The Malaga ajoblanco is in that province what the salmorejo is in Córdoba. Without a doubt, a legendary dish ... with more than two thousand years of tradition! Discover in this article the story of the soup you wanted to remember Cervantes. Do you prepare only in Málaga? Get ready for one of the dishes based on almond more interesting.
How old is it?
This is a cold soup that can quite remind us of salmorejo. Cold for the hellish temperatures that occur during the summer in southern Spain. The main difference is that the tomato is substituted for raw almonds. Therefore, it is a food with much more tradition than its cousins: gazpacho and salmorejo.
We must bear in mind that the tomato did not reach Europe until conquest of America. What was cultivated, and in good quantity, is the almond. Without a doubt, a fundamental part of the gastronomic heritage that the Arabs left us. However, there are those who say that it can be earlier.
The Roman Gourmet Marco Gavio Apicius He began to talk about dishes in which bread was dipped with vinegar and almonds. The amazing thing is that he did it in the XNUMXst century! His treatise Of re co-machinery It was surely one of the main competitions of the imperial patrician gastronomy. In this work he already made reference to dishes that surely correspond to the Malaga ajoblanco. The probable influence of ancient Greece on this dish is also suspected.
The Malaga ajoblanco festival
Four towns are those that dispute the invention of the Malaga ajoblanco. Aceuchal, Almáchar, Palomas and Puebla de la Reina. For the moment, the ajoblanco party takes place in Almáchar every first Saturday in September. It is the oldest gastronomic fair in Malaga. Its first edition dates from 1968. Attendees receive large liters of soup accompanied by muscat grape.
Wine and raisins are other attendees at this event. The streets become open air museums with exhibitions. These deal with ancient farm implements, trousseau and ceramics. At nightfall an important verbena in the light of a great bonfire. It lights up the bustling streets until dawn.
Only from Malaga?
The truth is that it is also prepared in other places where the almond has an important presence. These are usually extremely hot in summer. We refer to Córdoba, Granada and Extremadura. In this last community, this soup has always been related to pastoral cuisine. Other ingredients are also used such as yolk o milk. With them it is that they form a sticky mass that they then separate with water.
In some places in Cáceres you can find them accompanied by black pudding and ham. It is also normal that you see it accompanied by figs and grapes. On the other hand, in Granada's Alpujarra there is a version that incorporates potatoes y green beans in the recipe. You can even see it prepared with bean flour. This was the substitute for bread in the times of famines.
How to prepare it?
"We ate a gazpacho at noon that chilled my guts and at night a white garlic that made my insides pissed off." We have already said before that Cervantes did not forget this dish as well as the name of that place in La Mancha. It seems that Don Quixote was not overly enthusiastic about this dish. However, you can prepare it much better. Remember that there is life far beyond gazpacho and salmorejo. Open your mind to all the possibilities that the almond offers.
The first thing you need is 150 grams of bread crumbs. You will also need half a liter of cold water and one hundred grams of olive oil. Extra virgin, of course. Don't forget the 100 grams of raw almonds and garlic clove. Finally, you should use two tablespoons of vinegar y shawl to taste. You must mix all the ingredients except the oil in the blender. Grind them until the mixture is very fine. Add the oil little by little with the mixer running. Now you can enjoy this delicious soup!
