Gachas
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Gachas, or gachas manchegas, is a Spanish dish from Castilla-La Mancha, though other regions have their own variations. It consists of a toasted flour that has been mashed and then boiled in water, which is then mixed with flour made from grass peas (Lathyrus sativus), bacon, garlin, sweet paprika, oil, and salt.
Grass pea flour is exceedingly difficult to obtain outside of Castilla-La Mancha, especially in its pure form. Commercial forms are mixed with wheat flour due to the fact that grass peas are toxic if consumed in significantly large quantities.
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[edit] Origin
Gachas were originally the meal of shepherds and farmers, generally consumed during the cold winter months. The dish is generally eaten directly out of the pan it was cooked in, using either a spoon or a simple slice of bread. It is also commonly consumed immediately after removing it from the fire, though this practice can be dangerous due to the high temperatures involved in cooking the gachas.)
[edit] Variations
[edit] Castilla-La Mancha
Accompaniments for the dish vary throughout La Mancha. In Cuenca, gachas are usually served with mushrooms and potatoes. In the comarca of la Serranía, stewed and pickled pork liver is added to the gachas when the water is added. Other possible accompaniments include hot chilis or baby cucumbers in vinegar.
[edit] Valencia
A type of gachas made with corn flour are popular in the area of Ademuz, in the comarca of Rincón de Ademuz, Valencia. These gachas are generally mixed with pork products, tomatoes, snails, and cod. The dish is part of the traditional cuisine of the area, in addition to grass pea gachas.
[edit] Andalucía
Andalusian gachas are traditionally made of wheat rather than grass peas.
Other variations include:
- Sweet gachas (gachas dulces)
- Gachas of the slaughter (gachas de matanza)
- Gachas migas
- Gachas cordobesas
- Sweet paprika gachas (gachas de pimentón)
- Gachas de Almería
