Flan, as made in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries is a milk-based sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. This is sometimes referred to by English speakers as a “leche flan” (“milk flan”).
Spanish Food
Gamonedo Cheese
Gamonedo is a Spanish cheese with a thin, dark reddish, inedible rind. Inside, the cheese is white or yellowish white, with some small holes and a crumbly texture. It has a lightly-smoked, nutty taste.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold, uncooked soup made of raw ingredients that can be either smoothly or coarsely puréed. Standard ingredients in what Brits or North Americans consider Gazpacho include bread crumbs, celery, cucumber, garlic, green bell peppers, olive oil, onions, tomatoes and vinegar. There are spicy, garlicky and mild versions. Gazpacho is now used as…
Gazpacho Day
The 6th of December is Gazpacho Day. Perhaps not the best time for a fresh tomato soup for people living in the northern hemisphere, but remember, gazpacho doesn’t have to be based on tomatoes…
Gordal Olives
Gordals are firm, plump olives that are often classed starting at Jumbo size owing to their large size.For use as table olives, they are picked green and brined. They can be prepared after that in many different ways. Though you can buy unpitted ones, they are usually sold pitted, if not also stuffed, because they…
Gran Torres
Gran Torres is made in Spain from Valencia orange peel steeped in aged brandy, flavoured with herbs such as thyme and rosemary, and with orange blossom honey. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coffee and molasses also add to the flavour. It is aged in oak barrels. Its orange flavour is more subtle than in other orange liqueurs;…
Guijuelo Ham
Guijuelo Ham is made in the southeastern part of Salamanca province, Spain on the Portuguese border, in the area just above where Dehesa de Extremadura Hams are made. It is sweet tasting with a bit of saltiness. It is made from Iberian pigs. Hams with a red band are from “bellota” pigs that were allowed…
Hojiblanca Olives
Hojiblanca Olive Oil © Denzil Green Hojiblanca Olives are medium to large plump olives that ripen to a light purple with firm flesh. They would be almost completely round but for a pointed end. Inside, there is a large, rough pit. About 15% of the olive trees grown in Spain are Hojiblanca. The tree is…
Horchata de Chufas
Horchata is a Spanish, non-alcoholic drink made from Tigernuts. The nuts are soaked for 24 hours, then whizzed in a blender with the same water they soaked in. The mixture is sweetened with sugar, then chilled and served over ice with a sprig of mint. History Notes Started being about made the late 1600s. Horchata…
Horchatas
A Horchata is a thick beverage made in Spain and Mexico. It may be thickened with ground rice, almonds, or tigernuts (aka chufas.) It is more likely to be rice-based in Mexico; tigernut based in Spain. It may be flavoured with cantaloupe seeds, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, fruit or vanilla. Alboraia in Valencia, Spain prides itself…
Hornazo
Hornazo is a Spanish large, relatively-flat, free-formed meat pie, or filled bread. It is particularly popular in the Salamanca and Ávila areas of Spain. The filling is a mixture of ground pork loin, chorizo sausage pieces and hard-boiled eggs. Variations now use bacon, ham, even chicken. The dough is made from flour, yeast and water….
Iberian Pigs
Iberian Pigs have long floppy ears, long snouts, and long legs. They are covered in dark hair. They have black hooves. They are basically a semi-wild pig, closely related to wild boars, and are found mostly in the west of Spain. They get lots of exercise, which causes the fat to be marbled into the…
Iberico Ham
Iberico Ham (“Jámon Iberico”) is made in the same fashion as is Serrano Ham, but from a different pig — the Iberian pig. The pigs are slaughtered when they weigh 350 pounds (160 kg.) They are put to sleep first so that they won’t be stressed at time of slaughter, which producers of the ham…
Isidore, Patron Saint of Farmers
The 15th of May is Saint Isidore’s day. On this day, many towns in Spain hold processions in his name to bless the fields for the coming growing season.
Lechin Olives
Lechin Olives are medium to large olives that ripen to black that are grown for the pale yellow oil that they yield. The oil yield is about 18 to 25%, depending on the variety. Developed in Spain, they are grown in Cadiz, Córdoba, Huelva, Malaga and Seville. There are two varieties, Lechin di Sevilla and…
Licor Cuarenta y Tres
“Licor Cuarenta y Tres” is a bright yellow, sweet Spanish liqueur flavoured with citrus and vanilla. It professes to be made from a combination of 43 ingredients, including citrus and fruit juices, herbs, spices and vanilla. The name comes from the number of ingredients said to be used. The liqueur is 31% alcohol, 62 proof….
Los Pedroches Ham
Los Pedroches Ham is made in Valle de los Pedroches, Córdoba, Spain, from Iberian pigs. The ham is rose to reddish-purple coloured, with a taste that is sweet with just a touch of saltiness to it. The sale weight of a whole ham will be a minimum 13 pounds (6 kg.) Production is very limited….
Manzanilla Olives
Manzanilla Olives are medium-sized olives with a small pit, from which the flesh separates easily. It is the olive that British and North American consumers think of as the standard olive. This is an actual olive tree variety. The tree needs another olive tree to cross-pollinate it. Its olives are ready to harvest green in…
Marcona Almonds
Marcona almonds are very large almonds grown along the Mediterranean coast of Spain from Málaga to Tarragona.Compared to regular almonds marcona almonds are flatter, paler and more disk shaped. They are also softer, though the shell that contains them before they are processed is very hard. Marcona almonds are sold in jars, either just blanched,…
Olives
Olives © Denzil GreenMost Olive trees are man-made cultivars, rather than true botanical varieties, and won’t reproduce true to seed; they are propagated by grafting. Seeds are planted, though, being cracked before planting to help them germinate. When seedlings grow up from them, they are either used as rootstock to which cuttings from other trees…
Paella
Paella is a one-dish Spanish meal based on rice and cooked uncovered in a special paella pan. It may be served with a salad. Though made throughout Spain now, and regarded by outsiders as practically the national dish of Spain, it is a regional dish with strong roots in the Valencia region. In Spain, it…
Paella Rice
Paella rice is a category of rice, rather than an actual variety or cultivar. The term indicates rice that is good for use in the Spanish dish known as “paella.” What is paella rice Paella rice will have roundish, medium-short grains with a high starch content, so that it sticks together somewhat, but can still…
Picota Cherries
Picota Cherries are a “brand” or “marketing” name for a grouping of sweet cherries grown in Spain on the sides of the Jerte Valley. The altitude of the slopes ranges from 2,300 to 3,900 feet (700 to 1200 metres.) There are actually over 40 varieties of cherries grown in the valley, but only 4 varieties…
Picual Olives
Picual are medium to large, dark green olives, ripening to an even black. They are grown for their oil. They yield 21 to 25% oil, though can go up to 28%. The bright gold oil is considered medium quality. It has a fruity smell, and a pungent taste with a touch of bitterness, but the…