The food of the south of Spain exemplifies the Mediterranean diet. Various types of seafood dominate the cuisine when it comes to the protein. This includes a lot of oily fish like tuna and anchovies. Pork and chicken come a distant second to seafood followed by beef which is not usually eaten. Vegetables, olive oil and legumes such as lentils, chickpeas and beans form other key building blocks of this cuisine.

The supermarkets are filled with a higher proportion of fundamental foods which form the building blocks for cooking a meal instead of pre-prepared, processed foods or meal shortcuts. This makes the Spanish diet very healthy.

Eating out is mainly about tapas. It’s about having a small plate to nibble on with a small drink. It is less about filling up with large meal than about connecting with friends and family. This too is very healthy as plenty of research shows that having meaningful connections in life is a key to a happy and healthy life.

The famous soup of Andalusia is the Salmorejo. This can be considered a cousin to the famous Spanish Gazpacho. Salmorejo is a cold, tomato based soup which also incudes bread and olive oil. Bread is not used as an ingredient in Gazpacho. Salmorejo has the same refreshing, cooling, tanginess similar to Gazpacho but is made creamier and more filling with the bread blended through. It’s a smart way to use up leftover bread. Ancestors of this soup can be traced back to the Roman Empire where a tomato-free version of this soup existed. The tomato was a much later addition once they were introduced to Spain.

Another classic on the Iberian peninsula are the legs of ‘jamon’ or ham. In many restaurants, specialist shops and even in the local Aldi, there are legs of ham strung up. These vary in price but are usually quite expensive. They are delicately sliced into the thinnest layers and arranged carefully into plates for tapas or to be sold in smaller portions.