SPAIN – ON A PLATTER.

CUISINES OF SPAIN.INTRODUCTION.

• SPAIN’S location and the mineral wealth of its sub-soil have exercised an attraction for many people, especially foreign political and ethnic interest.

• Its an area of Europe most fought and invaded.

HISTORY OF CUISINE.

• Cuisine in the IBERIAN PENINSULLA echoes the cooking of the Middle East .

• The two main meals of the day -- la comida, or lunch, and la cena, dinner -- are no less opulent because of in-between snacks.

GLOSSARY OF COOKING TERMS.

• THE TAPA TRADITIONS is of great importance, every Spaniards ha his TASCA at the TAPA BAR.

• The word TAPA means a COVER or LID originally referred to the complimentary plate of APPETIZERS that would placed like cover on one’s wine glass.

• TAPAS can be simple and complex both and it includes cheese ,fish ,eggs ,canapés and savories pastry.

Cont……

• CHORIZO and BLOOD SAUSAGE are popular throughout the SPAIN .

WINES.

• RIOJA wine from north central Spain is of premium quality.

• PENEDES near BARCELLONA makes top notch wines.

• Making of WINES dates back from 2000b.c.

• Spanish learned the wine making techniques from French.

Continuations of wines.

• VALLADOLID is a region were VEGA SCILIA produces the most expensive wine in the market today.

• JEREZ in southwest Spain from were the SHERRY WINE originates.

• SHERRIES are blended and fortified wine of several style.

Brands of sherry wines

1.MANZANILLA- very dry.2.AMONTILLADO-medium dry.3.OROSOLO-medium sweet.4.CREAM-sweet.5.FINO- very dry.

CASTILLA LA-MANCHAINTRODUCTION.

• Located at the very center of IBERIAN PENINSULLA, and is dominated by extensive TABLELAND.

• It’s a land of DON QUIJOTE.• TRADITIONAL GASTRONOMY is simple

and tasteful which includes STEWS,GAMES,SAUSAGES,FAMOUS MANCHEGO CHEESE and WINES.

• The population is 1848881.

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REGIONALASSEMBLY.

• The region of CASTILLA LA-MANCHA is made up of ALBACETE,CUIDAD,REAL,CUENCA, GUADALAJARA and TOLEDO.

• The capital of the region is TOLEDO.

CLIMATE.

• It is of Mediterranean type.• Particularly in the central part the climate is of

CONTINENTAL TYPE.• It has LONGER SUMMERS ,MILDER

WINTERS and MODERATE RAINFALL.• In the regions in Mediterranean type of

climate has ABUNDANT RAINFALL that’s gets converted in snow on the mountain peaks.

• The present territory dates from LOWER MIDDLE AGES.

• The period between 17th and 19th saw a decline in the POPULATION.

• The population at present is 1.7millon square km.• The varied landscape is explained by two

RIVERS(TAJO and GUADIANA).and several mountain ranges.

• COLD WINTERS and DRY HOT SUMMER are the norm.

MONUMENTAL CITIES AND TOWN.

• TOLEDO- MUDEJAR is the capital with two synagogues: Santa Maria La Blanca (12th century) and EL TRANSITO (14th century). The Cathedral, the CRISTO DE LA LUZ and SEPARDIC museum.

• Cáceres - very well preserved Roman walls, 11th century Arabic cistern, Church of Santa Maria and a great Old Quarter. Declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

Guadalupe - famous for the Monastery of Guadalupe, with a 14th century church and a Mudejar cloister

FESTIVAL

• February - Carnival in Badajoz (Extremadura)Easter - Especially vibrant in Cáceres, Badajoz, Mérida and Toledo.June- Corpus Christi celebrations in Toledo, declared of International Tourist interest.

CUISINE OF CASTILLA LA MANCHA.

• Manchegan cuisine carries the essence of la-mancha through its three pillars are Manchego cheese, saffron, and marzipan, a delicious sweet.

• Olive oil and wines are the most important aspect of the cuisine.

• It includes delicious meat,fresh trout, local delicacy,river crab,etc.

DON QUIXOTE.

• A living persona of a world power in decline.

• He observes ;’’while I am a king I know nothing but when I have finished eating I begin to understand.’’

HONEY SWEETS…

• In LA MANCHA beekeeping is one of the important occupation .

• Hundreds of bee colonies make the Spains most famous honey.

DISHES MADE FROM HONEY...

1. TORRIJAS- sweet fritters.2. MARZIPAN- sweet mixture of almonds

and honey.3. BIZCOCHOS BORRACHOS-tipsy

sponge cake.

WINES.• La-mancha’s wine history developed in the

shadow of old fortressed. • Simple white table wines from White Airen,Red

Granacha and Cencibel;most of the output is still sold from the woods.

• ‘Airen’ the most widely grown variety in the world is mainly grown in la-mancha.

• ‘Airen’ grape yields mild white wine which can be fruity or dry.

• One of the famous wine is ‘Marques de grinon’.

MANCHEGO CHEESE…

• Cheese was mainly eaten by Shepard's in la mancha.

• ‘Manchego cheese’ created a new cheese culture in Spain.

• It is made from unparsturised milk of local sheep.

Continue…

• The logo of ‘Manchego cheese’ depicts a flower together with ‘Herringbone’ marking on side.

• Manchego cheese is marked in three stages of maturation:

1. Fresco:a very young plain ivory colored soft cheese put 4 sale within sixty days of maturation.

2. Semicurador:cheese sold on maturation of six months.

3. Curador:hard cheese matured for a long time.Good cheese needs no accompaniments.

SAFFRON.

• Saffron is considered as the real gold of La-mancha.

• It was excepted as currency in Spain and still it’s a Spanish expression of bartering.

• Italian risotto and Spanish paella is colored with Saffron.

• Saffron rose festival is at highpoint in Consuegra.

GARLIC…

• Garlic together with bread and olive oil forms the basis of Spanish cuisine.

• The strings of finest and juiciest bulbs of garlic created in La-mancha is sold everywhere in Spain as typical Spanish souvenirs.

• “Eat neither garlic nor onions, for they smell will betray the peasant in thee.’’-an earthy statement by Don Quixote.

FAMOUS DISHES…

• Fabada:a stew made from haricot beans,Galician ham,pigs ears,a special kind of black sausage,fresh bacon,smoked bacon.and other ingredient

• Paella:it’s a famous Spanish dish.• tapas:an appetizer.

CONCLUSION..

• By doing this region I got an opportunity to showcase the elegant yet simple cuisine through presenting Spain on a platter.…

• - Jignesh R. Mistry.• C 919