Andalucía | We Love Tapas

Postcard from Andalucia | Ronda

June 1, 2017January 14, 2019 WeLoveTapas

Ronda is one of our favourite small towns (population 35,000) in Andalucia, and is already a popular tourist destination. It’s situated in the mountains west of Malaga , between the Sierra de Grazalema and the Sierra de la Nieves, and is considered to be one of the “White Villages” of Andalucia. It can be reached quite easily by car or bus from Seville (about 2 hours) or Malaga.

The origins of modern Ronda go back to Roman times, but it’s during the Moorish era that it had it’s greatest fame and importance, even achieving independence for a time in the 11th century, and being one of the last Moorish strongholds to fall to the Christians (1485). It’s also regarded as the birthplace of modern bullfighting, pioneered by the Romero dynasty of bullfighters in the 18th century, and also (by a whisker) of Spain’s oldest bullring, completed in 1784. Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles were great fans, but nowadays there are only a few days of bullfighting a year, during feria in the first week of September. The rest of the year it’s a major tourist attraction, and is well worth seeing.

Ronda’s main claim to fame, though, is its stunning hilltop location overlooking the area around – or more precisely two hilltop locations, separated by the Tajo Gorge, a spectacular narrow canyon up to 120 metres deep, with the River Guadalevín running through it. It’s spanned at its highest point by Ronda’s iconic Puente Nuevo (the New Bridge, actually built in the 18th century, but still called new to distinguish it from the older bridges lower down the hill). From here you can look out onto the valley to the west, or down the gorge, with its whitewashed houses perched on the edge, to the Puente Viejo (the Old Bridge, or Arab Bridge, actually built in the Christian era, though there was possibly a previous bridge on the same site) and the Puente Romano (the current structure is relatively modern, but again there are traces of earlier structures at the same place, certainly one from the Moorish period, and possibly from as early as Roman times). Walk down through the Cuenca gardens, visit the Baños Arabes (arab baths), and if you’re feeling fit go down the water mine, a stairway cut through the rock from the upper city down to the river.

At the north end of the bridge is the Christian period new town. As well as the bull ring there is the Alameda de Tajo, a small park at the top of the cliffs with spectacular views, and the churches of La Merced and El Socorro (time permitting).

To the south is La Ciudad, the old city, which has as many interesting things packed into its small area as pretty much anywhere in Spain. Must sees include the old main gate of the city, the Almocabar, with the fortified Church of the Holy Spirit, the old minaret and the central square the Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, where you can find the town hall and the Church of Santa Maria de la Mayor (sometimes referrred to as the cathedral, though it’s not the seat of a bishop). It’s also possible to walk down into the gorge for that classic shot of the New Bridge, and for a closer look at the remains of the old walls and mills. There are also several interesting museums, including the municipal museum in the Casa Mondragon, the House of Don Bosco, a small museum of wine and the Bandits Museum. My favourite, though, is the quirky and eclectic Lara Museum, which you should go and see.

Finally, where should you go to eat? There are plenty of good places, and any list based on the personal opinion of a visitor (even one who’s been a number of times) is necessarily incomplete, but this is my postcard, and this is my short list of places I like. For breakfast, Casa Luciano in the main street of the old town, where I was fortuitously led by a couple of locals on my last visit – great toast and coffee. Another new find was wood grilled meat restaurant El Sacristan, next to the Santa Maria church. Old favourites include La Niña Adela, which is at the top of the new town and a bit difficult to find, but worth the effort, the Almocabar (just outside the gate), and Tragatá, near the New Bridge and bullring.

Finally, a mention for Reservatauro, a bull and horse breeding farm just outside Ronda, where I spent a few fascinating hours learning about fighting bulls and Andalucian horses.

Mushroom Season

October 1, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

amanitas cesáreas

Autumn is here, even in Spain, and among the things this season brings with it are wild mushrooms. Country people have always gathered mushrooms for the pot at this time of year, but in Spain in recent decades harvesting mushrooms has become a popular weekend pastime, taking advantage of the temperate weather to get out and about in the woods and fields. It goes without saying, of course, that you should only do this if you are, or are with, an expert in the identification of mushrooms, as although there are only about 50 toxic species out of more than 2,000, half a dozen of these are deadly, and some are easily mistaken for those tasty specimens you’re looking for.

seasonal mushroom selection at Restaurante Modesto

Although in the English language the term mushrooms is reserved for edible varieties, the rest being usually described as toadstools, they are all fungi, neither animal nor plant, but an entire separate kingdom of organisms, of which the visible mushroom or toadstool is only the fruiting body of a network of filaments that draw their sustenance from living or decaying matter. Remarkably, some of the largest living creatures on earth are actually fungi.

wild mushrooms at Mercado de la Encarnación

Many mushrooms are grown commercially, and are available all year round, but in the autumn a wide variety of wild mushrooms, broadly known as setas in Spanish, though this word is also used for certain specific varieties, too (the common, mainly commercially produced button mushrooms are champiñones), make their appearance in bars, restaurants and markets. Each of them has its own distinct taste and texture, and its own preferred uses.

grilled amanitas cesáreas with pesto and parmesan at La Azotea

Boletus (also known as porcini) is one of the most prized. It has a large brown cap that can grow up to 35cm in diameter, though smaller ones are preferred. It has a meaty taste and creamy texture. Most used in soups, pastas and risotto, and is also great in croquettes.

Amanitas cesáreas (Caesar’s mushroom) was a favourite of the Roman emperors. It has a distinctive orange cap and yellow gills and a delicate texture.

Setas, or oyster mushrooms, come in a variety of species, all wide, flat gilled mushrooms, often without a stem. They are normally torn or broken up rather than sliced, and are particularly good for stir fry or sauté.

Níscalo, also known as saffron milk-cap or red pine because of its colour, is often fried whole with garlic and parsley.

Gurumelo is one of the most prized of all wild mushrooms, and is unique to southwestern Spain. Claimed to improve almost any dish, it can be braised, or added to stews or omelettes.

Sherry 101

August 1, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

Although there may be other “sherry style” wines, true sherries are those wines, and only those wines, produced in the area around Jerez de la Frontera in southwest Spain, or more specifically, those wines aged in the towns of Jerez, Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda under the rules of the Consejo Regulador for the “Denominaciones de Origen” of Jerez and Manzanilla.

We meet a lot of people who associate sherry with that sweet, dark liquid produced for Christmas gatherings by grandmothers and maiden aunts, but there’s a whole world of sherries beyond this, and its aficionados consider it as possibly the world’s most fascinating and underrated wine. So what’s so special about sherry?

Sherries come in a range of styles from light super-dry wines to dense, dark sweet ones. Historically, England has a long connection with sherry (they were highly praised by Shakespeare); English names like Harvey’s and Humbert & Williams feature among the bodegas of Jerez, and the English have been a major consumer of cream sherries in particular. But although there are some excellent wines right across the spectrum, the upsurge of interest in recent years has been in the dry sherries in particular.

Dry sherries come in two basic styles – those that are biologically aged under a layer of yeast (called flor), and those that are aged oxidatively, or in contact with the air. The former are either Manzanillas (from Sanlucar), or Finos (from Jerez and El Puerto), and the latter are Olorosos (there are some additional twists to the story, but more of that later). All dry sherries are made from the Palomino Fino grape variety (Manzanillas and Finos generally from the first pressing to make a lighter wine, Olorosos from the second for a fuller body; the third pressing is used for grape spirit and vinegar), are fortified (have grape spirit added to increase the level of alcohol), and are aged in a system called a solera.

The wine coming out of fermentation is generally around 12%. It is then raised to an alcohol level of around 15-16%, which helps a vigorous growth of yeast to cover and shield the wine from the air while the yeast consumes the sugars in it (biological aging). Olorosos are fortified to even higher levels, about 17-18%, to prevent the yeast from growing (oxidative aging).

Two of the most highly prized dry sherries are amontillado and palo cortado. Amontillados are initially aged like finos, but after about 3 years extra alcohol is added to kill the yeast, and the sherry is thereafter aged oxidatively, creating a complex and versatile wine. Palo Cortados also start life as finos, but the yeast dies or is killed very early on to create what is, in effect, an oloroso made from the lighter first pressing.

At the other end of the spectrum are the sweet sherries. These are made from the sweeter Pedro Ximenez and Muscat grapes. Good sweet sherries are dark, smooth and rich, often with a flavour of raisins, as the grapes are partially sun-dried before pressing to concentrate the sugar.

Cream sherries are a blend of dry sherry (usually oloroso, but fino based cream sherries are also possible) with sweet wines, either moscatel or PX, and are the style that used to be the most popular in Britain, with something of a boom in the 60s and 70s, when brand names like Harvey’s Bristol Cream and Croft Original were in vogue.

If you’re coming to Spain and have never had sherry this is the time to learn something about this complex and enigmatic wine, and to discover why so many of those involved with sherry get so passionate about it. To have a personalised sherry experience we recommend the Introduction to Sherry tour (with tapas!) offered by Official Sherry Educator Shawn Hennessey of Azahar Sevilla, and featured in Telegraph Travel as one of the Top 10 Food and Drink Holidays in Spain.

photos courtesy of Azahar Sevilla

Day Trip to Córdoba

June 1, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

Just an hour by train from either Sevilla or Malaga, Cordoba is one of a string of romantic Andalucian cities stretching across southern Spain. It was an important Roman city (you can still see, and walk across, the Roman bridge over the River Guadalquivir), but its glory days were in the 8^th to 10^th centuries, when it was the capital of Islamic Spain, and one of the most important cultural centres in Europe, where Moors, Jews and Christians lived together with a degree of religious tolerance remarkable for its time. The Mezquita, or Grand Mosque, one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in Spain, was built during this time.

Part of the charm of the old city today comes from the atmosphere of slightly faded greatness that fills the old courtyards and narrow streets, and make it an enchanting city to stroll around. Cordoba is also famous as a city of flowers, and in spring and early summer in particular is vibrant with colours and smells. Not surprisingly, there is an annual competition for the best patios, courtyards and balconies, but you can also visit one of our favourite places in Cordoba, the Palacio Viana, which has 13 garden courtyards each in a different style.

Number one on everyone’s must see list is the Mezquita (the Grand Mosque, now a cathedral), the symbol of the city, with its famous horseshoe arches. Despite the number of visitors it still feels like a calm and peaceful oasis, though people have mixed feelings about the cathedral that was built in the middle of it. It didn’t impress the Spanish king of the time either; he said of it “You have destroyed something unique to build something I can find in any Spanish city.” Also nearby and worth a visit, especially for the gardens, is the Alcázar of the Christian kings

Perhaps the most picturesque area of Cordoba is the old Jewish quarter, a neighbourhood of small courtyards and narrow twisty streets inside the remains of the west wall of the city. Here you can find the old synagogue, the Sephardi house and the zoco (market), a courtyard with small shops and workshops still making the jewellery and leather goods for which Cordoba is famous, and a good place to come for a souvenir or two.

Cordoba is the home of salmorejo, the thick tomato soup often served with a garnish of hard boiled egg and jamón, of the flamenquín (rolled pork and cheese fried in a coating of breadcrumbs), and of fried aubergine/eggplant with a dressing of cane sugar molasses. You can also find the biggest tortillas de patatas in the world, available from Bar Santos next to the Mezquita in calle Magistral Gonzáles Francés. Each one is made with 30 eggs and 5 kilos of potatoes. They do a mean salmorejo too.

Some of our other favourite bars & restaurants are:
Blanco Enea
Plaza de San Pedro, 1

La Regadera
Ronda de Isasa 10

Casa Pepe de la Juderia
Calle del Romero 1

Garum 2.1
San Fernando 120

Casa Mazal
Tomás Conde 3

El Churrasco
Calle del Romero 38

Tuna Almadraba

May 15, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

The meat of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (also known as Red Tuna in Spain) has long been a prized item in the gastronomy of Spain and the western Mediterranean. These majestic fish, weighing up to 200 kg (and definitely not a small round fish that fits neatly into a tin), normally live in the cold waters of the Atlantic, but every spring they migrate along the west coast of Spain and through the Strait of Gibraltar to lay their eggs in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. And it’s along the southwest coast of Spain, in the fishing towns of Zahara de los Atunes, Conil, Barbate and Tarifa, that they are trapped using the traditional method of the Almadraba.

The season is brief, starting following the full moon in late April or May. The Almadraba is a system of nets that drive the tuna into a central pond, where they are forced to the surface and are hauled into the fishing boats to be slaughtered. This allows the fisherman to select the best fish, the rest being released to continue their journey, making it a sustainable way of harvesting the bounty of the sea. The fish are normally flash frozen to be sold at auction. The local bars and restaurants in Seville will often buy a tuna, which will last them through the year, being taken from storage to be used as required.

The filleting of a tuna, in which the head, tail and fins are removed, and the different cuts separated from the backbone is called the ronqueo (literally, snoring, after the sound of the knife running along the spine of the fish), and an expert can complete the job in about twenty minutes.

The tenderest cuts, especially the ventresca (belly), are of often served raw or marinated. Other parts are usually grilled. Almost all the fish is consumed, including organs and cheeks (considered by many as a great delicacy). Many of the minor cuts, such as Morrillo (collar), were once the food of the poor, retained by the fisherman when the bulk of the fish was sold, but have since become gourmet items.

There are also various Rutas de Atún (Tuna Routes) this time of year, where you can see the fish being caught and prepared.

Spanish Cold Soups

May 1, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

Light, cool and refreshing in the hot summer weather, gazpacho, the cold tomato soup of southern Spain, is nowadays well-known all over the world. It’s one of a family of tomato based cold soups that includes salmorejo and porra, as well as other local varieties, but the origins of these dishes actually goes back to before tomatoes and peppers came to Spain from the New World, and even before the other common Spanish cold soup ajoblanco, made with garlic and almonds (which came to Spain with the Moors).

gazpacho

In early mediaeval times the Spanish are known to have made a soup of water, dry bread, olive oil, garlic and vinegar, which probably went back to Roman times, as all of these were important elements of Roman cuisine. Leftover vegetables and, if you were lucky, meat or fish, were added to the mixture, which was mashed up to make a paste. In Moorish times peeled, blanched crushed almonds became a major ingredient, resulting in a thick, creamy white soup that was an early form of today’s ajoblanco, still strongly associated with the last of their strongholds in Granada and Malaga.

ajoblanco

Tomatoes (and peppers) began to appear in cold soups after these arrived from the Americas in the early 16^th century. Because Seville had the monopoly of the trade, and tomatoes thrived in the soil and climate of the Guadalquivir valley (Los Palacios tomatoes are almost legendary for their taste and size), these new tomato based soups first developed in this part of Andalucia, and were not well known or highly regarded elsewhere until the 19^th century.

salmorejo

The terms used for the different varieties depend on how thick the soup is, and the extra ingredients that are used, and are commonly associated with different localities. Gazpacho, from Seville, normally adds more vegetable ingredients, particularly cucumber, peppers and onions, but less bread and olive oil, which results in a thinner mix that is usually drunk rather than spooned. It’s often garnished with croutons and chopped cucumber and pepper.

Salmorejo, the Cordobes tomato soup has more olive oil and breadcrumbs than gazpacho, and is thicker and creamier. It’s often used as a sauce (one of my favourite tapas is a carpaccio of salt cod topped with salmorejo), and may have a wide range of extra ingredients, such as beetroot, melon and avocados. In Úbeda I even came across a variety for the gluten intolerant that replaced bread with green apples – and very tasty it was too. The traditional garnish is a quartered hard-boiled egg and chopped ham.

porra

Porra (literally “club”, and I’ve seen it translated that way on a menu) is from the central part of Andalucia around Antequera, and is probably named for the mortar and pestle used to grind up the ingredients. With more breadcrumbs and red and green peppers it’s the thickest of all. Tuna is a popular garnish.

Sevilla | Vamos a la Feria!

April 15, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

The Feria de Abril is Seville’s traditional spring fair and general celebration, and starts two weeks after Easter Monday (this year April 21 to 26), officially at midnight on Monday with the alumbrao, the switching on of the fairground lights, although in practice people may go to the fairground as early as the Saturday. Monday evening is traditionally the pescaito, the fried fish dinner. The fair runs until Sunday, and finishes with fireworks at midnight.

Originally founded in 1847 as a horse and cattle fair on the Prado San Sebastian, the feria has been held on a purpose built site in Los Remedios since 1973. The streets are lined with little stripy marquees (casetas) where you can eat and drink, and decked with lights and paper globes strung from poles. Fast food and candy stalls are much in evidence, and adjacent to the fairground is an area known as the Calle del Infierno, Hell Street, where you can find the funfair and attractions.

During the day the big draw is the parade of horses and carriages, all groomed and polished and spick and span, the men dressed in the traditional traje corto (short jacket, tight trousers and wide brimmed hat), the women in flouncy polka dot flamenco dresses. Later, many of the participants will head off to the bullring. Bullfighting is still popular in Seville, and the period around feria is the main bullfighting season. The bullfights are also an important social and business occasion, and everybody who’s anybody will be there.

From the evening onwards, though, it’s party time at the fairground. There’s lots of eating and drinking and dancing of Sevillanas, a local flamenco style folk dance. You should try rebujito, a mixture of fino sherry and 7Up, which is the fair’s traditional tipple, though it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and fried fish, prawns and puchero (a meat stew) to ward off hangover. For those with the stamina the party goes on until dawn. Fortify yourself with chocolate and churros on your way home.

To get to the fairground you can take a taxi (which have special – higher – rates this week), one of the regular bus services 6 or C1/C2, or the special Feria bus service that runs from the Prado San Sebastian. It’s also possible to walk, especially if you’re in the southern part of the city.

Sevilla | Semana Santa Preview

March 15, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

You may think you know something about religious festivals and festivities, but trust us, unless you’ve been to Sevilla for Semana Santa (Holy Week) there’s a definite gap in your education. Although Holy Week is an important festival throughout the Catholic world, the celebrations in Sevilla are thought to be the largest and most elaborate.

The basic format doesn’t sound too complicated. The celebrations are organised by an association of religious brotherhoods (with the co-operation of the City Council), each of which is directly responsible for one of the processions (there are around 40 of these during the course of the week) that carry the statues of the Christ and the Virgin from where they normally “live” to the Cathedral to be blessed, and then return them. The actual mechanics can get complicated, of course, and between the processions and the onlookers a large part of the city, but especially along the processional way and around the Cathedral, is pretty much closed for normal business.

35 costaleros carry the weight of the pasos on the backs of their necks

So far so good, but this is where it starts to get a bit weird if you don’t know what’s going on. For a start those floats with the statues are heavy, and also valuable (in most cases very valuable), and they have to be moved purely by manpower, often through narrow streets and around tight corners. The manpower is those guys with the rolled up towels on their heads (actually purpose built headgear) to protect them from the weight of the float. They’re called costaleros, and for a couple of months beforehand they can be found practising their routes with floats weighted with sandbags and concrete blocks.

special headgear for carrying the pasos

Even odder for the uninitiated are the penitents who accompany the statues. You hardly need us to tell you what most people’s first impression is when they first see them. The pointy hoods serve the same purpose in both cases, though; they preserve the wearer’s anonymity.

But despite the solemnity of the occasion Holy Week and the period of preparation leading up to it has its moments of humour. Some of our favourites are recorded here, from the boy in an adult’s hood to the cigarette smoking penitent (his world weary expression is priceless), and from the “stormtroopers” to the dangers of driving on wax coated streets, but you’re sure to find plenty of your own too.

incense burners

semana santa bottle recycle bin

smoke break

slippery when waxy

costaleros taking a break (notice pedestrian slippery when waxy sign)

stacked chairs along the procession routes

Recipe | Asparagus Tortilla

March 1, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

We love cooking! And so we’ll be sharing some of our favourite recipes for our favourite Spanish dishes here from time to time. As it is almost spring we thought we’d start with a spring-veggie twist on a Spanish classic – the tortilla de patatas.

The important thing to know about making a great tortilla de patatas is that you should start with very good olive oil and not be afraid to use it. A traditional tortilla is simply potatoes and egg, but we wanted to give you a jump start on doing your own tortilla creations…

Ingredients

one bunch of fresh asparagus
one large or two medium (slightly waxy) potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 free range eggs
sliced roasted red peppers
1 small onion, finely diced
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
olive oil (lots of it)

Steam the fresh asparagus until tender, then slice into 1 inch bits and set aside. Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice finely. Using a 22cm skillet, sauté the potato slices in an abundant amount of olive oil on medium heat, turning occasionally. Halfway through cooking add the onion slices and continue cooking until onions are transparent and the potatoes are cooked through and tender. Remove potatoes and onions to one side and add salt and pepper to taste. Drain olive oil to one side, keeping a bit to cook the tortilla.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them around until light and frothy. Slice up the roasted red peppers, and add them to the eggs with the cooled cooked asparagus, potatoes and onions. Mix well.

Heat up the same skillet you used to cook the onions and potatoes, adding a bit more olive oil if necessary. When the pan is well-heated pour in the egg mixture and immediately turn the heat down to med-low. Cook until the omelette is almost firm, shaking pan occasionally so it doesn’t stick. Slide omelette onto a plate, invert pan over top, and flip it back into the pan. Continue cooking until the tortilla is set. Place plate over pan, flip the tortilla one more time, and you’re done. Let cool before serving.

Postcards from Andalucía | Antequera

February 15, 2015March 26, 2019 WeLoveTapas

We love Andalucia! And to start off our series of “postcards” from our travels around the most southern region of Spain – where we live! – we’d like to introduce you to one of our favourite places, Antequera. Andalucía is justly famous for its great classical and mediaeval cities – Seville, Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba and Granada – but its riches are by no means confined to these. Beauty, culture (and good food) can be found almost everywhere you look in this part of Spain, and we hope our postcard posts will encourage you to explore further afield, and perhaps enjoy some things that not everyone gets to experience.

Antequera, in the province of Málaga, is officially the centre of Andalucia, and has a plaque and small pillar in the Plaza San Sebastian to mark the spot. It’s easy to reach by train or car from Córdoba, Granada, Málaga or Sevilla, and as well as its picturesque small town charm it boasts a number of monuments that reflect its complex and fascinating history (including the Alcazaba fortress on a hill on the southern edge of town), and a number of unique attractions nearby.

Just outside the town, and easily visible from the Alcazaba Hill, is the strangely shaped mountain of Peña de Los Enamorados (Lovers’ Rock) A poem by Robert Southey reflects the story of two young lovers from rival Moorish clans who are said to have thrown themselves to their deaths from the top while being pursued by the girl’s father.

view of Antequera from the Alcazaba

A little way to the north are the burial mounds of Viera and Menga, which are more than 4,000 years old, and among the largest in Europe. Further afield, but worth considering if you’re here for more than a day trip, are the nature reserve of El Torcal, famous for its bizarre limestone rock formations, the gorge of Los Gaitanes and the King’s Way, and the Fuente La Piedra, a saltwater lagoon that is a major breeding place for the pink flamingo. Also worth a visit is the wolf sanctuary of Parque Lobo.

The Alcazaba was built by the Moors in the 13th century after the Christian kings conquered Cordoba, and finally fell to the future Ferdinand I of Aragon in 1410. It’s well worth a visit, with an excellent audio guide to the castle, and panoramic views of the town and surrounding countryside (look out for the golden angel on top of the San Sebastian church tower). Antequera is also famous for its large number of churches, convents and palaces (it’s sometimes called the city of churches), mostly built in the period of prosperity after the discovery of the New World, and an important museum which you can find in the Nájera Palace in the Coso Viejo.

But now let’s talk about what you’ve all been waiting for … the food! Antequera is the home of the mollete, a special type of soft bread bun, typically served for breakfast. Though the debate still rages about whether to toast the mollete before or after cutting it open (we agree with our friends @PolloyEnsalada that the latter is preferable).

breakfast mollete with olive oil, tomato and jamón serrano

Another thing we liked about breakfast in Antequera is that you can order their crispy and delicious version of churros by the ring…

two rings of churros please!

Porra, a thick cold tomato soup similar to salmorejo, is also an Antequera staple. There are a lot of good bars where you can sample this, and other local dishes, but be sure to pay a visit to Arte de Cozina, our favourite restaurant in the town, which specialises in old traditional, often forgotten, local recipes (chef Charo Carmona will even give you the recipes to take home with you). Opt for either the tapas bar or restaurant and enjoy some of the best traditional food in Andalucía.

three types of porra: tomato, blanca and orange

Have you visited Antequera? Did you love it as much as we do?