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Andalusia
Andalusia, known
to many as "the bridge between two continents", "the
gateway to Europe", "a melting pot of cultures" or
"a meeting point of two seas" fits perfectly within any
of these definitions.
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A direct link between Europe and Africa, and the place where
the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean, Andalusia has been
fought over by numerous cultures since the earliest times of civilization,
being one of the areas of settlement of our prehistoric ancestors.
Andalusia covers 17.3% of Spanish territory, 87,268 km²
in total, making it the largest single region, with an area greater
than countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Austria and
Switzerland.
In Andalusia, contrasts are the norm. The diversity of the landscapes
which make up the region provides an entire spectrum: from the
warm Guadalquivir valley, to leafy low mountain areas, from volcanic
landscapes such as the Tabernas Desert to the white peaks of Sierra
Nevada.
Andalusia´s main river, the Guadalquivir, from the Arabic,
meaning "Great River", together with its tributary,
the Genil, forms a fertile valley which constitutes the fundamental
geographical axis of Andalusia. From its beginnings in eastern
Andalusia, in the Sierra de Cazorla, to its outlet into the sea
in the west, next to the marshes of Doñana National Park,
the Guadalquivir is a source of life all along its journey across
Andalusian territory.
Numerous tributaries, springing from the mountain areas along
its banks, pour the excess water from the reservoirs in Sierra
Morena or the Betico Mountains into the Guadalquivir. Such water
takes on an important role in regulating the water supply, not
only for human consumption, but also in the case of heavy rains
and the consequent river floods.
Despite the importance of the Guadalquivir, fifty per cent of
the region is mountainous. A third of the territory stands above
600 metres, with many high plains areas, and there are 46 peaks
above 1000 metres.
The queen of heights is undoubtedly the Sierra Nevada, in the
heart of the Penibético System, where summits above 3,400
m, such as el Mulhacén and el Veleta, preside majestically
over the rest of the nearby ranges.
Within forty kilometres it is possible to travel from this
alpine landscape to the tropical shores of the Mediterranean.
The Andalusian coast, almost 900 km long, is home to a large
number of towns and beaches, the delight of those who visit
them. In recent years, Andalusia has made great efforts to improve
the quality of its coastal area to suit the increasingly demanding
tourist market.
Within this diverse landscape live more than seven million inhabitants,
spread out among the diverse habitats which abound. The majority
live in the big cities - the eight provincial capitals (Almería,
Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén,
Málaga and Seville) and Jerez de la Frontera head the
list with regards to population growth - while many others prefer
to live in towns, small mountain villages, country estates and
farmsteads.
This collection of environments forms a blend of tourist offers,
which range from the monumental glory of the big towns to the
traditional nature of small villages, a continual source of
inspiration for all types of artists.
Nowadays, Andalusia is a modern community, equipped with a
great infrastructure that knows how to welcome its visitors,
and which, despite being conscious of moving with the times,
takes great pains to maintain its roots and to look after its
important cultural and monumental patrimony.
Andalusia has also made a great effort to back sports, not only
due to the growing interest among its people for this healthy
way of caring for the body, but also in response to the importance
that sport has amongst the visitors to this community. Apart
from the great variety of sporting events held in this region,
ranging from the most simple to high-level sports events, there
are always world class competitions on the horizon to keep hopes
high for the future.
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Tourism in Andalusia
In Andalusia, distracting oneself, learning, exercising, enjoying
nature, resting or just passing the time agreeably in a peaceful
environment are options that are within the reach of any visitor.
A change in tastes has led to an abundance of information about
new types of tourism, such as hiking, camping and animal watching,
which consolidate the growing expansion of rural tourism in our
region. Furthermore, Andalusia´s network of spas and health
clinics provides the opportunity to look after one´s health.
There is a wide range of sports facilities in Andalusia. Sierra
Nevada (Granada), host of the 1996 World Ski Championships, is Europe´s
southernmost ski resort. The Costa del Sol boasts the highest density
of golf courses in Europe, many designed by celebrities such as
Gary Player or Severiano Ballesteros, among others. There is also
an abundance of well equipped public and private tennis courts.
Hunting and fishing are activities that are particularly well catered
to throughout Andalusia. Those with equestrian interests will find
Andalusia a paradise in which they can enjoy riding lessons or open
air excursions. To this list, we can add facilities for high-risk
sports such as potholing or mountaineering and aerial sports, with
the latest in hang gliding, parasailing, flying ultralight aircraft
and ballooning. Motorcycling and motor racing fans will enjoy the
international competitions held at the Jerez race track.
The traditional tourist infrastructure along the coast is ideal
for the practice of water sports, such as sailing, wind-surfing,
water skiing and diving in the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
The numerous pleasurecraft harbours and diving centers are proof
of this.
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Gastronomie
Andalusian gastronomy is profoundly marked by the Arab cooking
of Al-Andalus. The refinement of this form of cooking, unheard of
in Europe, transformed many customs. It was the Andalusies who created
the dining room and the current order of dishes.
Andalusian cooking can be divided into two main parts: cookery based
on products from the sea and that based on serrano mountain area
ingredients. Vegetable and pulse stews, game dishes, together with
the different forms of preparing fish, are the essence of our cookery.
The best known Andalusian dish, famed for its nutritional value
as well as ease of preparation, is gazpacho, a tomato-based cold
soup containing cucumber, pepper, garlic,oil and vinegar. Other
variaciones exist, adding or removing ingredients, such as salmorejo,
la porra and ajoblanco. .
Almerian cookery, despite its proximity to the sea, is not based
primarily on fish dishes. Dishes such as tortas de gachas (pancakes),
ajo de colorao, la olla de trigo, las moragas, los gurullos de perdiz
o liebre (types of stew), guisos con ajo (garlic-based stews), las
cazuelas de habas verdes (green bean stew), are some of the typical
meals on offer in Almeria.
Málaga bases its cooking on three main elements: moscatel
grapes, gazpacho, and fish. Of renown are espetones de sardinas
(grilled sardines), arroz a la marinera (rice with seafood), la
sopa de rape (angler fish soup), atun mechado a la malagueña
(pickled tuna), habas a la rondeña (bean stew), el menudo
de ternera (stewed beef tripe), esparragos amargueros (asparagus),
la cazuela de fideos a la malagueña (Malaga-style minestrone
stew), patatas en ajopoleo (garlic potatoes), and many more.
The best known dishes in the cooking of Granada are the tortilla
de sacramonte (omelette with brains) and las habas a la granadina
(bean stew). As with the other provinces, Granada´s cookery
is a legacy of Arab times, rich in spices, in soups and stews, and
strongly sweet-toothed. The well known jamón de Trevelez
(Trevelez ham) is an indispensable element in dishes such as habas
con jamón (beans and ham), el plato alpujarreño, or
las truchas de Laujar (grilled trout with ham). Also worthy of mention
in this attractive province are: el cabrito en ajo caballin (goat
with garlic), el arroz al liberal (a rice dish), la sopa moruna
(soup) and many other dishes.
In Cádiz, berza (a type of stew with pulses and meat) stands
out particularly, along with los guisos marineros (seafood stews),
and of course "pescaito frito" (fried fish) and excellent
shellfish (mariscos), particularly in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
This is one of the richest provinces in gastronomical terms, with
dishes from the sea, the countryside and mountain regions. Other
famed dishes include riñones al Jerez (kidneys in sherry),
los calmares en su tinta (squid cooked in ink), las gachas (stew),
la caldereta de cordero (lamb stew), la cola de toro (bull´s
tail), el bistec salteado (saute beefsteak), etc.
In Córdoba, besides the exquisite game dishes, the following
stand out: el rabo de toro (bull´s tail), la olla cordobesa
(stew), la ternera con alcachofas (beef with artichokes), la caldereta
de cordero (lamb stew), la chafaina cordobesa, las manos de cerdo
al horno (baked pig´s trotters), los pichones con aceitunas
(pigeon with olives), los picadillos, etc.
In Huelva, there are many forms of preparing cuttlefish and tuna.
Among the fish stews stand out a number: las sardinas en pimentilla
(sardinas with sweet paprika), el atún con tomate (tuna cooked
in tomato), los chocos con habas (cuttlefish with beans), el pargo
encebollado (porgy cooked in onions), el pez espada en amarillo
(stewed swordfish in safron) la raya en pimentón (skate with
sweet paprika) and almejas con arroz (clams with rice).
Jaén´s cooking is based on olive oil as the common
ingredient, with dishes such as las epinacas jiennense (Jaen-style
spinach), el ajilimojil, la alboronia and los potajes de verduras
(vegetable stews). Despite being an inland province, Jaén
also offers fish dishes containing herrings (arrenques) and dried
cod (bacalao), such as ajoharina and los andrajos.
Although it is said that in Seville people do not eat as much as
they eat tapas (tapear), this is not entirely true. The tapa forms
a part of the culture of this province, but it is no less true that
people here eat, and well at that. Proof of this are exquisite dishes
such as la ternera a la sevillana (Seville style beef), la ensalada
(salad), los huevos a la flamenca (hard boiled egg salad), los soldaditos
de pavia (saltfish strips), el menudo (stewed tripe), la cola de
toro guisado (stewed bull´s tail), el pato con aceituna (duck
with olives) or lomo en manteca (pork in fat), to name but a few.
There are four main gastronomic categories which, due to their
particular importance, receive special mention here.
The first of these are Andalusian wines, the most international
of which are the sherry wines from Jerez, with the manzanilla variety
produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda standing out. Other wines
with their own denomination of origin, besides Jerez-Xerez-Sherry,
are Málaga, Condado de Huelva and Montilla-Moriles.
Other areas produce excellent quality wines, as is the case with
Los Palacios and el Aljarafe in Seville province; Bailen, Torreperogil
and Lopera in Jaén; Costa-Albodon in Granada; Laujar (Almeria)
and Villaviciosa de Córdoba. However, one must not forget
to mention a young, lightly fruity white wine of recent appearance,
which little by little has found a place for itself on Spanish tables,
coming mainly from the Cádiz province, and especially from
Sanlúcar and Arcos de la Frontera.
As with Andalusian wines, "chacinas" or cold, cured meat
products enjoy star rating, with ham from the sierra de Huelva region
(Jabugo and other closeby villages) tending to eclipse other Andalusian
products of great quality. All Andalusian mountain areas normally
have their own range of pork-derived products, such as jamon (ham),
caña de lomo (marinated sirloin), morcon (marinated pork),
chorizos blancos, salchicon, morcillas (varieties of sausage), etc.
Andalusian cheeses are usually produced for local consumption,
not normally being well known outside their own areas. However,
the strong personalities of these cheeses make them excellent company
with a good wine. They are usually made with sheep or goa´s
cheese, with co´s milk being used in some cases. These mountain
cheeses from Almeria, Granada, the Ronda hills or Grazalema are
firm favourites with those who appreciate traditional cookery.
After a satisfying meal there is nothing quite like some delicious
sweetmeats. The influence of Arab cooking has left a mark in Andalusian
pastries and cakes. Many of these are made in convents and religious
congregations, at times being given fantastic names, such as cabello
de angel (ange´s hair), huesos de santo (sain´s bones),
borrachos (drunkards) or mariquitas (ladybirds). Popular cooking
is exquisitely represented in the many typical cakes and pastries
of the different provinces - roscos in Jaén, hojuelas, torrijas
and pestiños in Córdoba, polvorones in Estepa, alfajores
and mostachones in Utrera, yemas de San Leandro in Seville, roscos
in Loja, melojas in Jerez, bizcocho malagueño in Málaga,
sufle de boniato, soplillos de almendras and bollos de nata in Almeria,
and piñonates in Huelva.
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