Written by Joy Simmons
Joy is a Yumday Fall 2021 Food Education Fund intern. She's a Senior at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, specializing in Economics & Finance. To help us celebrate National Gazpacho Day, Joy is sharing some interesting facts about this cold soup.
Photo from Canva
What is gazpacho and where did it originate?
Gazpacho is a cold, delicious soup made from a variety of splendid vegetables — which I can't wait to feast on!
The soup, which is also goes by "gaspacho" or "Andalusian gazpacho," comes from the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula. It's especially popular in Spain and Portugal, and people enjoy eating this soup in the summers since it is a cool and refreshing blend of raw vegetables.
An interesting fact about its origins:
It is an ancient dish mentioned in Greek and Roman literature, although two of the main ingredients of the modern version, tomatoes and green peppers, were brought to Spain from the New World only in the 16th century.
In other words, the impact of the exquisite Gazpacho traveled to the many different countries in this beautiful world, adding on to the sweet, tasty, savory wonders of life!
What are the Ingredients of Gazpacho?
Even though we think of gazpacho as a soup, some Spanish cookbooks classify gazpacho as a salad! Which makes sense because it is made with "an uncooked mixture of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, water, vinegar, onions, cucumbers, and green peppers, thickened with bread crumbs." (Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/bouillabaisse)
Gazpacho is truly a masterpiece of delicious mouth watering vegetables that emerge in a savory soup.
What are some interesting facts about gazpacho?
Did you know...
- The name gazpacho is of Arabic origin and means "soaked bread."
- Two of the main ingredients, tomatoes and peppers, were not available until after the discovery of the New World.
- Gazpacho should be drunk slightly chilled, but not iced.
(Source: Gazpacho Fun Facts)
Now when I read this fact, I was like, "Why would they say 'but not iced'?" Like someone was going to really put ice in soup? Like, come on now! Then I thought to myself some more and was like, well, the soup is already served in a cold style, and there might be people who actually enjoy soup in the coldest form possible.
That whole thought process just had me thinking how amazing us humans are by just being different in the most adventurous way. Life is all about trying new mysterious things — well, in this case, new delicious things. Which once again I can’t wait to try. Even maybe with ice...you only live once. I mean so why not, and besides I love food and trying new things, especially food related things make me extremely happy. :)
Want to make gazpacho at home? Check out these recipes!
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