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Torrox Craftwork
| Torrox | |||
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| Craftwork | |||
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| Torrox craftwork is always for the necessities of the country's workers. In the basketwork the cane, the esparto, the palm and the olive tree's branch are the materials most used. In the saddleries the materials and tacks are made. The handcrafted chairs more usual are made of rush, pita and leather. The forge conserves its historical tradition: overlays, balconies, banisters and country forges like mattocks and pickaxe are forged. Finally, we have to include the great sort of modern craftworks that are especially displayed and sold in the Market of Handcrafted items the Promenade during the summer months. | |||
The traditional crafts of Torrox have their origins in the rural Moorish communities that settled in this region of Malaga. It is not difficult to find craftsmen in the inland villages making works of art out of wood, pita, esparto grass, wrought iron or moulding clay into ceramics. The regional centre for crafts is Vélez-Málaga and craftsmen from other places take there work there to be sold. You may find valuable things like some lace, a carving or utensil made out of tin plate, on one of the street markets. Fans for the fire, mats, bags and baskets are made out of esparto grass or rope ; wicker bags and baskets are made in Vélez-Málaga and Benamocarra ; there is still a tradition of making saddles and harnesses. In some of the inland villages you may still find the beautiful bobbin lace that some of the old women of the village have made. It is worth mentioning the long standing tradition of painters from the Axarquía or more precisely from Vélez called the Veleña School. The exceptional light of this region has inspired a generation of local artists who have gained international fame like Paco Hernández, Evaristo Guerra and Vicente Hernández. |
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| Gastronomy | |||
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Torrox has a traditional gastronomy that underlines the migas (breadcrumbs fried with garlic) with sardines, cod, clams, olives, maimones (bread and oil soup), gachas (porridge), ensaladilla arriera (muleteer salad) with segments of orange, papas a lo pobre (poor potatoes), gazpacho de tomate (cold tomato soup), ajoblanco (cold almond soup) and the sardine and anchovy kebabs. The wines of the terrain are of an excellent quality. They are individually produced with muscatel grapes from the very few vineyards there are: one wine is sweet, another is medium-dry, and another one is called aguapié, which has less alcohol. In Christmas, the wine cakes and the stews are tasted; the roscas made with eggs and fried; the delicious roscas are tasted the Night of San Juan; the delicious arropías (syrup) are tasted during the Crosses of May. And, of course, the restaurants and chiringuitos (beach bars) have a very wide variety of gastronomy: small fishes fried, seafood and the specialities of the international cuisine. |
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The origins of the rich cooking of Torrox are in the Moorish culture. The basic ingredient of most of the dishes are produced in the region, the basic elements are the ol ive oil and the wine. You only have to stop on route through Torrox to see the importance of the gastronomy in the region. |
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There are five recommended routes and four refer to the local produce : the sun and avocado pair route, the sun and wine route, the raisin route and through olive oil country. There are popular celebrations organised around local dishes like the day they prepare "migas" for everyone in Torrox or the day of the "ajo blanco" in Almáchar. In Cómpeta they celebrate the night of the wine and in Benamorra they have a day of the avocado pear. The cuisine is as varied as the region and it can be divided into two different parts, one from the inland villages where flavours are combined, the almond is mixed with garlic, thyme and other aromatic herbs to make their rabbit stew and one shouldn’t forget the hare casserole, the partridge or the speciality par excellence which is the kid. The "migas", gazpacho, "ajoblanco" and all kinds of stews. On the coast, the basic ingredient is the fresh fish caught off the coast. Sardines are cooked on a skewer over an open fire on the beach. You can try paella, marinated fish or one of the many fish stews. The cooking is one of the ways of expressing the culture of a place and you should make a few stops at some of the many restaurants, bars, taverns, "ventas" or beach restaurants to sample the local delicacies. In Macharaviaya and Iznate "Maimones" soup and gazpachuelo ; in Vélez-Málaga and Almachar "ajo blanco" soup and the bitter orange "cachoreñas" soup ; a cabbage stew and "migas" in Benamocarra ; kid in sauce and almond and oil tarts in Algarrobo ; pork crackling from Sayalonga ; liver pastoral style and fennel stew from Competa, all accompanied by the excellent local wine. "migas" and rabbit casserole in Torrox ; sweet potatoes with honey in Frigiliana ; fennel with rice in Archez, gaspacho with broad beans from El Borge ; small cakes from Alfarnatejo and Riogordo and doughnuts from Alfarnate. But please don’t take our word for it - try it yourself - and enjoy Torrox! |
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