"DE GAZPACHO NO HAY EMPACHO" "You can't get enough of a good thing" explains this popular saying and certainly during the summer months I'm not sure I could aguantar (tolerate) the heat of this peninsula without a glass of Gazpacho at my side, so much that I have come to believe that is the DNA of Iberian cuisine. Unfortunately, ask 100 people how best to make the dish and you will get 100 different replies. There are so many variations in quantities and even ingredients that it is almost impossible to provide the definitive gazpacho recipe. Luckily for you, the Gazpachomonk has been investigating..... The History of GazpachoThe origin of the word gazpacho is uncertain; some say it may be derived from the Mozarab word 'caspa', meaning 'residue' or 'fragments', possibly referring to the chopped vegetables or small chunks of bread that are added to the soup. Others have suggested it comes from the Hebrew word 'gazaz,' meaning again, to break into pieces. Gazpacho under the RomansOne story about the origins of gazpacho was that it was introduced by Roman road builders who used a basic version consisting of bread, water, oil and garlic to not only keep cool, but also nourish themselves during the hot and demanding work. Obviously, this basic version did not contain the tomatoes or peppers that were to be added later. This would come after the conquest of the Americas. Gazpacho RecipeGazpacho can include:
Provided you use the same basic ingredients of mature tomatoes and good olive oil, then you will produce a marvellous liquid salad for those sweltering times of the year when solid foods become far less appetising. Gazpacho is one of those raw food dishes that seemingly offer little when broken up into its separate parts, but combine them together in the correct proportions and you create something very special: A revitalising, isotonic drink, low in calories which is considered (quite rightly) to be liquid gold in the mid heat of an Andalusian summer. Gazpacho: Serving Suggestions
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