CUISINES

Andalucía's cooking, although very much Spanish in style, is also heavily influenced by the Moorish tradition.  Seville has for centuries been praised as the place to go for the original Andalucían diet which is simple to prepare, light, and surprisingly tasty.  Most of the dishes here feature seafood and pork.  Some of the best known dishes are Gazpacho, the famous cold soup made with bread, tomato, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, paprica and vinegar; Pescaito frito, a deep-fried breaded fish in olive oil; Huevos a la Flamenca, a baked dish of eggs broken over a stewed vegetables; Banderillas, skewered grilled meat and other ingredients; Cocido Andaluz, a hot-pot made of chick-peas and vegetables; and the delicious Rabo de Toro, a ragout of bull's tail.

Tapas are another attractive feature of Seville's cuisine as the region is the birthplace of this appetizer tradition.  There are in fact myriads of secret recipes that have been passed on in the families, but some of the prevalent recipes are: Pinchos Morunos, very spicy spits of meat; Pavías de Pescado, marinated fish fried in olive-oil; Caracoles, snails in a tasty sauce; Jamon, cured ham; and of course the fantastic olives of the region.

The traditional sweets are mostly of Moorish influences and are prepared often with honey, egg yokes and almond, but also with wine. Very well known are Tocino del cielo (a rich custard), Almendrados (almond biscuits), Pan de higo (fig roll), Torrijas and Llemas de San Leandro.  The great local wines, Jerez (sherry), Manzanilla and Montilla are a perfect match to all these wonderful local specialties.