EAT IN CÓRDOBA

Cordoba Gastronomy

Because of its geographical position in Cordoba, the products of the mountains and the countryside, the cuisine of Sierra Morena and the valleys of the Guadalquivir and Genil.

The mountains provide the natural products of hunting and livestock. The valley of the Guadalquivir, the oil, the wine of Montilla-Moriles and Doña Mencía and the variety of vegetables and cereals. The equidistant position of Cordoba in relation to the two seas, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic means that fresh and punctual fish arrive in Cordoba. Due to its history, the different culinary traditions are balanced in Cordoba.

For the Roman conquest and civilization, the cuisine of Cordoba is a mediterranean cuisine, ie oil cooking and cooking odors. The Arab influence in Cordoba, as in other parts of Andalusia, makes the vegetable stew and is a dish in itself, rather than an accompaniment to other delicacies. The preference for sweet and sour mixtures, the use of almonds, pine nuts and raisins in meat and vegetable stews also comes from Arab cuisine. The Jews left behind some specific dishes, such as the stew of dried beans with aubergines, the white bean flour gazpacho and, above all, some characteristic cooking habits.

The Christian conquest brought its influence on the use of meat and its various forms of preparation.

This mixture of gastronomic cultures is best discovered in the confectionery. On the one hand there is the whole group of mantecados, perrunas, etc, which are of Christian and Castilian origin. On the other hand, all the alfajores, sweets of almonds and sugar of Arab origin.

The tapas

In Cordoba, tradition obliges us to visit the taverns, places where in the beginning wine was drunk and which always had an interior patio with a well that, in addition to decorating, served to refresh the drink.

In the year 1721 there were already more than 143 taverns in the city. At the end of the last century it was sung that of:

Córdoba ciudad bravía that between ancient and modern has three hundred taverns and only one bookstore.

Today the situation in bookstores has improved but the places of good eating and drinking are still in good shape.

Córdoba is one of the best cities for tapas. You will find good tapas in very simple bars and in the most sumptuous bars. The variety of tapas is enormous but don't forget that here you can have better than anywhere else the flamenquines, salmorejo, rabo de toro, aubergines a la miel, etc.

Between the good handful of places not to be missed we can mention, for example, the taverns, Salinas, San Miguel el Pisto , Pepe el de la Judería , La Viuda, as well as the Circulo de Plateros.

Meat in Cordoba

The Valley of the Pedroches, in the north of the province, on its border with Extremadura, and the towns close to it give Cordoba an excellent cattle and good lamb.

The type of lamb breed reared in Cordoba should be used when it is very young and it is preferable to eat it stewed rather than baked. It is also possible to find an excellent artisan sheep cheese, similar to manchego.

The best pigs come from the same Valley, those raised in the field with acorn, which give an excellent ham. The weaning pigs are fried in small crunchy pieces and are called cochifrito. A mixture of pork and beef is the speciality of flamenquín. It is a long fillet of veal or pork wrapped in ham. It is rolled up, drunk on bread and fried.

Also characteristic of Cordoba are the bull's tails, a stew, where the tail provides its gelatine, which thickens the sauce.

There are two types of sausages, depending on whether they are made in the Sierra or in the countryside.

In the Sierra the chorizo and black pudding are cured to the smoke. In the countryside, blood sausage and onion are boiled, with Baena sausage standing out. The chorizo is consumed fresh, not cured, well fried or boiled in wine with thyme.