture until it is cooked. The proportion is roughly 250 g of flour, 150 g of bacon, 1 liter of water, three large spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoonful of salt.
It is common in Andalusia to prepareGachas dulces (sweet gachas), a sweet version of the dish which can be served as adessert. The ingredients are olive oil, flour and water, like in the traditional gachas, but adding sugar instead of garlic and salt. They may be cooked with milk instead of water. Sweet gachas may be seasoned withhoney,vanilla,orange peel and cinnamon. The dish may be eaten withraisins, almonds or bread croutons.[10]
Thegachas extremeñas (also known as "puchas dulces") are a dessert fromExtremadura flavored withanise(Pimpinella anisum). In this dish breadcrumbs are added to the mixture during cooking.[11]
Media related toGachas at Wikimedia Commons
