FOOD

Andalucian Food

Andalucia has a varied habitat. The area around Jerez is dominated by sherry bodegas, and sherry is not only enjoyed as a drink but is used to flavour dishes such as riñones al jerez (kidneys in sherry). Just an hour's drive from the beaches we arrive at seemingly endless olive groves. Olive oil is used extensively in Andalucian cooking, and marinated green olives is a favourite apéritif. Driving a little further we reach the mountains of Huelva, where the renowned Jabugo hams are cured.

The famous chilled soup gazpacho is ideally suited to the heat of the Andalucian summer. It is made from breadcrumbs and pureed summer vegetables, usually tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers and flavoured with garlic, vinegar, olive oil and seasoning. Traditionally ground with a pestle and mortar and left to chill in the cellar, today the hand blender and refrigerator makes life that bit easier. The oil gives the soup a thick creamy texture, and the gazpacho is commonly eaten with toasted bread. A variation on the gazpacho is solmorejo from Cordoba, another chilled soup where diced tomatoes is the sole vegetable used. Ajo blanco is another cold soup from Malaga which is made from breadcrumbs pureed garlic, oil vinegar and seasoning.

One of the Andalucia's best known dishes is rabo del toro, bull's tail with a tomato-based sauce found in Cordoba. Moorish influences can be seen in dishes like pinchos, lamb kebabs. It is also evident through the use of nuts or dried fruit in savoury dishes like calderetas, a lamb stew with almonds, or cordero a la moruna, a lamb dish with raisins and flavoured with cinnamon and cumin. Away from the coast we can find game based dishes, such as perdices rellenas, stuffed partridge filled with a serrano ham, anchovy and bread stuffing. Serrano ham is also used with croquettes, a popular tapa. For the adventurous sacromonte is an omelette dish from Granada that contains sweetbreads and red peppers, and is said to have gypsy origins.

Unsurprisingly with a coastline taking in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, and stretching over 800 kilometres, Andalucia has a strong tradition of seafood. In the Costa del Sol fresh sardines, skewered and grilled over a fire, are sold along the beachfront. A popular tapa found all over Andalucia is pescaditos, anchovies and other tiny fish which are coated in batter and deep fried. Cazuela malagueña is a soup from Malaga made from clams and fideos, a Spanish noodle similar to vermicelli.

Mojama is an exquisite delicacy found in the Costa de Luz that is yet another culinary legacy of the Moors. Fresh tuna is cut into strips, rubbed in salt and left to dry in the sun. The winds coming off the coast in the Costa del Luz aid the drying process. When cured, the mojama has a dark reddish colour. It is eaten by cutting the mojama into thin slices and moistening the fish by soaking in oil for a few hours. The mojama can be eaten on its own, with bread or shredded over salads.

Restaurants local to Arana de Mijas:

El Torreon - Seafood speciality Restaurant
C/ Riena Fabiola 31, La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 49 41 22

The Newmarket - Restaurant and Bar
Calle Cartama, 29649 La Cala de Mijas
Phone: 952 49 33 42

Il Trovatore - Italian Restaurant - Italian Chef
Urb. Jardines de la Butiplaya, la Cala de Mijas
Phone: 952 494 815

Mijas Playa Restaurant - Dinner dance restaurant with entertainment every night
La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 493 749

Papa Souza - Indian Restaurant - Goan food
Behind Gran Hotel, Butiplaya, La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 493 562

Nuevo Dragones - Chinese Restaurant
Urb. Butibamba 11, La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 49 20 75

El Porton - Sophisticated Restaurant and Grill
C/ Torremolinos 7. La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 49 20 96

Rigoletto - Italian Restaurant -Take away Pizza
C/ Torremolinos 5. La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 59 92 57

Fellinis - Italian restaurant
The Aztec club, Riviera del Sol, Mijas Costa.
Phone: 952 93 91 40

Amir's - Indian Restaurant
C/ Torremolinos 3. La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 49 36 92

Bombay to Goa - Indian Restaurant
No:22 Av. Cadiz La Cala de Mijas
Phone 952 49 47 68

Curry Crazy - Indian Restaurant
El Zocco, Calahonda, Mijas Costa
Phone 952 934 909

New China Restaurant - Chinese Restaurant
Centro Comercial La Cala de Mijas
dificio B, 6,.Junto A Solbank
Mijas Costa
Phone 952 494 880

Monica di Sardinia - Italian restaurant
Avda. Jerez, Urb. Torrenueva, Mijas Costa
Phone 600 450 957

Gazpacho Wine bar - Steak House - International Pub
Calle Estepona 4, La Cala de Mijas, 29649 Mijas Costa
Phone : 637 546 658