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Ingredients

Serrano ham

Serrano ham is very popular among the Andalucians and every traditional household or restaurant has a dried pig’s leg in a special holder. With a sharp knife they cut small slices. Because of the fat on the outside and the drying / salting conservation method, it doesn’t need to be in the fridge (as long as you eat regularly from it). Most of the hams are from the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra and it takes at least a year for the ham to be ripe. The more fat is in the ham the higher the quality.

When the hams are ‘ripe’ they start sweating and smelling like ham. Specialty shops have the hams hanging from the ceiling with little umbrellas to collect the moisture that drips out.

The pata negra is the most exclusive kind. This extensively checked ham comes from a special kind of pig in well controlled natural areas. They just eat acorns and this is why the ham is so dark. The Spanish say this ham also has a lot of good fat in it…

Chorizo

Chorizo is a red coarse sausage with sweet pepper and a lot of garlic (you pronounce it as ‘tsjorizo’). It’s often baked (sometimes with red wine) and makes a great tapas.

Manchego cheese

Manchgo is a half-hard light coloured sheep cheese which is slightly like Gouda cheese. ‘Suave’ means young and old ‘. Nice tapas with a glass of sherry.

Oranges

Andalucia is full of orange trees. The fruit of the trees in the cities you often can’t eat, for obvious reasons. The flowers give a great smell. Fresh orange juice is called zumo de naranjas natural. Sometimes they serve it with sugar…

Vegetables

Although also the Spanish are getting heavier every year (especially the kids), they still eat the most fruit and vegetables of the whole EU. Especially on the Costa Tropical they grow all kinds of vegetables and lots of tomatoes. In most restaurants however there are very few vegetables offered with the main meal. Best to order an extra salad.

Almonds

The almond trees are the first to bloom in February. The nuts are used for oil, in desserts or as tapas (sometimes smoked). At ferias you often see men selling roasted almonds in white pointy bags.