Babylon Magazine #5

Page 67

+ ORUJO DE GALICIA This crystal clear liqueur with an intense and slightly sweet flavour has been drunk by farmers and seafarers in the northwest region of Galicia since time immemorial. This aqua vitae, as the 17th century Dutch called it, is obtained by distilling the orujos of the grape, that’s to say the solid bits left after the pulp of the grapes has been

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF THE GOOD TAPEADOR It’s usually said that rules are there to be broken, but in the case of tapas it’s useful to follow them strictly to get the maximum enjoyment.

LEVEL ONE

1. Four or five is the perfect number of people to go on a tapas crawl. Three is too few; and six too many. 2.

You eat tapas stading up, at the bar. If somebody wants to sit down, let them do it, but that means they are not tapeando. What’s more, standing up helps the digestion.

Este licor cristalino, de sabor intenso y ligeramente dulce es consumido por los agricultores y marineros de Galicia desde tiempos inmemoriales. Este aqua vitae, como lo llamaban los holandeses del siglo XVII, es obtenido por destilación de orujos de uva, es decir, las partes sólidas de la vendimia que no tienen aprovecha-

3. The pleasure is in the variety. Don’t ask for more than one round in the same bar. To tapear is also a good way to get to know a city, town or village. 4. The best time to go out for tapas: after 11 in the morning, and in the evening after seven-thirty.

pressed for making wine. This makes it a relative of the marcs in France and the grappas of Italy. The drink has its own denomination of origin and is the basic ingredient of a ritual potion known as la queimada. This involves a pagan-style burning of the drink, used by the Galicians to scare off evil spirits. miento en la previa elaboración del vino, y pertenece al mismo tipo de bebida que los marc franceses, las grappas italianas. Cuenta con su propia denominación de origen y es la materia prima de una pócima ritual, la queimada, delicioso flameado pagano con el que los gallego ahuyentan los malos espíritus.

GAZPACHO INGREDENTS: 5 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 onion, 1 clove of garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar, 1 glass of water.

Back in 1611, Sebastián de Covarrubias already had a pretty good definition of this cold soup: “a certain type of crumbs made from toasted bread, oil and vinegar, and a few other things that are mixed in, which are pulverized together.” The lexicographer explained the derivation of the word in the following way: «It’s food for harvesters and crude people, and they must have given it the name as it fancied them.» The arrival of the tomato in Spain, following the discovery of the Americas, gave rise to the most commonly known version of gazpacho, the sevillana. Today, the traditional sustenance of Andalusian labourers has found its place on the menus of some of the best restaurants in the world.

TIME:10 minutes. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Medium.

En 1611, Sebastián de Covarrubias ya da una definición bastante certera de esta sopa fría: «cierto género de migas que se hace con pan tostado y aceite y vinagre, y algunas otras cosas que les mezclan, con que los polvoriza». El lexicógrafo explica de esta manera la etimología de la palabra: «Es comida de segadores y de gente grosera, y ellos le debieron poner el nombre como se les antojó». La llegada del tomate a España tras el descubrimiento de América dio origen a la versión más extendida del gazpacho, la sevillana. Hoy, el tradicional sustento del jornalero andaluz se ha colado en las cartas de los mejores restaurantes del mundo.

TIP!

This is the closest you’ll get to the magic potion of Panoramix. It reduces stress, helps when you’re convalescing and, if you modify the preparation sufficiently, is ideal for including in a slimming diet.

B A BY L O N M A G A Z I N E 67


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