Salmorejo is the thick chilled tomato-and-bread puree from Cordoba and Andalusia, served in shallow bowls topped with diced jamon Trevelez, hard-boiled egg and olive oil.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
Salmorejo evolved from the medieval ajo blanco (white garlic soup) before the New World tomato reached Andalusia in the 16th century. The tomato variant emerged in Cordoba and migrated south to Granada by the 18th century, becoming the working-day summer plate across the Vega de Granada. The distinction from gazpacho is the bread: salmorejo uses dry bread soaked in the tomato base for a thick, almost pate-like consistency. In Granada the dish is served in shallow bowls with diced Trevelez jamon and chopped egg, and it pairs with Jerez fino sherry through the summer months.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg
Tip from the editors. Use the ripest summer tomatoes you can find; the dish has nowhere to hide.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Las Tinajas in Granada is the second-generation Figares institution open since 1971, with clay tinajas overhead and a Vinos de Granada wine cellar.
Tip: Order off the menu del dia at lunch; the same kitchen runs a la carte in the evening at double the price.
Chikito in Granada sits where Cafe Alameda hosted Lorca and Manuel de Fallas Rinconcillo circle in the 1920s; Jose Carlos Exposito runs the kitchen.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays; the front bar pours free tapas at lunchtime if you do not want to commit to the dining room.
Mirador de Morayma in Granada is the Albayzin carmen named for Boabdils wife, with terraced gardens facing the Alhambra and a remojon-bacalao menu.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; book the carmen terrace not the indoor room from May to October.
Carmela on Calle Colcha in Granada is a tapas-first Mediterranean kitchen with two terraces near Plaza Nueva, winner of the citys tapas contest in 2012.
Signature: Creative croquetas, Tuna tataki, Berenjenas con miel
Tip: The covered terrace stays open year round with heaters; sit on the open one in May for the best people-watching on Calle Colcha.
Restaurante Sevilla in Granada is the 1930s cathedral-district room where Federico Garcia Lorca and Manuel de Falla used to lunch, still in the family.
Signature: Sopa sevillana, Tortilla del Sacromonte, Cordero a la moruna
Tip: The dining room is tiny and the entrance is barely marked; listen for the guitarist playing de Falla and you will find the door.
More cities are in research. Want salmorejo granadino covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.