A time traveller’s menu in Spain

Spanish gastronomy embraces centuries-old food and drink traditions with relevant, new-age representations and local produce, writes Phorum Pandya

Panceta from Alcamista in Salamanca

Fish from Alcamista in Salamanca

History has its unique ways to make its presence felt. We find this to be true as we travel across three UNESCO heritage cities in the region of Madrid. While visual treats of architectural marvels set the ambience of a bygone era, foods that have survived the taste of time (pun intended) offer a sensorial treat in traditional and contemporary avatars that leave a lasting, memorable aftertaste.

Serving Cervantes

For us, our two-hour drive into Alcala de Henares, brings alive pages from Don Quixote, a 1615 novel by author Miguel Cervantes whose birthplace we are headed to. We realise the medieval times when the book is set also becomes a premise for food narratives. At breakfast, along with the staple of tortillas, Spanish omelette with potatoes, we opt for migas, a humble preparation of leftover breadcrumbs cooked with bite-sized juicy pieces of ham, bacon and chorizo. This is served as a protein-packed option for farmers and labourers. The decadent dessert version comes drizzled with a dense chocolate dusted with cinnamon.

A morning walk to the Cervantes Square, where a sculpture of the author stands on a raised pedestal, ends at the oldest bakery Pastelerías Salinas, a legit keeper of traditional desserts. Costrada, a traditional puff pastry of Alcala de Henares is a wholesome bite of alternate layers of meringue and cream topped with slivered, toasted almonds. Another dessert from the 16th century is the overtly sweet Rosquillas or cream-filled doughnuts glazed with egg and sugar. If you nurse a sweet tooth, give it a go.

As the loitering in the town that enjoys a heritage status for being the first planned university in Europe continues, a snack stop involves the nuns who reside in Convento de las Clarisas de San Diego. They are known for selling garrapinadas, caramel-coated almonds. To make a purchase, we must participate in an 18th-century tradition of placing our order through a turntable window to avoid eye contact with the nuns.

We munch on the snack sitting on the bench occupied by the sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panzo outside Cervantes’ family-home-turned- museum. The evening opens into Calle Mayor, the largest porticoed street in Spain, lined by upbeat tapas bars. We skip touristy sangria for Tinto de verano which has red or white wine topped with lemon soda and ice. It’s lighter and less fruity but heady enough for our night out. On a lighter note, one could call tapas Spanish chakhna. Buy your drinks and you get a small appetiser to nibble on. Choose from tortillas, bread with chorizo, anchovies, patata bravas or even bacon and cheese. Before you hit the bars, an interesting nugget: Originally, the word tapas referred to a small dish that was placed on the glass to serve the snack.

A treat to the senses

An hour-and-a-half’s drive to the northwest of Madrid, Segovia is a heady concoction of history that sways between the 12th and 19th centuries. A treat to the five senses, it lays a hearty emphasis on gastronomy.

Be prepared for a long walk on a morning nature trail outside the city gates in the Eresma valley lined with poplars. The light hike will validate a protein-rich brunch of local white beans (fabada). Devour them in a salad or a warm pork stew. Another local delicacy to try is Castillianajo or garlic soup with a half-fried egg and a meaty indulgence of ham. The dishes are remnants of Cervantes cuisine of the medieval people.

Past the plaza, a Roman affair awaits. A 2,000-year-old aqueduct believed to be built by the devil is the perfect location for churros and hot chocolate. A traditional pick would be Cochinillo de Segovia or suckling pig.

The meat is so tender that it is cut with a blunt plate edge instead of a sharp knife. Definitely end the meal on a local sweet note of ponche, a layered custard cake with marzipan. Many chapters of history co-exist amicably in Segovia, and when it comes to food, local produce plays a pivotal role in global cuisine offerings too. Segovia’s menu has room for all.

A date with the past

The golden city of Salamanca, situated to the northeast of Madrid, is a feast for the eyes with its sandstone marvels from the 12th and 13th centuries.

The charm begins at its heart, Plaza Mayor, which leans towards Baroque features flaunting a theatrical design considered to be the most beautiful square in Europe. When in Salamanca, jamon tops the must-eat list. Mainly of the Iberian pig fed on acorns. The finely sliced cured meat has distinct white ribbons of fat alternating the deep red meat. Keep an appetite for farinato, a rich meatless sausage made of lard and flour. Your visits to the Sky of Salamanca, a 15th-century fresco featuring stars and constellations in the university building, and the old and new cathedral buildings will be gratifying as long as your stomach is satiated.

Keep an appetite for a Hornazo, and Salamanca special sandwich starring the local jamon (ham), loin chorizo and egg within a sweet pastry made of flour, milk, sugar, egg and lard in between site visits.