A 19th-century French traveler found Andalusian gaspacho repulsive yet locals loved it
Evidence
‘Our supper was of the simplest kind; all the serving men and maids of the hostelry had gone to the dance, and we had to be content with a mere gaspacho. This gaspacho is worthy of a special description, and we shall here give the recipe, which would have made the hair of the late Brillat-Savarin stand on end. You pour some water into a soup tureen, and to this water you add a dash of vinegar, some cloves of garlic, some onions cut into quarters, some slices of cucumber, a few pieces of pimento, a pinch of salt; then one cuts some bread and sets it to soak in this pleasing mixture, serving it cold. At home, a dog of any breeding would refuse to sully its nose with such a compromising mixture. It is the favourite dish of the Andalusians, and the prettiest women do not shrink from swallowing bowlfuls of this hell-broth of an evening. — David, Elizabeth, Book of Mediterranean Food, 97
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David, Elizabeth, Book of Mediterranean Food, 97
- XREF: connects to: Eugenia de Montijo introduced gazpacho recipe to France in the nineteenth century — Gazpacho: Origin and history – Cuisine d’Espagne; Gautier presents the Spain that matches his expectations, from garlic soup to bullfights — critiquesLibres.com : Voyage en Espagne Théophile Gautier; Mentions of gazpacho are found in Carmen, Mérimée’s letters, and Gautier’s writings — La recette du gaspacho (ou gazpacho, en espagnol)
Related
- Eugenia de Montijo introduced gazpacho recipe to France in the nineteenth century (similarity 0.84)
- Mentions of gazpacho are found in Carmen, Mérimée’s letters, and Gautier’s writings (similarity 0.84)
- Gautier presents the Spain that matches his expectations, from garlic soup to bullfights (similarity 0.78)