Fabada
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Fabada asturiana, often simply known as fabada, is a rich Asturian
bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...
stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...
, originally from and most commonly found in the
autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...
of
Principality of Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
, but widely available throughout the whole of Spain and in Spanish restaurants worldwide. Canned fabada is sold in most supermarkets across the country. Fabada is a hot and heavy dish, and for that reason, it is most commonly eaten during the winter and as the largest meal of the day, lunch. It is usually served as a starter but may also be the main course of the meal. It is typically served with Asturian
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
or a
red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...
.


Ingredients

Fabada is made with '' fabes de la Granja'' (a kind of large white beans from Spain) soaked overnight before use; '' lacón'' (shoulder of pork);
pancetta Pancetta () is a Salting (food)#Meat, salt-cured pork belly meat product in a category known as ''Salumi, salume''. In Italy, it is often used to add depth to soups and pasta. (in Italian). Uses For cooking, pancetta is often cut into cubes ( ...
or
bacon Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...
(''
tocino Tocino is bacon in Spanish, typically made from the pork belly and often formed into cubes in Spain. In Caribbean countries, such as Puerto Rico and Cuba, ''tocino'' is made from pork fatback and is neither cured nor smoked but simply fried un ...
''), ''morcilla'' (a kind of
blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the ...
from Spain);
chorizo ''Chorizo'' ( , ; ; see #Names, below) is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite differe ...
, olive oil, sweet paprika, garlic and salt.


History

The consumption of ''fabes'' goes back in Asturias to the 16th century, in which it is known with certainty that they were planted in the territory and consumed. The variety used in fabada is called ''de la Granja''; it is a smooth and buttery variety appropriate for this dish. The cultivation of this variety occupies about 2,500 hectares in Asturias. The ingredients of the fabada recipe reveal a humble origin. Scholars think it may have been born in the 18th century, although there is no evidence to support this. Despite the fact that fabas are a purely rural ingredient, the belief that fabada is born in the cities is maintained. There are no written literary references to fabas in any of the works of the time. One of the best known, La Regenta, does not mention it despite making an exhaustive description of the customs of the region. Other authors mention its resemblance to the Languedoc
cassoulet Cassoulet (, also ,; ) is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and h ...
from French cuisine that could have reached Spain thanks to the Camino de Santiago via the French route in the Middle Ages. The first written reference to fabada appears in the Asturian newspaper of Gijón El Comercio in 1884 but does not mention the recipe. Later appearances in Asturian culinary literature relate the dish to the Asturian pot, authors such as Armando Palacio Valdés when describing the characteristics of Asturian shepherds in his work "Pastoral Symphony" (1931) does not mention the dish. According to the research of different experts, fabada is born in an undetermined period between the 19th and 20th centuries. Some authors lean more towards the twentieth century, but today it is already a well-known dish, not only in Asturias but throughout the Spanish territory. Recipes appear in the literature of the beginning of the century. Asturian emigrants around the world noticed this dish in other places, in this way there are variants of this dish in some places, such as in the areas near the American city of Tampa. In Colombia, the paisa tray is a Creole adaptation of the fabada, replacing the fabas with red ball beans (soaked for 16 hours) cooked with pork leg, garlic onion and salt, accompanied by chorizo, pork rinds, cooked ground meat, fried egg, sliced avocado and white rice.


Variations

Outside Asturias, the Spanish
olla podrida (, also , , ; literally "rotten pot", although ''podrida'' is probably a version of the original word ''poderida'', so it could be translated as "strong pot") is a Spanish stew, usually made with chickpeas or beans, assorted meats like pork, be ...
, southern French
cassoulet Cassoulet (, also ,; ) is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and h ...
and Portuguese and Brazilian
feijoada Feijoada (, ; from , 'bean') is the name for varieties of bean stew with beef or porkCassoulet Cassoulet (, also ,; ) is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and h ...
* Cassoueula *
Feijoada Feijoada (, ; from , 'bean') is the name for varieties of bean stew with beef or porkOlla podrida (, also , , ; literally "rotten pot", although ''podrida'' is probably a version of the original word ''poderida'', so it could be translated as "strong pot") is a Spanish stew, usually made with chickpeas or beans, assorted meats like pork, be ...
*
Pork and beans Pork and beans is a culinary dish that uses pork and beans as its main ingredients. Numerous variations exist, usually with more specific names, such as '' fabada asturiana'', '' olla podrida'', or American canned pork and beans. American can ...
*
Baked beans Baked beans is a Dish (food), dish traditionally containing white Phaseolus vulgaris, common beans that are parboiling, parboiled and then baking, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but ar ...
* ''Fabes con almejas'' (cookbook entry) *
List of pork dishes This is a list of notable pork dishes. Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig ('' Sus domesticus''). It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide,Raloff, JanetFood for Thought: Global Food Trends Science News Online ...
*
List of stews This is a list of notable stews. A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, bea ...
*
Common bean ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean,, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green bean, green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a Leaf vegetable, vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its Pla ...
(''Phaseolus vulgaris'')


References

* References in Spanish Wikipedia *Aris, Pepita. Spanish: Over 150 Mouthwatering Step-By-Step Recipes. London: Anness Publishing Ltd, 2003. p 203. *Chandler, Jenny. The Food of Northern Spain. London:
Pavilion Books HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
, 2005. p 95. *Klöcker, Harald. Culinaria Spain. Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1998. p 208. {{Legume dishes Asturian cuisine Spanish soups and stews Spanish pork dishes Spanish legume dishes