Rise and Shine for Olive Oil
“Andaluces, andaluces,
Levantaos, levantaos”
“Andalusians, Andalusians,
Rise up, rise up”
Thus goes the chorus of the regional anthem of Andalusia, Spain’s most southern autonomous community. It’s the song sung throughout the day on Día de Andalucía (Day of Andalusia); to celebrate, children drizzle cloudy green extra virgin olive oil over molletes, white rounds of pillowy bread, and top them with white sugar. This is their celebratory breakfast.
Pan con Tomate y Jamon photo credit Megan Lloyd
The oil-soaked Spanish breakfast tradition goes well beyond the local holiday. In southern Spain, breakfast is always the same: toast, olive oil, tomato, and jamón (cured ham). There are variations of course. Some prefer their tomato blended or no tomato at all. Some opt for deli turkey or deli ham to save a few euros or calories, or layer on more gourmet styles of jamón made from acorn-fed pigs. Recent trends have incorporated the avocado, which farmers have begun cultivating in the Málaga region. Head farther out into the countryside and you’ll find manteca colorá, an auburn lard laced with paprika and stewed pork bits. Breakfast joints usually have a few breads to choose from, be it a baguette style or seedy whole wheat. Some will even rub a clove of garlic over the craggy toasted interiors. But the concept remains the same wherever you dine. The server hands over your tostada and plunks a whole bottle of olive oil on the table.
The Past and Present
Spanish olive tree photo credit Megan Lloyd
As with most dishes in this predominantly agricultural region, the origins of the Andalusian breakfast have humble beginnings. Spain produces more olive oil than any other country in the world, and Andalusia produces 80% of that. History has it that Spanish day laborers working the land would stop to eat whatever they had on hand: bread from the wheat fields and olive oil from the groves. The oil would moisten up day-old bread, extending its life. When the season was right, they added tomato to this centuries-old tradition, and occasionally a slice of cured ham.
Full Andalusian breakfast photo credit Megan Lloyd
Breakfasts like these are now ubiquitous in Andalusia. According to a 2015 study by the Andalusian government, almost 68% of the population eats an olive-oil soaked toast for breakfast. What's more, many people eat it outside the home. My former neighbor, for example, ate breakfast every single day in the cafe in front of our apartment. A recent Italian immigrant, he called it one of the region’s “simplest luxuries.” And he’s right. The price is modest (usually less than 5€ with coffee included) and thus, most folks eat breakfast out at the closest restaurant— from gas stations, to bustling tapas bars, trendy brunch joints, and the swankiest hotels. One of my favorite places for an Andalusian breakfast is a dingy cafe off the highway in the countryside; the bread is exceptional, and the oil is a cloudy verdant green, pressed right across the street at the local cooperative and sold in liters behind the bar.
Southern Spain on a Plate
Olive oil makes its way into most Spanish dishes, but in most parts of the country, it is used primarily at lunch and dinner. Except in Andalusia. When Andalusians travel to other parts of Spain, the concern is always breakfast. The sweet, subpar pastries or toast with jam in the rest of Spain are a far cry from their beloved southern toast. Even the country’s best churros con chocolate, which are fried in sunflower oil, don’t compare to the olive-laden breakfast one can easily digest every single day.
One bite of the Andalusian breakfast tostada, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a perfectly balanced dish: the bread offers structure and crunch, the oil a vegetal bitterness and heat that coats the mouth, the tomato is sweet and slightly acidic, the acorn-slicked fat of the ham is nutty and salty. There is arguably no other plate that best showcases Andalusia’s pillars of gastronomy. And olive oil— some of the best in the world— is the backbone.
In 2023, life expectancy in Andalusia was 82.5 compared to the U.S.'s 76.4. Maybe it’s this morning shot of liquid gold that has Andalusians living so much longer than the rest of us. So next time you’re in southern Spain, skip the churros and grab the olive oil.
How to Prepare an Andalusian Breakfast
Spanish breakfast set up photo credit Megan Lloyd
The Andalusian breakfast is simple, but every person has their own art to assembling the toast. Here’s the general protocol:
Toast your bread. If it’s a bun or individual roll, slice it through the middle to maximize toasted surface area.
Once toasted, use a knife to make shallow indentations into the bread, which will help the olive oil seep into the crumb rather than spill over the sides. Generously drizzle extra-virgin olive oil (this is the time to use your best oil) on both sides.
Layer sliced tomatoes on bottom half, or blitz tomatoes in a blender to make a puree and smother on both sides.
If not using jamón, sprinkle coarse salt on the tomatoes. Otherwise, layer jamón (preferably Jamón 100% Ibérico de Bellota) over the tomatoes, and top with the other half of the bread.
Use the palm of your hand to lightly smash the sandwich and then cut it in half. This process keeps the sandwich together, helps it lay flat on the plate, and makes it easier to eat.
Eat warm with strong coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.