Castilla-La Mancha

Alajú or alajuz is a Castilian cake originating in Cuenca in Spain. It is traditionally made with an almond base, roasted bread crumbs, spices, and honey. It is then covered with two wafers on the sides of the base. Almonds may be substituted with other nuts, such as pine nuts. In its most authentic form, Alajú is made in parts of Valencia bordering Castilla-La Mancha–especially in Ademuz and the Utiel-Requena region. Traditionally, the Utiel-Requena region is more Castilian, than Valencian–it was after all a part of the province of Cuenca until 1851. The cake is most popular in the municipality of Moratalla in northwest Murcia, near Alcarria. This is probably because honey is widely available in that region.

Grape syrup is a condiment made with concentrated grape juice. It is thick and sweet because of its high ratio of sugar to water. Grape syrup is made by boiling grapes, removing their skins, and squeezing them through a sieve to extract the juice. Like other fruit syrups, a common use of grape syrup is as a topping to sweet cakes, such as pancakes or waffles. The ancient Greek name for grape syrup is siraios , in the general category of hepsema (ἕψημα), which translates to 'boiled'. The Greek name was used in Crete and, in modern times, in Cyprus. Petimezi is the name for a type of Mediterranean grape syrup. The word comes from the Turkish pekmez, which usually refers to grape syrup, but is also used to refer to mulberry and other fruit syrups.

Sponge cake soaked in syrup containing alcohol, for example, brandy, rum

Flower-shaped pastries, made by dipping flower-shaped iron molds into the batter, then into hot oil

Sweet porridge made with milk, bread or flour, cinnamon, lemon, commonly topped with toasted cubes of bread (tostones)

A Hojuela , also called a Hojaldra, is a traditional Spanish and Latin American sweet baked-good originating in Spain. In Latin American countries, especially Colombia, and in Spain, it is commonly made during Holy Week and the Christmas season. Ingredients vary by region, but usually consist of a flour-based batter fried in oil and dusted with sugar. In Colombia, Hojuelas are commonly made during the Holiday season. They are generally eaten along with manjar blanco, natillas, and buñuelos. Hojuelas are typically made with wheat flour, eggs, water, and half a cup or less of orange juice. Strips of the batter are fried in vegetable oil. In Chile, hojuelas derive from a traditional recipe using palm syrup.[citation needed]

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal , sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It can also be used in biscuits or rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes, primarily birthday cakes, wedding cakes and Christmas cakes. Marzipan may also be used as a baking ingredient, as in stollen or banket. In some countries, it is shaped into small figures of animals as a traditional treat for New Year's Day or Christmas. Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the Carnival season.

Miguelitos are a type of cream-filled puff pastry, which can also be referred to as a cake. They originated in La Roda, in Castilla–La Mancha, Spain: Manuel Blanco, the creator of these flaky desserts, was born in La Roda in 1925. After being a part of the military in 1960 he migrated to a place called Pamplona where his masterpiece was created. The name Miguelito came after he decided to give his friend Miguel the first bite of his creation; from there the name stuck. La Roda de Albacete started to be known with various pastry chefs throughout Spain, causing the expansion of the dessert. They are a quite simple traditional cake consisting of soft puff pastry with a creamy custard-like filling, with a flaky cake like crust. and covered with sugar powder. They can be filled with milk, dark, and white chocolate along with the original cream. The all around dessert can be served hot or cold. Sizes tend to vary based on the chefs preference. In Castilla–La Mancha, Miguelitos, have also been known to be served with a cup of café con leche. Miguelitos can be made in many different ways, tending to be more of a personal preference.

Flan-like dessert made with stale bread or sponge cake, serve with caramel

Slices of stale bread that are soaked in milk, sugar, cinnamon and egg, then fried, a Spanish style French toast, common during Easter

Torta de aceite, is a light, crisp and flaky sweet biscuit in the shape of a torta. The main ingredients are wheat flour, olive oil, almonds, sugar, sesame seeds, anise seeds and anise flavor. The true origin of the olive oil tortas is unknown. On one hand, it is said that they come from an ancient Arab recipe, it is also said that olive oil torta was a traditional sweet created in southern Spain.[citation needed]

Yemas de Santa Teresa or Yemas de Ávila (Yolks of Ávila) is a pastry that is identified with the Spanish province of Ávila. They can be bought throughout Spain but typically they are a delicacy associated with the city of Ávila. They are very popular for their distinctive look: small orange balls served in a white confectionery paper and are made to honor Teresa of Ávila.

Arròs a banda is a dish of rice cooked in fish stock, typical of the coastal area of Alicante (and, per extension, in most of the Valencian Community), Spain, and distinct from the paella of Valencia. It is popular up to Garraf, Barcelona (Catalonia) and down to Murcia (Region of Murcia). It originated with the fishermen of Alicante, who sold off their best fish and kept the leftovers for stock, used to cook the rice. It is usually served with alioli. Basically the recipe consists of cooking the rice in a cheap fish broth with many bones called whitebait that had little value in the market and constituted the livelihood of the poor fishermen who reserved the best pieces for sale. Little by little, it begins to be elaborated with seafood broths and the most select fish.

Oven baked rice dish with pork, sausage, potatoes, vegetables

Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle . Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product. In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef.

Stewed lamb with potatoes, vegetables

Callos a la Madrileña is a stewed tripe dish, cooked slowly for hours over low heat, that is a speciality of Spanish cuisine associated with the city of Madrid. Traditionally pig or cow tripe was used but modern recipes use lamb or even cod. It includes pig snout and trotters, black pudding, sausage, ham, and soup vegetables like carrots and onions. When prepared correctly the broth is rich in gelatin and the tripe becomes very tender after the slow cooking process. The tripe can be browned before the cooking liquid is added, with trotter's, oxtails and other ingredients for the soup like ham, chorizo and smoked paprika. It is common to serve this stew with the morcilla blood sausage, a tapas dish typical of the region of Castile and León. A version of the stew with chickpeas is made in the Philippines.

Lamb chops

Stew with pork, vegetables, chorizo, chickpeas

Rabbit with garlic

Manchega lambs reared in Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Cuchifritos or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine. In Spain, cuchifritos are a typical dish from Segovia in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil and garlic and served hot. In Puerto Rico they include a variety of dishes including morcilla (blood sausage), rellenos de papa (fried potato balls stuffed with meat), and chicharron (fried pork skin), and other parts of the pig prepared in different ways. Some cuchifritos dishes are prepared using cooking plantain as a primary ingredient. Cuchifritos vendors also typically serve juices and drinks such as passionfruit, pineapple, and coconut juice, as well as ajonjolí, a drink made from sesame seeds. The term used to refer to small, fried parts of a pig. It is incorrectly thought that it derives its name from the word cuchí, short for cochino or pig and frito, which describes something that is fried.

Scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon

Gachas is an ancestral basic dish of central and southern Spain. It is a gruel whose main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt. Gachas is based on a very ancient Iberian flour-based staple food preparation. Gachas may have different consistencies, from a liquid soup to a pie-like thick cake with a golden crust. The way of preparing it varies in different regions and by different families.[citation needed] Gachas is considered an unrefined rural dish, the food of shepherds, farmers and itinerant labourers. It has been also described as a "fundamental gitano dish".

Game meat stew made with pieces of torta para gazpacho, an unleavened flatbread, common types of game used in this dish: rabbit, pigeon, quail

Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat . The term 'goat meat' denotes meat of older animals, while meat from young goats is called 'kid meat'. In South Asian cuisine, goat meat is called mutton, along with sheep meat. The culinary name "chevon", a blend of chèvre "goat" in French and mouton "sheep" in French, was coined in 1922 and selected by a trade association; it was adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1928,: 19  however the term never caught on and is not encountered in the United States. "Cabrito", a word in Spanish and Portuguese, is the meat of a young, milk-fed goat. It is also known as chivo meat. Goat meat is both a staple and a delicacy in the world's cuisines. The cuisines best known for their use of goat include African cuisine, Middle Eastern, Indian, Indonesian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Abruzzese, Mexican, Caribbean (Jamaica), Haitian cuisine, Dominican cuisine and Ecuadorian. Cabrito, which is baby goat, is a typical food of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico; in Italy it is called "capretto". Goat meat can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as being stewed, curried, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, or made into sausage. Goat jerky is another popular variety.

Lechazo is a Spanish dish made from "cordero lechal". The meat used is from unweaned lambs, and is similar to veal, or the meat of "cochinillo" . The autonomous region of Castile and León has a distinctive version of lechazo referred to as "Lechazo de Castilla y Leon". It is one of the most important dishes of the cuisine of the province of Burgos. Aranda de Duero is known as the heart of the dish, with numerous restaurants that specialize in lechazo and feature "hornos de leña", or wooden stoves, in which the lamb is roasted. The lamb used in lechal must derive all its nutrition from its mother's milk, and must be no more than 35 days old and weigh between 9 and 12 kilograms at the time of slaughter.

Migas ("crumbs" in English) is a dish traditionally made from stale bread and other ingredients in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Originally introduced by shepherds, migas are very popular across the Iberian Peninsula, and are the typical breakfast of hunters at monterías in some regions of Spain. The same name is used for a different dish made from maize or flour tortillas in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines. Migas is a traditional dish in Spanish cuisine. It was originally a breakfast dish that made use of leftover bread or tortas. Migas is usually served as a first course for lunch or dinner in restaurants in Spain.

Partridge, or other game bird, that is semi-pickled with vinegar, commonly served with a salad

Pisto is a Spanish dish originally from the Region of Murcia, Castilla La Mancha and Extremadura. It is made of tomatoes, onions, eggplant or courgettes, green and red peppers, and olive oil. It is usually served warm as a starter or to accompany another dish. It is often served with white rice, bread, a fried egg on top or with pieces of cured ham. It is also used as the filling for pasties and tartlets (empanadillas). The dish is sometimes formally named pisto manchego, from its origins in the historical region of La Mancha (mostly situated in the region of Castilla La Mancha); it is also found in similar versions in Extremadura (pisto extremeño). Pisto a la Bilbaína, from Bilbao in the (Basque Country), is similar to pisto manchego but usually includes only courgettes and green peppers in tomato sauce, sometimes lightly scrambled with eggs.

Chicken in a rich and creamy white wine sauce with herbs, garlic, saffron and cinnamon, thickened with ground almonds

Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig . It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; curing extends the shelf life of pork products. Ham, gammon, bacon, and pork sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae , which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus. The former, Oryctolagus, includes the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, Sylvilagus, includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit. Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade, as hares (belonging to the genus Lepus) are nested within the Leporidae clade and are not described as rabbits. Although once considered rodents, lagomorphs diverged earlier and have a number of traits rodents lack, including two extra incisors. Similarities between rabbits and rodents were once attributed to convergent evolution, but studies in molecular biology have found a common ancestor between lagomorphs and rodents and place them in the clade Glires.

Dried and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is stockfish. Salt cod was long a major export of the North Atlantic region, and has become an ingredient of many cuisines around the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. Dried and salted cod has been produced for over 500 years in Newfoundland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. It is also produced in Norway, where it is called klippfisk, literally "cliff-fish". Traditionally, it was dried outdoors by the wind and sun, often on cliffs and other bare rock-faces. Today, klippfisk is usually dried indoors with the aid of electric heaters. Salt cod formed a vital item of international commerce between the New World and the Old, and formed one leg of the so-called triangular trade. Thus, it spread around the Atlantic and became a traditional ingredient not only in Northern European cuisine, but also in Mediterranean, West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines.

Sheep or domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term sheep can apply to other species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female is referred to as a ewe (/juː/ yoo), an intact male as a ram, occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a young sheep as a lamb. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, with Iran being a geographic envelope of the domestication center. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleeces, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton), and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. In Commonwealth countries, ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones; in the United States, meat from both older and younger animals is usually called lamb. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science.

Extra virgin olive oil made in Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain using Cornicabra and Picual olives

Extra virgin olive oil made in Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain using Arbequina, Cornicabra, Manzanilla and Picual olives

Extra virgin olive oil made using Castellana (Verdeja) olives, from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Purple garlic bulbs grown in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Roasted bell peppers in tomato sauce

Puréed cod and potato spread, made with olive oil, walnuts, hard boiled eggs, garlic, serve with bread

Saffron from Castilla-La Mancha

Solanum Melongena eggplant, from Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Carcamusas is a culinary specialty of Toledo, Spain, generally served as a tapa in bars. It consists of a stew of lean pork with a moderately spicy tomato sauce and peas. It is traditionally served in an earthenware casserole, along with potatoes and bread. The origin of the name "carcamusas" is unclear. One theory attributes it to the owner of the restaurant Bar Ludeña in the mid 20th century, who served the dish to a clientele consisting of older men, known as "carcas," and the younger women they considered their muses, or "musas."

Fried cuttlefish

Braised or fried cauliflower

Seven dried bean varieties grown in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain: Arrocina, Blanca Redonda, Blanca Riñón, Judión, Morada Larga, Morada Redonda, Planchada

Shrimp in whiskey sauce

Manchego is a cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed. It is aged between 60 days and 2 years. Manchego has a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, often containing small, unevenly distributed air pockets. The colour of the cheese varies from white to ivory-yellow, and the inedible rind from yellow to brownish-beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour, well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves an aftertaste that is characteristic of sheep's milk.

Marzipan from Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Piñonet and Piel de sapo melons grown in Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Honey flavored with nectar from avocado, chestnut, lavender, orange blossom, rosemary and thyme, from Guadalajara and Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Honey flavored with nectar from lavender and rosemary, from Cuenca and Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha,Spain

Extra virgin olive oil made with Cornicabra olives from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

A thick meat dip, terrine or pâté made with, for example, hare, rabbit, chicken, partridge, ham, pork liver, bacon, broth, bread and spices, several variations, serve with bread

Round crusty wheat bread baked in wood-burning ovens, from Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Mashed potatoes, meat and paprika

Creamy wine sauce with herbs, garlic, saffron, cinnamon, thickened with ground almonds, used in the dish pollo en pepitoria

A pincho , pintxo ( Basque: [pintʃo]) or pinchu ( Asturian: [ˈpintʃʊ]) is a small snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country, Navarre, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias. They are usually eaten in bars or taverns as a small snack, in the company of friends or relatives; thus, they have a strong socializing component, and, in the Basque country and Navarre, they are usually regarded as a cornerstone of local culture and society. They are related to tapas, the main difference being that pinchos are usually 'spiked' with a skewer or toothpick, often to a piece of bread. They are served in individual portions and always ordered and paid for independently from the drinks. It is not impossible, however, for the same item to be called pincho in one place and tapa in another. They are called pinchos because many of them have a pincho (Spanish for spike), typically a toothpick —or a skewer for the larger varieties— through them. They should not be confused with brochettes (brochetas in Spanish) which, in Latin America and some parts of Spain, are called pinchos too (see pinchitos); in brochettes, the skewer or toothpick is needed to cook the food or keep it together. A typical snack of the Basque Country and Navarre, "pinchos" consist of small slices of bread upon which an ingredient or mixture of ingredients is placed and fastened with a toothpick, which gives the food its name "pincho," meaning "spike." Pinchos are usually eaten as an appetizer, accompanied by a small glass of young white wine (called txakoli, pronounced [tʃakoˈli]) or beer (zurito, pronounced [s̻uˈɾito] quarter of a pint). Pinchos are very common in the taverns of the Basque Country and in other nearby areas, such as Cantabria, La Rioja, northern Burgos, and Navarre, where a variety of pinchos is usually served on a tray at the bar.

Marinated vegetable salad made with tomatoes, bell peppers, Italian green peppers, cucumbers, olives, onions, hard boiled eggs, there are several variations, some resemble a salad whereas others are more like gazpacho

Queso frito is a fried cheese dish. It consists of a white, salty cheese with a high melting point called queso de freír (Spanish for 'frying cheese'), queso paisa, or queso fresco (fresh cheese') or queso blanco (white cheese). Queso frito is made throughout South America, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

Cheese made from raw or pasteurized ewe's milk from Manchega cows, from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Mushrooms and garlic sautéed in olive oil with white wine

Soldaditos de Pavía is a dish of fried cod wrapped in a slice of roasted red pepper. The dish is found in Andalusian cuisine and common at tapas bars in Madrid, capital of Spain. The cod is marinated in a paprika and lemon juice mix. Before being fried, the pieces of cod can be placed in cold seasoned water and removed when the water begins to boil. It's said to be a popular dish after Easter in the 1905 cookbook by Manuel Maria Puga y Parga. The name of the dish may be taken from the similarity in colour of its wrapping of red pepper to the orange-red uniforms of the Hussars.[dubious – discuss]

Torta de gazpacho is a type of torta, or flat bread, used to prepare a dish called gazpacho or gazpacho manchego in La Mancha and Southeast Spain, including Murcia and parts of the autonomous community of Valencia. The word gazpacho comes from the Latin adjective caccabaceus, derived from caccabus , attested in several works by Tertulian, Zeno of Verona and others. This word was applied in ancient Rome to a type of bread very similar to the torta de gazpacho.