Torta de Gazpacho
Encyclopedia
Torta de Gazpacho is a type of torta
, or flat bread, used to prepare a dish called Gazpacho or Gazpachos in La Mancha
and Southeast Spain, including Murcia
and parts of the Valencian Community
.
A torta de Gazpacho, also known as torta gazpachera is a flat and round bread
made with wheat
flour without yeast
. Along with the gachas
the tortas de gazpacho are a very ancient Iberian
staple food preparation. Traditionally Manchega women used to bake their own tortas at home, but now a commercial type of torta de gazpacho is produced in La Roda
under the name "torta cenceña".
To prepare Gazpachos the flat bread is torn or cut into small pieces and mixed with a somewhat liquid stew
in order to prepare a warm dish. This dish originated in the hearty food shepherd
s needed when they came back home on cold winter nights.
It is traditional to serve this dish by placing the pan or large plate in the middle and all the guests sitting around eating from it. Sometimes instead of the plate the gazpacho is poured on a very large flat bread.
This type of gazpacho should not be confused with the Andalusia
n cold soup also called gazpacho
.
was scarce, gazpachos were prepared with a vegetable stew. The main ingredient of the stew were seasonal vegetables, like zucchini
, bell pepper
and eggplant, especially in the comarcas of the Region of Murcia
. In La Mancha, a much less fertile region, bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) leaves were used for the stew instead of the meat.
Traditionally the vegetarian gazpachos were considered inferior fare, only to be eaten in difficult times or by the poor people. Therefore they were known as gazpachos viudos (widowed gazpachos); the reference to a widower originating in the fact that an essential ingredient was missing. Presently spinach
may be used instead of the bladder campion leaves.
Torta
Torta is a Spanish word with a huge array of culinary meanings depending from the area and period of history in question. It originated in different regional variants of flatbread, of which the torta de gazpacho and torta cenceña are still surviving in certain areas of central Spain. Tortas are...
, or flat bread, used to prepare a dish called Gazpacho or Gazpachos in La Mancha
La Mancha
La Mancha is a natural and historical region or greater comarca located on an arid, fertile, elevated plateau of central Spain, south of Madrid, stretching between the Montes de Toledo and the western spurs of the Serrania de Cuenca. It is bounded on the south by the Sierra Morena and on the north...
and Southeast Spain, including Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
and parts of the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
.
A torta de Gazpacho, also known as torta gazpachera is a flat and round bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
made with wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
flour without yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
. Along with the gachas
Gachas
Gachas is an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.- Origin :Gachas are based on a very ancient Iberian flour-based staple food preparation....
the tortas de gazpacho are a very ancient Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
staple food preparation. Traditionally Manchega women used to bake their own tortas at home, but now a commercial type of torta de gazpacho is produced in La Roda
La Roda
La Roda is a village located in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Province of Albacete, Spain.-Description:The village has a population of around 15000 people. It is an important industrial town. Its most famous building is the church which dates from the 15th century.Its main culinary...
under the name "torta cenceña".
To prepare Gazpachos the flat bread is torn or cut into small pieces and mixed with a somewhat liquid stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
in order to prepare a warm dish. This dish originated in the hearty food shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s needed when they came back home on cold winter nights.
It is traditional to serve this dish by placing the pan or large plate in the middle and all the guests sitting around eating from it. Sometimes instead of the plate the gazpacho is poured on a very large flat bread.
This type of gazpacho should not be confused with the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n cold soup also called gazpacho
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold Spanish/Portuguese tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal and parts of Latin America...
.
Castile-La Mancha
- To prepare the gazpacho manchego, perhaps the most well-known, the torta de gazpacho is cut into pieces and mixed with a quailQuailQuail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
-based stew; pigeon, hareHareHares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
or rabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
may be added or used instead. It is a very common dish in La Mancha area. The stew is usually condimented with bay leaves, garlicGarlicAllium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
and thymeThymeThyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
. - The gazpacho jumillano or gazpacho de chumilla is similar to the manchego type but includes also land snailLand snailA land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
s in the stew. It is typical of the JumillaJumillaJumilla is a municipality in southeastern Spain. It is located in the province of Murcia, close to the town of Yecla.-Economy:Jumilla is home to the world's largest photovoltaic solar power farm, with an installed peak power capacity of 20 megawatts. The solar farm consists of 120,000 solar...
and Elche area. - The gazpacho de Yecla or "gazpacho con chaleco" are roasted or braised sardines wrapped in tortas de gazpacho, a speciality of the YeclaYeclaYecla is a town and municipality in eastern Spain, in the extreme north of the autonomous community of Murcia, located 96 km from the capital of the region, Murcia....
area.
Valencia
- Gazpachos in the ValencianValencianValencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
area include the gazpacho de RequenaRequena, ValenciaRequena is a municipality in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, located on the left bank of the river Magro.The town was formerly a Moorish fortress, occupying a strong position in the mountainous region of Las Cabrillas . It is dominated by the ancient citadel of the Moors, and still has...
, identical to the gazpacho manchego, but with the tortas cut into very small pieces and almost exclusively a quail stew. At Aiora (Vall de Cofrents) the stew is made with rabbit and is known as gazpacho de monte. In CastallaCastallaCastalla is a town located in the comarca of L'Alcoià, in the province of Alicante, Spain. Castalla is located in a mountainous area, 35 km from Alicante....
, OnilOnilOnil is a town located in the comarca of L'Alcoià, in the province of Alicante, Spain. It has an area of 48.41 km² and, according to the 2006 census, a total population of 7466 inhabitants and a population density of 154.22 inhab/km²...
and Ibi (L'Alcoià), local mushrooms are added to the stew.
- The gazpacho de mero is a fish-based version where the pieces of torta are previously boiled in the fish broth. The fish preferred for this dish is the grouperGrouperGroupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
; it may also contained peeled prawns and it is very popular in the AlacantíAlacantíAlacantí is a comarca in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the comarques of Marina Baixa and Alcoià to the north and Baix Vinalopó to the south....
and Baix VinalopóBaix VinalopóThe Baix Vinalopó is a comarca in the province of Alicante . It is bordered by the comarques of Vinalopó Mitjà and Alacantí on the north and Vega Baja del Segura on the south. Its capital is the city of Elx/Elche, with a population of some 230,000 people live...
comarcas.
Other places
- Emigrants from Southeast Spain brought this dish with them to NW AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, where it became a dish of the Algerian cuisineAlgerian cuisineThe cuisine of Algeria is a distinct fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines.-Description:Algerian cuisine differs slightly from region to region. Algerian cuisine has strong Berber but also Ottoman Turkish influence due to the Ottoman occupation. The main varieties are Algiers, Oran ,...
on its own right known as gaspacho oranais, after the city of OranOranOran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. This dish is not only still popular in Oran, but also in other cities of the coast, like MostaganemMostaganemMostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
. The way this dish is prepared and served is also similar to another Algerian dish known as chakhchoukhaChakhchoukhaChakhchoukha, chekhechoukha or chakhchoura is a dish of the Algerian cuisine, eaten often on festive celebrations, especially popular in the Aurès region...
.
Gazpachos viudos
There are ways of preparing torta de gazpacho-based dishes without meat. In ancient times when meat or gameGame (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
was scarce, gazpachos were prepared with a vegetable stew. The main ingredient of the stew were seasonal vegetables, like zucchini
Zucchini
The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
, bell pepper
Bell pepper
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...
and eggplant, especially in the comarcas of the Region of Murcia
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
. In La Mancha, a much less fertile region, bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) leaves were used for the stew instead of the meat.
Traditionally the vegetarian gazpachos were considered inferior fare, only to be eaten in difficult times or by the poor people. Therefore they were known as gazpachos viudos (widowed gazpachos); the reference to a widower originating in the fact that an essential ingredient was missing. Presently spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
may be used instead of the bladder campion leaves.
See also
- GazpachoGazpachoGazpacho is a cold Spanish/Portuguese tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal and parts of Latin America...
- GachasGachasGachas is an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.- Origin :Gachas are based on a very ancient Iberian flour-based staple food preparation....
- MigasMigasMigas is the name used for a dish in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine and a significantly different dish in Tex-Mex cuisine.-Spanish migas:...
- Castilian-Manchego cuisineCastilian-Manchego cuisineCastilian-Manchego cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients in the cuisine of Castile-La Mancha region of Spain. These include pisto , gazpacho manchego, the famous queso manchego , the white wine of La Mancha, and the red wine from Valdepeñas.The dishes and specialties of the region...
- ChakhchoukhaChakhchoukhaChakhchoukha, chekhechoukha or chakhchoura is a dish of the Algerian cuisine, eaten often on festive celebrations, especially popular in the Aurès region...
, a similar Algerian dish, both in appearance and origin.