“ALMOJÁBANAS”: A CRULLER WITH CENTURIES OF HISTORY.

The “almojábana” is a cake or pastry, a kind of cruller, traditional in the gastronomy of Elche and the South of Alicante province, and also in a few cities and villages in Murcia and Valencia. In the past it was typical to prepare them in certain celebrations, but now it´s possible to buy all the year long.

It´s made with a mass prepared with wheat flour, egss, and depending on the pastry chef olive oil, sunflower oil, lard or butter and milk. After baking the cake is wet with syrup (prepared with sugar or honey). In spite of this variability in the recipe, its flavour is always delicious, with a smooth and tender texture. It´s curious that with so few ingredients and so common, the result is so fine and so popular. 

Baking almojábanas

It is said that almojábenas have Arab origin, more than 500 years ago, because it seems that the word comes from “almuyabbana” (made with cheesse, in old hispanic arab). In the thirteenth and fifth centuries, there are old written references about  “almojabanas”, as a cake made of cheese and flour. This recipe traveled to South America long time ago, because nowadays there are almojábanas with these ingredients in Colombia and Puerto Rico. 

The secret of the hole

Over time somehow the recipe changed in Spain, even there isn´t a unique recipe, and it´s posssible to find different pastries with this name. Maybe the exact recipe was changing throughout the centuries. Or maybe was lost totally, and people called new recipes with this name, that in someway remained in the collective memory. Anyway, is suggestive to taste “almojábanas”, trying to imagine how this name was passing down from generation to generation.

Pictures courtesy of Confitería Castell

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¿ARROZ OR PAELLA ? THE BEST TRADITIONAL SPANISH GASTRONOMY.

In Alicante province, gastronomy is a matter of great importance, and rice is one of the main basis. In many places is called Paella, but here we simply say “Arroz” (Rice). Although for many people are the same, there are differences between both, but always with traditional cuisine and a spectacular flavor.

Arroz con verduras (arroz with vegetables)

In order to differentiate a Valencian paella from Arroz meal, the main difference is the color. In the paella predominate the vegetables, like the garrofone’s beans and the green beans, along with the meat or the fish, and the color has a more yellowish color. But in Alicante, our rice use to be more reddish, due to a mix of “ñora” (dry pepper), garlic, and tomato. Nevertheless, the name is not important to enjoy the meal, because there are not fixed rules but as many recipes as cooks.

When you come to Alicante, you can ask for the “Arroz” served on a plate, but I recommend you the experience of eating directly from the vessel (called “paellero” or also “paella”). It will be served in the middle of the table so that all the people share it and enjoy it together. We eat it many times in this way.

Arroz con marisco (arroz with seafood)

The most important thing about paella or arroz recipe is the broth or soup made from fish, vegetables and/or meat that will be the basis of cooking. It´s the responsable to give the final taste to the meal. Without a well prepared broth, the paella or arroz will not be good. And the right proportion between broth and rice is critical to achieve a perfect arroz, neither hard nor soft.  Other key question is that it must be eated just some minutes after cooking to get all their qualities. So, it is best to avoid restaurants where paella or arroz is cooked in large quantities and is served along the day.

Some restaurants use industrial ready made arroz/paella, and they only heat it in the microwave oven. How to know it? Taking into account that arroz/paella coocking needs around 25 minutes. If you get it in less time after ordering it, it will be a ready made one, or cooked previously.

Arroz con bogavante (arroz with lobster)

The varieties of Arroz or Paella that you can eat are almost infinite, and are more common the ones with fish or meat. Also are veggies options. One you can not miss is the typical delight arroz with rabbit and snails, sometimes also added chicken. With seafood the most famous is “arroz a banda” (usually accompanied with alioli or garlic mayonnaise), but you can taste also rice of cod, tuna, octopus and anchovies. Also are usual praws, clams and mussles. Some types of arroz are creamy, as the delicious “arroz con bogavante (lobster)”. You also can not miss Arroz con Costra, in clay pot with sausages and beaten eggs, that is cooked in Elche.

Arroz con Costra

Whatever your choice, do not forget to try a good arroz or paella, call it whatever you want. The best rice in the world is made precisely on this land.

Arroz negro (arroz with squid ink and seafood)