What Is Gazpacho And What Does It Taste Like?

When people think of Spanish cuisine, their minds instantly go to things like a cocido (a meat and beans stew), fabada asturiana (a bean, chorizo, and lard stew), paella, tapas, or sangria. Spanish food is as rich and diverse as the country's lengthy history. Because of its location and varied climates, Spain is able to incorporate a varied amount of ingredients both land and sea into its cuisine, according to Culinary Spain. 

The New World Encyclopedia explains that Spanish food has been heavily influenced by both Jewish and Moorish traditions, so you're going to find a lot of breads, legumes, rice, vegetables, and aromatic herbs within their dishes. Another dish that people might (or might not) think of is gazpacho, which some sources, such as Britannica, describe as "a cold soup" that is closely associated with the Andalusia region of Spain. However, Spanish cookbooks regard gazpacho as a salad while the New World Encyclopedia refers to it as "a cold soup or a liquid salad." An earlier form of the dish can be traced back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Britannica explains that two of the more recent additions to the recipe – tomatoes and green peppers – weren't added until the 16th century after voyages to the New World had been made. In today's version, you can find things like tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, water, vinegar, onions, cucumbers, and green peppers, all uncooked. This cold soup is also sometimes made with bread crumbs or croutons, which is used as a thickening agent. 

According to Solfrío, depending on what ingredients are used, the color of the gazpacho will vary. If it is very red, the appearance will mirror a tomato soup more than the traditional, lighter-colored Solfrío Andalusian Gazpacho. Gazpacho's texture should be smooth on the palate. The way to achieve this? Mixing the ingredients thoroughly and adding just the right amounts of EVOO and vinegar. As the tomato is the star of the show, your gazpacho will taste tomato-y but also very refreshing as it incorporates ingredients like cucumber. Solfrío recommends being careful that the oil you use not be too bitter as it will alter the intended taste of the gazpacho.