The Cuisine of Andalusia: What to Eat in Málaga, Seville and Córdoba

Andalusia, in the south of Spain, is Spain’s largest region and is the home of several dishes that have spread throughout Spain and are known around the world. Andalusia is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, and this is reflected (at least to some extent) in many of its dishes. The cuisine is very diverse thanks to influences from the Moors of Africa, the Arabs and the Romans. Of course, you can sample all the typical dishes of Spanish cuisine here, but I’ll now focus on those that are characteristic of this region and originate specifically from here.

If you don’t have time to read the whole article, here are the key points you need to know:

• Cold soups are the best thing to have during a hot summer. Gazpacho from Seville, salmorejo from Córdoba, and ajo blanco from Málaga and Granada.
• In Jaén and Granada, they automatically serve you free tapas with your drinks. A couple of drinks and you’ve practically had your dinner.
• Andalusia is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, and you can taste it in almost every dish.
• Try sardine skewers right on the beach on the Costa del Sol, where they’re grilled over charcoal in a little boat stuck in the sand.
• A typical Andalusian breakfast is a ‘tostada con aceite y tomate’, which is toast with olive oil and grated tomato.
• Córdoba is home to two classic meat dishes: flamenquín with Spanish jamón and rabo de toro, a stewed oxtail dish.

How things work in Andalusia

In some parts of Andalusia, it’s customary to be served small tapas automatically with your drink. A couple of drinks and you’ve practically had dinner. This is absolutely commonplace and generous in Jaén and Granada. In Málaga, on the other hand, I hardly ever came across it.

Cold Andalusian soups

Andalusia is also Spain’s hottest region; Seville and Córdoba, in particular, are absolutely sweltering in summer. At the same time, a great deal of vegetables are grown here, and it is thanks to this that cold soups originated in this very region – soups which are ideal for hydration and refreshment during the hot summer months.

Gazpacho

The most famous Spanish soup, made from tomatoes, peppers and gherkins blended until smooth with olive oil, originates from Seville.

Salmorejo

A soup similar to gazpacho, thickened with bread and served with pieces of boiled egg and jamón ibérico, originates in Córdoba (it is also known as salmorejo cordobés). As well as the typical eggs and jamón, in Córdoba or Seville in particular you may also find other garnishes, such as anchovies.

Ajo blanco

A white, cold, creamy soup, very popular in Málaga and Granada. Like gazpacho and salmorejo, it is blended, but this time with garlic, almonds, bread, water and olive oil. It is often garnished with grapes, almonds or raisins.

A typical Andalusian breakfast

Just as throughout Spain, the most popular bread in Andalusia is served with olive oil and tomatoes; in Andalusia, this is more often toast or a baguette, i.e. tostada con aceite y tomate. In the case of a baguette, you may come across the term ‘medio tostada’, meaning half a baguette – simply one side, not both.

A tostada can be topped with all sorts of things, though; in a restaurant they’ll usually list about ten options for what you can put on your tostada, mostly spreads or jams. These might include olive paste (pate de aceitunas), a spread made from pork lard with paprika and spices (manteca colorá), a spread made from garlic and parsley (ajo y perejil), grated tomatoes (tomate rollado) or jam.

A very typical speciality of the town of Antequera is el mollete (mollete de Antequera), which is more or less a type of Arabic bread – a sort of roll – served warm.

Typical Andalusian dishes

Meat takes centre stage in Andalusian cuisine. Here are two dishes that are well worth trying.

Flamenquín

It comes from Córdoba and consists of pork rolled up into a cylinder together with ham and sometimes cheese. It is then breaded and deep-fried. Unlike similar dishes found in other parts of the world, the ham used here is Spanish jamón ibérico, which gives it a rather interesting flavour.

Rabo de toro

Braised oxtail with vegetables, wine and herbs.

Fish and seafood

Andalusia covers almost the entire southern coast of Spain, so there’s certainly no shortage of fish and seafood here.

Sardine skewers

Sardines on a skewer originate from Málaga and you’ll find them in plenty of places along the Costa del Sol. Right on the beach, where they’re grilled over an open fire. They don’t usually have a proper barbecue, but roast them over charcoal in a small boat, on wooden skewers stuck into the sand.

It’s not just sardines that do this, but larger fish as well.

Fried baby squid

Small fried squid, sometimes also known as puntillas. They are popular in the coastal regions of Andalusia and, similarly, in northern Spain, in Galicia and the Basque Country. The squid are coated in batter and then deep-fried. They are served with lemon and aioli sauce.

Street food

Andalusian street food centres on meat and pastries. It’s not exactly healthy, but that’s part of the charm. It’s great for a snack when you’re wandering around the city and don’t want to spend time in a restaurant.

Pringá

A small baguette filled with a mixture of pulled beef or pork and sausages (chorizo or morcilla), very juicy and slightly fatty.

More tours and experiences in Andalusia