Ajo
Garlic
Spain is one of the world’s main producers of garlic which is grown across the country but the most extensive cultivations are to be found Castilla la Mancha and Andalucia.
A ubiquitous ingredient in Spanish cuisine, ajos are divided into two main types: ajos blanco with their characteristic white colour and the pink ajos rosados which are less common and don’t keep for as long.
There’s also negro (black) and morado (purple), and ajo morado de los Pedroñeras, one of the most prized varieties
Apart from their use to flavour all manner of foods, there are used to make one of the classic Spanish dishes - ajoblanco - a delicious, cold, refreshing summer soup, particularly popular in Andalucia and Extremadura.