Extremaduran cuisine

Extremadura,Spainis known for its different ways of preparing the Iberianporkandmutton. The main characteristics of the traditionalExtremaduran cuisineare its simplicity, its lack of clutter and its low cost. It is also a cuisine reflecting a generous spirit, for many of its preparations used to be cooked in large pots to share with visitors, friends, and neighbors. The resulting dishes are eaten with localbread.
The preferred spices in Extremaduran cuisine arepaprika(pimentón),garlic,bay leaves,pennyroyal, andanise. The NortheasterncomarcaofLa Veraproducespimentón de la Vera, smoked paprika highly valued all over Spain and extensively used in Extremaduran cuisine.Olive oilis used for frying and as an ingredient in many dishes. Maybe due to Portuguese influence, some limited use of coriander leaves (unusual for other regions of mainland Spain outside theCanary Islands) can be found for some specific dishes such asrepápalosor pickled cod (escabeche de bacalao), though often with the possibility of using parsley as an alternative and not with the same extensive use as in Portugal.
Wine is produced mainly in the territory of theRibera del Guadianadenominación de origen. The region is also known for itsvino de pitarratradition, home-made wine made in small earthenware vessels.
TheJerte Valleyis known for its cherry production, in the localpicota del Jertevarieties, highly regarded all over Spain and with adenominación de origen.
Among the pork or mutton-based dishes, some well-known ones are thecallos con manos de cerdo(tripewithpig's feet),caldereta de cordero(mutton stew),cabrito encuchifrito,frite de cordero(mutton fry) and thecabrito a la hortelana(kid and vegetable stew).
Thechanfainain Extremadura has nothing to do with similarly named dishes in theIberian Peninsula, like theCatalanXanfaina, which is a Spanish version of the OccitanRatatouille, and which would be considered a kind ofpistoin Extremadura. The Extremaduranchanfainais a rich stew of mutton liver, brain, heart, and kidneys cooked with a mixture of bay leaves, garlic, bread crumbs and boiled eggs.
Traditional Extremaduran gastronomy includes other meats, likehen(gallina), which is one of the main ingredients of the emblematiccocido extremeñostew,arroz con liebre(rice withhare) andancas de ranas fritas(friedfrog legs). It also includes local fishes liketencas fritas(friedtench) andtruchas con  jamón(troutwith ham), and even a certainlarge lizardusually prepared inguisado, made by frying slices of lizard inolive oil, after which they were stewed over a slow fire.In spite of being eaten in a variety of preparations and even served at restaurants in the past, also includingentomatá de lagarto(lizard in tomato sauce)orlagarto en salsa verde(lizard in green sauce),currently lizards are a protected species and trapping them is prohibited.
Concerning fish, some cod preparations are known, andtenchis among the most traditional freshwater fish, including fish and vegetable dishes such asmoje de pecesorescarapuche.
Among the basic popular dishes the ones based onchick peasare dominant. Other main ingredients arehabichuelas(beans),potatoes,pumpkin,chestnuts,onionsandbell peppers. Some famous dishes of Extremadura arecocido extremeño,potaje de garbanzos y judías blancas(chick pea and bean soup),sopa blanca de ajos(white garlic soup),potaje de castañas secas(chestnut soup),olla con asaura(a stew with offal and blood), andgazpacho extremeño(variants ofgazpacho, sometimes with ham or pennyroyal mint).
Soups often have a stale bread base and include a variety of both hot and cold ones, such assopa de ajo,sopa de tomate(bread-based soup with tomato, peppers and egg),sopa de poleo(pennyroyal mint soup),sopa de pan con aceitunas(bread soup with olives),sopa de espárragos trigueros(wild asparagus soup),sopa de antruejo(bread-based soup with a lot of pork),sopa de habas(broadbean soup) and others. It is traditional to eat such soups having figs at the same time as a side dish, or even grapes.Sopas canasinclude at least milk, bread and garlic as a base.Pennyroyal mintis sometimes used to season gazpachos or soups such assopa de poleo.Extremaduranajoblanco(ajoblanco extremeño) is a cold soup different from Andalusianajoblancosince it contains egg yolk in the emulsion and it may contain vegetables such as tomatoes but no almonds.
Though rice is not as common as in some other Spanish regions, rice dishes with rabbit meat or pork are common,includingarroz a la cacereñafromCáceres, which, after being cooked, is then covered in a crust of egg and cheese and then baked, in a way similar to Valencianarroz con costra.
Vegetables are found in many dishes, even if there is very little in the way of actual vegetarian dishes in the traditional cuisine. Still, apart fromgazpachos, salads similar to Andalusianpipirrana(with a variety of local names such aspicadillo,cojondongoorrinrán) are popular, as well aszorongollo, a salad made with tomato and roast peppers reminiscent of Catalanescalivada. As inLa ManchaandMurcia,pistois a traditional dish. Local tomato sauce is often known astomatáorentomatáand it can be an accompaniment to many dishes.
Desert truffles, locally namedcriadillasorcriadillas de tierra, are eaten with scrambled eggs (revuelto de criadillas), fried with other ingredientsor as an accompaniment in other dishes. Even if many other mushroom species grow in Extremadura and they have some culinary use nowadays, only a few other mushroom species apart from desert truffles were actually traditionally consumed, such asAmanita ponderosa(calledgurumelo, especially popular in Southern Extremadura), orMacrolepiota procera.
Some of the ancestral dishes of Extremadura are today less commonly eaten, likemigas(such asmigas contorreznos) andgachas.Vegetables likecardoonandboragewere traditionally widely used in soups.
Certain dishes of the Extremaduran cuisine show the influence of neighboringPortugal, likelentejas estofadas(stewedlentils) andsopa de perdices(partridgesoup).
Extremadura'sBlack Iberian pigsare usually left to roam in relative freedom and their main diet are theacornsfalling from the localoaktrees. This breed of pig is found exclusively in Southwestern Iberia, both in Spain and Portugal. Their meat is highly valued throughout Spain, especially theirham.
Extremaduran cuisine is abundant in pork; it is said that the region is one of the best for breeding pigs in Spain, thanks to the acorns that grow in itsdehesas.
Some Extremaduranembutidos(pork preserves and sausages) have a local flavor, like themorcilla«Felisa»(based on blood and onion),morcillas de cabezá(head innards morcillas),morcillas patateras(sausage containing mashed potato and pork fat and meat seasoned with paprika and garlic), as well as sausages prepared with pumpkin (morcilla de calabaza). Dry-cured pork products includechacinasand the localham,longaniza,chorizo,salchichón,morcónandcaña de lomo. Porkembutidosand other pieces of pork meat are often added to local stews, such ascocido.
Cachuela(sometimes also known ascaldillo) is a fatty pork liver pâté seasoned with paprika, garlic and other spices.
Bucheis a kind ofembutidosimilar toLeonesebotillomade from different pieces left over from the butchering of apig, including the ribs, tail, and bones with a little meat left on them, which are chopped, seasoned and then stuffed into thececumof the pig. Once cured, it's usually boiled and then it is opened to extract its content in order to eat it, usually ascoles con buche, accompanied by other pork products and separate dishes of rice and cabbage cooked in the same broth produced by boiling thebuche.
The region is home to a variety of cheeses, those most well known beingTorta del Casar, produced inCasar de Cáceresand surrounding area, andTorta de la Serena, produced in thecomarcaofla Serena. Both have adenominación de origenand both are sheep milk cheeses that are curdled using a coagulant found in the pistils ofcardoon(Cynara cardunculus), which gives a creamy consistency and a rich taste with a light bitterness. These cheeses are traditionally eaten by slicing off the top and scooping out the inside with a spoon, then spreading it on bread. They're somewhat similar toSerra da Estrela cheeseinPortugal.
Queso de los Iboresis another cheese with adenominación de origen, made in thecomarcasof los Ibores, Villuercas, La Jara and Trujillo in the southeast of the Province of Cáceres. It is a fatty goat milk cheese made exclusively from the milk of Serrana, Verata, Retinta breeds and crosses between them and only from farms registered with the regulatory council.
A variety of goat milk cheeses found along the border with Portugal are similar to goat milk cheeses found in neighboring Portuguese areas and have a compact consistency and a strong taste and smell, such asQuesaíllacheese,as well asqueso de Acehúche[es]andqueso de Gata-Hurdes.
Extremadurandessertsand sweets are mostly prepared using the localwheat flour,honey, pork fat, milk, sugar and olive oil. Some of them arebuñuelos,magdalenas(anise-scentedmuffins),perrunillas[es],galletas,rosquillas de vino,roscas fritas(fried doughnuts),coquillos de miel,repápalos dulces,sopa de almendras[es](sweet almond soup),gañotes[es],hornazos dulces,roscas de muégado(orroscas de piñonate),hijuelas,gachas extremeñas(orpuchas dulces),bollos fritos(fried buns),floretas,socochones hurdanosandjeringas.Some well known local specialties aretecula meculafromOlivenza,bollo turcofromJerez de los Caballerosandroscas de alfajorfromCasar de Cáceres.