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Best Gibraltar Foods
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Rosto is a simple pasta dish that's nowadays especially popular in Gibraltar, although some suggest that the dish has very old Genoese origins. There are many versions of rosto, but it's most commonly prepared with a combination of pasta (usually penne), tomato sauce, garlic, mushrooms, stock cube, carrots, onions, white wine, and chicken or beef.
The pasta is combined with the meat and the accompanying sauce, which should never be too liquid. It's recommended to top rosto with lots of grated cheese for extra flavor.
Translated as the warm one, calentita is the national dish of Gibraltar–an oven-baked meal that looks similar to a dark flour pizza without toppings. It is always served hot and consists of chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and seasonings such as salt and black pepper.
Calentita originally appeared in the 16th century, when the Genoese migrants brought the recipe to Gibraltar. It is believed that the dish was named by street vendors who would shout the name in hopes to sell the calentita while still fresh and warm on a piece of greaseproof paper, and the word transferred its meaning from temperature to food.
Borrachuelo is a traditional dessert originating from Málaga. The word borracho in the name means drunk, referring to the fact that the biscuits are soaked in wine and anisette. Although the cookies have a few versions, depending on their filling, they’re usually made with a combination of flour, olive oil, orange peel strips, moscatel wine, anisette, orange juice, lemon juice, sesame seeds, and fennel.
Once prepared, the smooth dough is rolled out and cut into disks, fried until golden, filled with pumpkin or sweet potato mixture, closed, dipped in honey, and dusted with icing sugar. Borrachuelos are especially popular during the carnival season and Christmas.
Rolitos is a Gibraltarian meat specialty consisting of a mixture of finely chopped olives, boiled eggs, bacon or ham, vegetables, breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, and spices that is wrapped tightly within a thin piece of beef. Once assembled, the beef rolls are typically braised with refrito (a combination of sautéed vegetables) and a splash of white wine until the meat is done.
Pork or chicken can be used instead of beef, and the stuffed rolls can alternatively be fried or baked. Reflecting the Maltese influence on the cuisine of Gibraltar, rolitos is usually enjoyed with sides such as mashed potatoes, croquettes, or boiled rice, and it pairs perfectly with a glass of Manzanilla wine.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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