Spanish
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The same as in Andalusia, the cuisine from
Castile-León covers a considerable area, but it differs
from Andalusia in that it is more uniform in its fare and recipes,
with the exception of two areas: León and Salamanca. The
rest of the provinces in the area (Burgos, Soria, Avila, Segovia,
Zamora, Valladolid and Palencia) fit perfectly into the picture
of the art of cooking that we are going to describe, an area which
comes under the heading of the Land of Roasts.
Chickpeas
One of the primary ingredients in Castilian
cuisine is the chickpea because, though it may seem rather commonplace,
it is the element which has presided over the food in this area
for centuries, especially if we keep to the popular everyday fare
of the people. The fact is that this dried vegetable which was
brought to Spain by the Carthaginians is the main ingredient of
all the Castilian stews. Until fairly recently, it was the daily
fare of all Spanish homes. It was always prepared with cabbage,
and, depending on one's financial possibilities, with mocilla,
chorizo and meat. After the chickpea, other vegetables are important
in the Castilian cookery book, among them large white beans (alubias)
and lentils, which are prepared with chorizo, ox tail or pig's
ear anywhere in the area and are of excellent quality like the
chickpea.
Bread
Bread is the symbol of Castile, "the land of bread",
and it is tastier there than anywhere else in Spain, though it
has lost a great deal of importance as staple food. This, on the
other hand, is not the case of wine. Castile and León have
plenty of magnificent quality wines (Rueda, Cigales and Cebreros):
whites, rosés and reds which are excellent and famous.
Castillian
Lamb
However, there is one dish which stands out
from everything else in the cuisine and fare of Castile-León,
at least from the tourist point of view: the typical roast suckling
pig and lamb. Castilian lamb is always roasted in a clay dish
and does not require any skill other than spreading lard on it,
sprinkling salted water over the skin and roasting it until it
is just right. El cochinillo is almost a new-born pig. To comply
with specifications, it must be between fifteen and twenty days
old and weigh between three and four kilos. It should be roasted
in an oven with thyme and must be tender enough to permit a nimble
and spectacular act, ie the cook must be able to knock the meat
into portions with the edge of a plate!
Bacalao
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Although Castile is far from the sea, it has some excellent fish
dishes. One of them has become popular throughout the entire country:
bacalao al ajo arriero (a cod and garlic dish) named after the
León mule drivers (arrieros) who took this dish to Extremadura,
Andalusia, Navarre, the North and La Mancha. In addition to cod,
Castile-León has some splendid trout dishes. The species
abounds in its rivers the same as river crab, another exquisite
dish, especially when it is served with a very tasty red sauce.
The best are said to come from the Tormes river. But it is on
the Pisuerga where a festival is held every year in honour of
the river crab, sadly however due to ver fishing the species is
currently under serious threat of extinction.
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