Category Archives: drink

Seville | Ham and Sherry, the Whys and Wheres

1 Reply

Anybody taking a short holiday in a new place is faced with the problem of prioritising their time, making sure that they see the things that are genuine “unmissables”, and foregoing some of the less important, while still having the opportunity to relax a bit (it’s a holiday after all). A lot of this will revolve around the sights and monuments, but these days experiencing the best of local culture and customs is high on many people’s list of things to do. For these people I have one very important piece of advice. Do not, on any account, leave Seville without doing the ham and sherry thing.

There are lots of reasons for this. First of all, of course, is that it’s a pleasurable culinary experience, regardless of the social and cultural stuff that comes with it, but I’m going to take that as read and concentrate on the other aspects, the ones that make it an essential part of coming to Spain.

jamon sherryjamón Ibérico with Amontillado

So let’s begin. With more than 3,000 tapas bars to choose from in Seville, and ham and sherry available in almost all of them, where should you go for the most authentically Sevillano experience? Personally, my top choices are the more traditional bars, places with hams hanging from the ceilings, Semana Santa and Spring Fair posters on the walls, and all the other paraphernalia that give a bar a special atmosphere. Favourites include Bar Las Teresas in the Santa Cruz, Casa Morales in the Arenal neighbourhood, and Taberna Manolo Cateca in the city centre.

Why sherry, and what exactly should you be ordering? As an aperitif to accompany ham and other starters you should be choosing a dry white sherry. Fino, Manzanilla or Amontillado are all suitable companions to your plate of jamón. But what’s so special about sherry? Sherry is possibly the world’s most misunderstood wine. Many people outside Spain still think of it as a dark, sweet wine (and there are sherries like that), but dry pale sherries are a totally different thing. The grapes are grown, and the wine aged, in southwest Spain, making it a genuine local product that has developed over the centuries into a perfect pairing for the food, and it should be sipped while you eat (it changes the flavour of both wine and food), not drunk beforehand.

jamones at Las Teresas

It’s traditionally taken with cured meat and cheese, first and foremost with the famous Jamón Iberico Bellota. This is made only from the Spanish black-footed (Ibérico) pig, which is unique to Spain and Portugal (no pig-smuggling allowed!), raised free-range on a predominantly acorn (bellota) diet, salt cured and then aged in the air in special warehouses that maintain “cellar” temperatures for a minimum of two years. Also have caña de lomo, prepared the same way, but from the back of the pig, chorizo (sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika), and an aged cheese such as a Payoyo, all very typical of southern Spain.

sherry tour (1)cured sheep cheese, caña de lomo & jamón Ibérico with Manzanilla

There are few things that can compare to ham and sherry, consumed in its natural home in an old tavern in Spanish Spain. So book your apartment and get out here and enjoy it.

And there’s lots of other good stuff too, from the sunshine to magnificent palaces….

Seville | Ice Cream

Leave a reply

So, it’s August, and officially high summer, and everywhere from Blackpool Promenade to Bondi Beach (yes, I know it’s winter in Sydney and in England you can’t tell the difference, but I like my alliterations) a young person’s fancy turns to – Ice Cream.

ice cream (1)

Spain, and my own city of Seville, is no exception. Now ice cream may not be the first thing you associate with this part of the world (flamenco, bullfighting, paella and sangría probably top that list), but think about it. Today is set to top out at 37ºC, which is normal for this time of year, but in the city, and with the sun directly overhead, it’s going to feel hotter. You want to dance? Fight a bull? Eat lots of carbs? Drink sangría? (Well, okay, maybe that one). No. When venturing forth from the air-conditioned comfort of your apartment, you need an ice cream.

Now these days there are plenty of places in Seville where you can buy ice cream, and new ones open up every year, but more of that later. First, the burning questions of the day. Just how did people survive summer in places like Seville in the days before air-conditioning and refrigeration (and therefore ice-cream)?

For most people, of course, thick walls, shade and a long siesta were the only recourses available. In the cities, narrow streets and plenty of trees also helped to shield people from the worst of the sun. For the wealthy things were a little better. Exploring the tiled rooms and patios of the Alcázar Palace, for example, shows how clever building design, greenery and fountains, and no doubt a few fan-wielding servants, can take the edge off the summer heat. More surprisingly, perhaps, frozen “desserts”, usually a mixture of ice and fruit, have been known for at least two thousand years, and the Arabs had started adding milk to these delicacies, so a kind of proto ice cream has been known in Spain for a long time. It would have relied, however, on supplies of natural ice stored from winter or transported from high mountains, and would have been an expensive rarity in a city like Seville. It was only with the invention of refrigeration in the 19th century that ice cream developed its modern form, and took its first hesitant steps towards global domination.

In Seville ice cream is mostly sold by specialised shops, many of whom make their own onsite, and comes in a wide range of flavours from standard vanillas and chocolates to exotic fruit and nut combinations. It’s thick and creamy, like an Italian “gelato”, which is surprisingly lower in calories than the “soft-serve” ice cream standard in northern parts of Europe. Below are some of of our favourite places for ice cream in Seville.

ice cream (2)

Heladería Rayas
Almirante Apodaca, 1
Tel: +34 954 221 746
website

Widely regarded as the best, and one of the most venerable, the first Rayas opened its doors at this location opposite the Plaza Cristo de Burgos in 1980, and still does a roaring trade. There is now a second shop near the Puerta de Triana.

ice cream (3)

Freskura
Vulcano, 4
Tel: +34 645 859 198
website

Freskura is just off the Alameda de Hercules, and as well as a full selection of ice creams also has desserts and pastries.

ice cream (4)

Heladeria La Fiorentina
Zaragoza, 16
Tel: +34 954 221 550
website

Another well-known and popular stopping place, La Fiorentina has both traditional and modern flavours, and also does excellent granizadas (half-frozen fruity drinks).

ice cream (5)

Amorino
Granada, 2
Tel: +34 954 227 428
website

Amorino, part of an international chain, recently opened a Seville branch just off Plaza Nueva in the city centre, and there is also one in the Gourmet Experience in El Corte Ingles (Plaza del Duque). It has a nice ambiance, and some great ice-cream.

To Beer or Not to Beer

Leave a reply

A spell of warmer than usual for the time of year weather (which is to say, HOT) has got me thinking about my favourite hot weather tipples, especially for the middle part of the day. Wine is fine for the evening, and Spain has plenty of good quality wines to choose from at very reasonable prices, but during the day you may want something that’s a little more cooling, refreshing and hydrating to keep you going. So here’s a quick guide to how the locals do it.

beer

First of all, of course, drink plenty of water. Visitors are sometimes wary of the local water (everywhere), but the tap water (agua de grifo) here is fine, and of course it’s free – unlike mineral waters, which are generally rather pricy. Ask for un vaso de agua (glass of water) and whatever else you’re eating or drinking start with that. It’s not only good for you, it clears the palette and helps avoid overdoing it with other fluids. The other alternative to alcohol is soft drinks. Most of the international brands are available, as well as some local varieties.

Then there’s beer. In Spain, beer is loosely regarded as a soft drink and so is available pretty much everywhere. Local brews include Cruzcampo (Seville), Victoria (Malaga) and Alhambra (Granada), and people can be quite passionate about them, but they’re all lagers, and need to be drunk really cold. Beer is usually served in a small glass (ask for a caña) so it doesn’t get warm before you drink it. One or two of these will keep you going while you’re out and about.

sangria

And so we come to the vexed question of sangria. Everybody’s heard of it, and for a majority of visitors it’s perceived as the quintessential Spanish drink. It’s a red (usually) wine based “cocktail” with a soft drink/fruit juice mixer and chopped fruit, often fortified with brandy or other spirits. Precise recipes can vary considerably, depending on who’s making it. But the truth is the Spanish regard it as something for the tourists, and rarely drink it themselves. It also often has a higher alcohol content and isn’t the wisest option for a hot weather drink.

tinto de verano

So, if you want to join the locals, go for our final option, the Tinto de Verano – red wine of summer. It’s simple and easy, being a roughly half and half mix of red wine and a sparkling soft drink with ice. Choose either tinto con limón (with sparkling lemonade) or tinto con blanca (a 7-up type Spanish soft drink). It’s light and refreshing, and the lower alcohol content won’t leave you feeling wrecked mid-afternoon.

All of these can be also bought or prepared at home, and consumed on the terrace of your apartment, a great way to finish one of those perfect Seville days.