GASTRONOMIC ROUTES

COLD DISH ROUTE

The cold dish, whether it is gazpacho, salad or pickle, is of the utmost importance in Extremadura cuisine not only in its recipes as a whole but in the philosophy surrounding a large part of the anthropology of our food.

This extreme, harsh land, with its long suffocating summers for agriculture and stock rearing, the land of farmers and shepherds working from dawn to dusk, meant that a full, refreshing diet was needed that enabled them to overcome the fatigue of the working day with less calorific expenditure.

Hence, our geography is dotted with cold dishes, soups and salads that masterfully combine the freshest, most instant products to turn water and four basic vegetables into beautiful, succulent recipes. From the limón salad from Las Hurdes to the cojondongo (gazpacho salad) from Tierra de Barros, including the escarapuches (freshwater fish) from La Siberia or the zorongollo (red pepper salad) from La Vera, the local staple diet has marked out its recipe book with a varied, balance assortment of soups and cold dishes.

Thus, to highlight its presence in our cuisine and its importance in the locals’ diet, this route has been designed that could be devoted to many other aspects of our cuisine but, on examining its specific recipes, one soon realises the significance of its soups and cold dishes.

Throughout the route, the Extremadura-style gazpacho and the tomato and pepper salads are typical and fresh.

In Don Benito you can try the ajo de calabaza (a cold pumpkin dish), the tomato soup or the miller’s soup. In Medellín you can try stuffed courgettes and a delightful fish ratatouille.

In Guareña try the gazpacho with wild asparagus or the so-called baked gazpacho.

In Hornachos, lamb kidneys in orange juice and as a dessert resoleo liqueur.

La Zarza de Alange has one of the most typical recipes of our cuisine, Pollo a la Padre Pero (chicken with tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and cumin) and Puebla de la Reina is nowadays a pilgrimage destination where the most traditional cuisine can be enjoyed: cojondongo (gazpacho salad), zorongollo (red pepper salad), white gazpacho, frog´s legs, rockrose-style partridge, rabbit in salmorejo sauce and, as dessert, repápalos (bread fritters in milk) and honey syrup.

The wines from Don Benito and Medellín are an excellent accompaniment to the cuisine on this route.