Andalusia, also known as the vegetable garden of Europe, is well worth a visit if you love tasty and healthy food. A tour that includes each one of the Andalusian provinces and allows you to enjoy dishes made with vegetables. You'll taste recipes that in some cases are a few centuries old.
The perfect combination of water, sun, climate and knowhow are the ingredients of a magical alchemy that results in a diverse, sustainable vegetable garden—the mainstay of our unique Mediterranean diet. A diet based on vegetables—fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts—, cereals, extra virgin olive oil, fish, meat and wine. A recipe for life for those who want to be healthy by eating traditional foods.
All of Andalusia's provinces offer many fruit and vegetables, from Almería, European capital of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers; to the fertile plains of Granada, where wild asparagus, artichokes, onions, lettuce and cherry tomatoes grow; without forgetting the province of Seville, one of the main producers of tomatoes for industrial purposes; or strawberries and berries from Huelva. But that's not all!
This mosaic of vegetables stands out mainly because of the extraordinary quality of the produce, a firm commitment to organic production and the strong link between land and product. Proof of this is the Protected Geographical Indication “Espárrago de Huétor-Tájar” in Granada and the Protected Geographical Indication “Tomate La Cañada” in Almería—two essential stops on this journey through Andalusia’s vegetable gardens.
On this particular journey you will learn unusual things that may surprise you, like the fact that tomatoes are not only tasted: the raf tomato from Almería can also be heard! When you cut it or bite into it, you'll hear a distinctive crunch and its green hue reveals that this is not just any old tomato.
Have you ever heard of “alcaucil” artichokes? They are a traditional product, similar to artichokes but not the same. They are especially marketed in the province of Cadiz and are popular during Lent in the squares of Conil, Chiclana, Cadiz and Jerez.
Asparagus from the fertile plains of the Vega de Granada, green and white like the Andalusian flag, find here the ideal growing conditions. Their consumption became widespread during the Al‑Andalus period, when they were considered a culinary delicacy.
And if after so much walking through furrows and talking about vegetables your appetite has grown, we’ll now tell you how to season them to enjoy them at their very best.
Recipes from the vegetable garden
“Gazpacho” might be the most recognised Andalusian recipe in the world. This popular chilled soup includes tomato, pepper, cucumber, stale bread and extra virgin olive oil. Whether it includes onion or green or red pepper, or the right proportion of oil, vinegar and salt, is always debated. What is unquestionable is that there is no summer without gazpacho.
Top vegetable recipes must also include salmorejo, originally from Cordoba. Few restaurants in Spain fail to include their version of this wonderful blend of tomato, bread, garlic and olive oil. It is usually served with hard‑boiled egg and Serrano ham. To complete the trio, we add the delicious porra antequerana from Málaga.
We mustn’t forget pipirrana, a refreshing and nutritious salad from Jaén made with tomato, onion, green pepper, boiled egg and olives. Its Cádiz counterpart is “piriñaca”, ideal with fish such as mackerel or sardines.
And to warm up in the colder months, nothing beats “ajo caliente”, also known as ajo campero or ajo de viña. A humble recipe made with garlic, peppers, tomato, bread and olive oil, traditionally prepared by farm workers. Today it can be enjoyed in many wine stalls and roadside taverns in Cádiz, accompanied by a good glass of must.
