The Alhambra and the pig

Those two words represent the opposite in culture but both are key to understanding Spain.

I am reading a food/travel book by John Barlow, EVERYTHING BUT THE SQUEAL. He is a good, interesting writer but I get the feeling that he needs to pick a subject because his wife wants to live at home in the area of Galicia, northern Spain. The topic is eating while traveling Galicia. Barlow has a Ph.D. and has been a college professor but in this book the object of his travels is the consumption of eating very part of the pig. He travels involve regions that most people would ignore even if time allowed for it.

This opening food fest is that of a national dish I never heard of called cocido. It is cooked for special occasion mostly in the cold winter months. After a little research on the computer, I knew this for one for me!

I went to a local butcher shop and got all the required bones, cuts of meat and produced the hearty soup yesterday. It is a wonderful peasant dish loaded with favor and impossible to make in small quantities, so it was great that Phil has a visitor and we all enjoyed it with crusty bread. Some version of this soup will become my new winter soup. The authentic recipe that I made yesterday was good for me to experience and now I understand the principles of it, I can make it for just John and me.

The importance of the pig in Spanish cooking is related to both the climate of the north and the religions of the country. Pigs eat the same diet as humans, green leafing plants and root and bulbs. This diet is best obtained in forests and rainy area of the earth. They do not have the four stomachs of cows, goats and sheep which can be penned up at night and continue to chew of the day's forgings.

The period of Moorish rule in Spain which produced the Alhambra, one of the new wonders of the world, shows the high degree of culture and sophistication of lifestyle that was enjoyed during the period. There is a quietness and simplicity that is eloquent with Moorish design that I find very attractive. I remember walking around the complex of buildings and gardens and thinking I could live here, it is built for human scale. The simplicity is really complex tile work, lattice carving and watering systems of great engineering for drinking water and gardens. The Moors that ruled lived in harmony with both the Christians and the Jews at the time and evidences of this is at the Alhambra.

In 1492 at that location, history tells two historical events took place. An Italian sailor met with Queen Isabella and in the small quiet corner room she agreed to finance his dreams of find a new route to India. Standing in the room, I have an overwhelming sense of history, unlike many I have had.

The second important event in that year was the decision by the Christian King and Queen to drive out the Moors and the Jews from Spain. This is way the love of pork comes in.

To prove that one was not a Muslim or a Jew, people watched each other to see if they ate any pork. The population of Spain become pork eaters to save their lives and families.