Cádiz food and wine: flavours of the sea and the bodega
Cádiz cooking is born in the Atlantic and paired with unique wines: from a paper cone of fried fish to almadraba tuna and the bodegas of the sherry triangle.
Key points
- Cádiz cooking revolves around Atlantic fish and seafood: fried fish, shrimp fritters, urta, prawns and bluefin tuna.
- Almadraba bluefin tuna is caught in spring in Barbate, Zahara, Conil and Tarifa.
- The Marco de Jerez produces unique wines: fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, palo cortado and the sweet Pedro Ximénez and moscatel.
- From the sierra come payoyo cheese, cured meats and Sierra de Cádiz olive oil.
From sea to table
- Pescaíto fritoMarinated dogfish, anchovies, cuttlefish, sole and small hake in a paper cone.
- Shrimp frittersThin and crispy, with whole Bay shrimps.
- Urta a la roteñaRock fish stewed with peppers, tomato and wine, typical of Rota.
- Sanlúcar prawnsBoiled and with manzanilla, facing Doñana.
- Sea urchins and oystersWinter treats, eaten at La Caleta and the Central Market.
- Papas aliñásBoiled potato with spring onion, parsley, olive oil, vinegar and tuna or mackerel.
Almadraba bluefin tuna
Every spring, bluefin tuna cross the Strait towards the Mediterranean to spawn, and the almadrabas of Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes, Conil and Tarifa catch them with the same net technique used by Phoenicians and Romans. Every part is used: loin, belly (ventresca), tarantelo, morrillo, mojama (cured tuna) and roe. During the season, “tuna routes” fill the bars with creative tapas.
The wines of the Marco de Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda form the triangle where the wines of the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda designations of origin are aged. Palomino grapes give the dry wines; Pedro Ximénez and moscatel the sweet ones.
Sherry styles: from flor to oxidation
- ManzanillaBiological, only in Sanlúcar
- FinoBiological, under flor
- AmontilladoBiological, then oxidative
- Palo cortadoOxidative, with amontillado finesse
- OlorosoOxidative, without flor
- Pedro XiménezSweet, from sun-dried grapes
| Wine | Ageing | Pair with |
|---|---|---|
| Fino and manzanilla | Biological, under flor | Fried fish, seafood, ham, olives |
| Amontillado | Biological, then oxidative | Consommé, mushrooms, tuna, mature cheese |
| Palo cortado | Oxidative, with amontillado finesse | Stews, meat, cheese |
| Oloroso | Oxidative, without flor | Red meat, game, oxtail |
| Pedro Ximénez | Sun-dried grapes, sweet | Desserts, ice cream, blue cheese |
Flavours of the sierra
Payoya goats and Grazalema merino sheep give payoyo cheese, an award-winning cheese made in Villaluenga del Rosario. The sierra also brings cured meats, tomato soup, berza stew, game dishes, honey and extra virgin olive oil with the Sierra de Cádiz designation of origin.
Sweets
Pan de Cádiz, a filled marzipan typical of Christmas; tocino de cielo, born from the egg yolks left over when bodegas clarified wine with egg whites; the amarguillos of Medina Sidonia; and the tortas pardas of the sierra.
Where to eat
- Tapas in CádizCentral Market, La Viña and the freidurías in the centre.
- Seafood in El PuertoThe seafood quay and its cocederías.
- Prawns in SanlúcarBajo de Guía restaurants facing Doñana.
- Tuna on the coastBarbate, Zahara and Conil during almadraba season.
Keep going
To visit bodegas, see Jerez and fino and Sanlúcar and manzanilla.
Frequently asked questions
What is pescaíto frito?
Small or chopped fish (marinated dogfish, anchovies, cuttlefish, small hake, sole) dusted in flour and fried in very hot olive oil. In Cádiz it is bought at freidurías and eaten from a paper cone.
Where can I eat almadraba tuna?
In Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes and Conil, especially during the spring almadraba season, when tuna tapas routes are held in dozens of bars.
Which wine goes with fried fish?
A well-chilled fino or manzanilla: their dryness and salty touch cut through the frying and lift the fish.