The pleasure of eating in Seville
A history of the Sevillian cuisine
In Spain, each region has its own unique cuisine (the Valencian paella, the Basque pinchos, the Galician seafood, the Castilian meat…) which give a variety and richness to Spanish cooking.
Like many things in Seville, the cuisine is the result of tradition and the mix of cultures. It has a special relationship with Andalusi cooking, with products that came from America, similarly with the Andalusian Coast for its historic status as an inland port.
The olive oil and olives are present in all Andalusia because of its great extensive olive groves, in addition to the wine that dates back to the Roman times of Aljarafe. Apart from this, rice and oranges were introduced by the Muslims and both were exported to Europe. From them we also inherited the typical sweets made with honey. The natural environment of the mountains to the north of Seville, has allowed the raising of Iberian pork, and the consumption of Iberian products can’t be missed off the menu of any bar of the city. Finally we shouldn’t forget the Mantecados, butter buns or sweets from Estepa that date from the 16th century (and that are the Christmas sweets par excellence), nor the handmade ‘convent sweets’.
Tapas, portions and half portions
Eating is the moment to relax and enjoy in company, and the utmost expression of this is the ‘tapa.’ After 12:00 you can now say that it’s the time for beer accompanied by a good tapa. In this case, the Sevillians eat it as an aperitif, in a terrace in the sun, standing or sitting, or at the bar of a bar. Owing to the good climate, appreciating the food and drink in the street, at small tables of the establishment, enjoying the atmosphere around, is rooted into the culture. That is, always accompanied by family or friends. Therefore, the Tapa is a social concept.
However, to have lunch the concept expands to raciones (a portion) or medias raciones (half portions), that is to say, a plate of food to share amongst the diners, larger (raciones) or smaller (medias raciones). In Seville, normally, you ask for portions to share and a couple of tapas for each person.
The tapas and how they are eaten is an expression of our culture, and eating them like the locals means to enter into contact with it in the most authentic way.
Typical dishes
The variety of the cuisine that you can find here in Seville is enormous, and every establishment offers something different. The range of them also adds a richness to the diversity of the city. This could be from the ancient traditional taverns to the innovative bars with daring offerings. Of course the thing would be, to try everything and decide which concept you’ll stay with.
The taverns tend to be decorated with elements of flamenco, bulls or Holy Week and normally serve traditional cuisine as tapas, usually eaten at the bar or standing.
Some typical dishes:
Olives and lupin beans
The star accompaniment to a beer or wine in the majority of the bars. Both are tasty, nutritive, and above all addictive.
Spanish potato salad
A cold tapa with a base of boiled potatoes, carrots, peas and mayonnaise. A simple tapa that is a guaranteed success.
Marinated potatoes (papas aliñás)
A cold dish to wet your appetite. Made with a base of boiled potatoes, oil, vinegar and onion. Although it looks simple, some good papas aliñás never disappoint.
Pringa
Normally eaten on a small roll, and is made up of meat and sausages stewed together. With these dishes, the simple explanation is to try it.
Gazpacho (cold tomato soup)
The well-known cold soup of Andalusia. Made mainly with tomato, it’s served very cold in a bowl or in a glass to drink. Not only is it refreshing with a great flavour but also very healthy, as it contains a high quantity of vitamins and minerals.
Iberian cured ham
Maybe the most famous product of Spanish gastronomy. And its high quality, smell, flavour and nutrients that make it into a delicacy. Normally it’s accompanied by bread or picos, traditional mini breadsticks.
Carrillada (cheeks)
Normally made with pork and cooked in wine, it makes for a juicy and very tender meat, accompanied with potatoes or vegetables.
Sirloin cooked in whisky
Although called this, it’s not always cooked in whisky, the result is a dish of great flavour coming from the already superb pork sirloin.
Prawns
The most popular and commonly eaten shellfish, the secret resides in their quality normally coming from the Andalusian coast and in their cooking. Eaten with good wine or a nice cold beer.
Croquets
Of which there are all types and varieties. Although the traditional ones are pringa stew, also spinach and pine nuts, ham, cod… the most innovative dare to make them with octopus or boletus.
Spinach with Chickpeas
By being a dish without meat, it’s traditional during Lent combining the most popular pulse and vegetable.
Adobo (marinaded fried fish)
Although a type of marinade, here adobo refers to a frying technique usually made with dogfish or anchovies. Easily recognisable for its smell and great flavour, it’s very traditional and popular among Sevillians.
Pavia (deep fried fish)
Another way to prepare fried fish, in this case its normally cod or hake. The result is crispy and tasty and always appetising.
Serranito
This is a traditional Sevillian sandwich, made up of a chicken fillet or pork loin with serrano ham, fresh tomato and roasted green peppers. Everything together makes it a delicacy.
Cola de Toro (Oxtail stew)
A marvelous stew with a thick wine sauce. One of the most traditional dishes of Seville.
Grilled baby cuttlefish or squid
Simple and popular, the already tasty squid is grilled and usually served with a light salad.
Rice of the day
One of the most popular tapas. Healthy, light and varied, the star of Sundays and it’s not missing from any traditional tavern.
Caracoles (snails)
In Seville snails are smaller and only are available in one period of the year: May and June, when they become the star of the terraces. Eaten since the Roman times, they are very tasty and a little spicy, with their exquisite stock that drive the Sevillians crazy.
Gastrobares and new cuisine
For the last few years a new culinary trend has been developing in Seville, consisting in the fusion of traditional bars with international ones, giving way to a creative cuisine which little by little is overcoming the limits and converting places into new cosmopolitan and novel settings.
The best is that in the majority, they use the concept of tapas, with brings familiarity to the consumer and permits the possibility of trying different creations.
Some of the more well-known establishments are Perro Viejo, Ovejas Negras, and the Vida en Tapas; La Azotea, La Brunilda, Tradevo, La Pepona, Panrallao, Puratasca are only an example of the many that you will find in Seville, a whole selection of new cuisine that you can’t not try.
Traditional sweets
The Andalusi, Sephardi and Christian cuisine gave place to a great tradition of confectionary in Andalusia, creating sweets like torrijas, bread soaked in milk and egg and coated in sugar or honey and pestiños, fried dough covered in honey (eaten predominantly in Lent or Holy Week), and the tocinos de cielo, a rich caramel desert, literally translated to ‘heavens bacon,’ rosquillas, Spanish donuts and yemas, rich and creamy sweet, made of sugar, water and egg yolks. These are joined by those that came from European cuisine and have become traditional, such as milhojas, Vanilla or custard slice, or Palmeras, sweet and flakey pastries.
But polverones and mantecados from Estepa deserve special mention, eaten predominantly at Christmas. They are a type of soft crumbly shortbread or the tortas de aceite ‘Ines Rosales’, a sweet crisp biscuit, that still repects the ancestral recipe for its manufacture -recognised by the European commission-.
The convent sweets have strong roots and diffusion in Seville. Their success comes from being made in Sevillian Convents with natural ingredients that differentiate them from industrial pastries. But they are also a sign of Sevillian identity, because of its familiar flavours and the endearing feelings that these disks stir of the monastic life, forming part of the intimate life of the city. In addition, the majority of the profits from their purchase go towards the preservation and restauration of the convent.
Images source: 54 -66 (section 3); tipical dishes: Patrimonio Gastronómico de Sevilla publishing.
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