There exists a great regional difference Southern Spanish foods and the cuisine of other regions of Spain. Find out the contributions that the Southern side makes to the rich and wonderful Spanish cuisine.
The history of Spain has been forged by the diverse mix of cultures that have had the chance to occupy the Spanish lands. Each nation brought with itself its own unique ingredients, cooking styles and dishes that were strikingly different from each other. Over the years the cuisine of the different nations fused together to develop an overall extraordinary culinary heritage of Spain. There still exists today a considerable amount of difference in the regional cuisine of Spain. From the historic point of view this is so because different ethnic groups settled in different areas and had their own way of life and cuisine. The second and more relative factor that still influences the cuisine of the different regions is the geography.
Spanish main land cuisine
The southern cuisine has no doubt been influenced by the people that dwelled those lands but it is the physical surroundings of the Andalusian lands that contribute to the way of cooking we find in the region. The region is home to gardens and fields, amazing stews for the winter season and a rich and healthy Mediterranean cuisine in the area along the coast. The region is particularly rich in the diverse range of pastry items which are to be credited to the Arabs who were known to possess a sweet tooth. The legacy continues till today as the southern cuisine is one of the richest in sweet dishes. On the other hand the area has a widespread consumption of pork and ham which is not in sync with the Arab nation’s culinary heritage but seems to have come from the influence of other nations.
The Andalusian region is known for a wide variety of gazpachos. This is basically a cold soup that has a number of interesting ingredients such as sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers in olive oil, garlic and vinegar and a sprinkling of croutons which is usually done right before serving the dish. Another popular item of the territory is frituras. These are servings of small fish that are peculiar to the cuisine of the region.
There are regional differences even within the cuisine of southern Spain itself. This goes to show the diversity of the Spanish cuisine as a whole. These different regions had once existed as separate states that did not have strong communication links with each other as they do today. This is why the difference remained and is so strongly embedded in the lives of the people that despite the improvements in means of communication the culinary differences remain.
The Southern Islands and their cuisine
Slightly off the African coasts we find the canary islands of Spain. These islands have a very different and personalized cuisine of their own. It is interesting to note the major differences in cuisine that occur within a difference of a hundred miles. Amongst the unique food items of the region is gofio. This is a ball shaped bread with flour and it is made from toasted cereals. The southern islands are also rich in the growth of different kinds of legumes. You will also be able to find a wide variety of tropical fruits to that the locals love to indulge in. Another hot item from the region is the mojos hot sauces that are spiced with coriander and paprika.
