Ajoblanco

Ajoblanco is a cold soup widely eaten in Andalusia and Extremadura, specifically in the provinces of Badajoz, Córdoba, Granada, Jaén, Almería and, above all, Málaga, a land of almond trees where one of its towns, Almáchar, holds the "Fiesta del ajoblanco" every 2 September.

The dish has its origins in the "Salmorium" prepared in ancient Rome, which the poet Publius Vergilius Maro recorded in his second eclogue, written between 42 and 39 BC. In his poems, Virgil praises the life of the farmers of his time and their customs, including the habit of eating this refreshing pounded mixture to regain their strength after hard work in the fields in summer.

However, ajoblanco as we know it today is a legacy of the cuisine of al-Andalus: although it was the Phoenicians who introduced almonds to the Mediterranean, and the Romans who began to grow them intensively, it was the Arabs who spread their cultivation and explored and created a multitude of dishes with this nutritious ingredient, from savoury ones such as Arab-style rice to sweet ones such as alfajor.

And so, by combining the historic "Salmorium" with this new and rich fruit from Asia, this restorative, nourishing white gazpacho was born, with a refreshing taste and a subtle almond aroma, the almonds also lending it a very fine, delicate creaminess.

Nutritionally, this cold soup is very complete, as it is rich in protein, phytosterols, carbohydrates, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids; flavonoids, alliin, fibre, vitamins C, E and B-group vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B7 and B9 or folic acid), calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium and zinc.