Gazpacho
Gazpacho [ gaθ'patʃo ] ( Gazpacho Andaluz ) is a Spanish cold soup from uncooked vegetables. She comes from Andalusia. The original soup dates back to the Moors and was a white garlic soup made from cucumbers, bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and water. The ingredients were ground in a mortar. Tomatoes and peppers were first brought by Christopher Columbus from America to Europe and were up into the 18th century not part of this soup.
Ingredients, preparation
Classic main ingredients for gazpacho Andaluz are tomatoes, white bread, green peppers, onions, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and water. Partly also apples and carrots are additionally processed as well.
The preparation is simple: All forms of vegetables and bread are mashed with the addition of water and olive oil, and then seasoned with vinegar, salt, pepper. The consistency of a gazpacho can vary from a very thin liquid soup to a creamy version, which is often less durchpüriert.
Gazpacho is served with a " guarnición ", ie a side dish. This is usually to cut into very small pieces of green pepper, green cucumber, spring onions and tomatoes, which are given directly to the soup or mixed with a little olive oil into the soup will be given. Sometimes the gazpacho is served with toasted white bread cubes.
Variants
The Ajoblanco from Málaga, is now prepared with almonds and grapes, still has strong similarity with the original gazpacho. The Gazpachuelo in Málaga also includes fish, clams, potatoes and mayonnaise and is eaten hot in winter.
The Porra Antequerrana from Antequera, north of Malaga, is a cold soup, but thicker, without cucumber and with more garlic, comparable to the Salmorejo.
Another dish names gazpacho is gazpacho manchego from the Castilla- La Mancha, who has little in common except the name with the Andalusian gazpacho type. It is a kind of stew with chicken, rabbit and tortas de gazpachos.
History
One of the main ingredients, cucumbers, originally from India; they came to Greece to Europe. In the Roman Empire, the cucumber has been cultivated in all areas and so arrived on the Spanish peninsula. Even then, cucumbers grown in greenhouses, to have them all year round available. Until the 16th century cucumbers seem to have been the most common vegetables in Spain. It has been suggested that Roman soldiers first Gazpacho prepared to drink their sour wine more quickly and thus be faster drunk. To this end, they gave bread and olive oil and cucumbers in the wine.
Swell
- Alan Davidson: The Oxford Companion to Food. 2nd. ed Oxford 2006, article Gazpacho, p 333