We have already mentioned that Cordoba is a unique city that promises to blow all your senses and make you fall in love with her from day one; the mesmerizing scents of colorful flowers bustling the so-called patios, the impressive dynamic of a flamenco show combined with a visit to the multicultural heritage monuments like the Mezquita or the Jewish quarter, form an experience you will never forget.
And when it comes to food, we ensure you that Cordoba boasts many delicious specialties to try! Andalusian cuisine is part of the Mediterranean diet but with influences from the Arabs, who introduced many raw materials to the Western world like rice, eggplants, artichokes, asparagus and, of course, spices! It’s based on olive oil and wine- specifically the famous Sherry white wine-, while the dishes differ whether you visit the seaside areas (mostly fish and seafood) or the mainland (meat, vegetables, soups), but everywhere you will find jamon iberico, the appetizing Spanish ham.
We recommend you start your delightful journey in Cordobian gastronomy with an appetizer light and tasty, commonly known as Salmorejo. It is served as a cold purée and it is made with bread, olive oil, tomatoes and garlic. This dish is ideal for those who seek a vegetarian/vegan option, but be careful to order it without the chopped ham and egg they add as topping!
Having an Erasmus+ traineeship is all about exploring new things and creating lifetime experiences, right? One of these could be the tasting of rabo de toro, a traditional dish made with oxtail! The recipe dates back to roman times and nowadays you can find it served in many versions, such as stew or crockets. And if you feel quite adventurous, we strongly encourage you to try caracoles, one of the most bizarre yet famous dishes in Andalusia. Caracoles in Spanish means snails and these gummy creatures are considered to be the best tapa during spring time in whole Andalusia! We suggest you try conejo con caracoles (rabbit with snails) or arroz concaracoles (rice with snails) and we bet it will be an experience you will never forget from Cordoba!
If you are not sure about taking risks when it comes to food, we have another tasty must for you to try before leaving Cordoba and we hope you won’t feel intimidated by its size, as normally it is 18 cm long! Of course we are talking about flamenquin, a local dish consisted of pieces of serrano ham wrapped in pork loin, dipped in egg and bread cramps and fried in high temperature. Flamenquin can be easily described as the most representative choice of Cordobian cuisine, as it combines ham and pork –two ingredients that everyone loves in Andalusia- served as a crocket, which is as well a beloved way of cooking for locals.
After all these salty choices there is no better way to sum up your gastronomic trip by trying the typical pastel cordobés, and as the name indicates, it is the pie of Cordoba. To be honest, there isn’t a special ingredient or way of cooking to justify the origin name, as it is made out of pastry dough, angel hair squash, egg, sugar and cinnamon. Perhaps it rose to fame because it is the typical desert they will serve you for free on 17th of November, when the saint patron of Cordoba is celebrating.
These are some of the most typical food options you can try in Cordoba. If those dishes won’t satisfy your palate, you can always opt for safe Spanish dishes like paella, tortilla de patata, chorizos and of course, churros!