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This technique, commonly used for fish and seafood, is similar to poaching and involves wine, garlic and parsley.

There are innumerable types of olives, from small to large, green to black, salty to sweet, or whole to stuffed. The name of the dish can be confusing – although the Spanish name for the tree is the olivo , which comes from Latin, the word for the fruit comes from the Arabic az-zait , which means “juice of the olive”.

This producer has taken use of the Zalema grape a step or two further. A series of large underground fermenting vats form a subterranean cellar, where they make Andalucía’s only sparkling wine, Raigal.

A picturesque hamlet of whitewashed buildings, cobbled streets and a Baroque church.

“Meatballs” can be made from meat or fish and will most likely be stewed in a tomato sauce, together with garlic and spices. An alternative method of preparing chunks of meat, seafood or fish is by skewering them and grilling them as kebabs, either plain or spicy Moroccan-style.

Jerez’s Moorish fortress was originally part of a 4-km (2.5-mile) wall. A well-preserved mosque, now the Santa María La Real chapel, features an octagonal cupola over the mihrab (prayer niche).

Although the town of Algeciras is industrial and polluted, its port is the best in Spain; it is from here that you can catch the ferry to Morocco. It is fun to peruse the Moorish bazaars while waiting for the boat to take you across to the real thing.

This is mayonnaise laced with a powerful dose of garlic and is served as a dish in its own right, for dipping bread into or as a condiment. Another popular relish is pipirrana , a compote made of tomato, onion and pepper.

A 10th-century mosque, a castle and a bullring are all clustered on the citadel overlooking the village.

Almonds are used mainly in honey-based desserts. Fresh fruits include chirimoyas (custard apples), figs, pomegranates and persimmons.