Ajoblanco

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

This dish originates from the "Salmorium" prepared in ancient Rome, of which the poet Publius Vergilius Maro left a record in his second eclogue, written between 42 and 39 BC. In his poems, Virgil extols the life of the peasants of the time and their customs, among them the habit of eating this refreshing pounded mixture to regain strength after hard work in the fields during the 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 cultivate them intensively, it was the Arabs who spread their cultivation and explored and created a multitude of dishes with this nutritious ingredient, from savory ones such as Arabic rice to sweet ones such as alfajor.

Thus, by uniting the historic "Salmorium" with the new and rich fruit from Asia, this restorative and nutritious white gazpacho was born, with a refreshing flavor and a subtle almond aroma, which also adds a very fine and delicate creaminess.

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