{"id":79765,"date":"2026-09-03T00:41:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T00:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/79765\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T00:41:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T00:41:26","slug":"a-port-of-flavors-sevilles-culinary-traditions-and-soulful-cooking-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/79765\/","title":{"rendered":"A Port of Flavors: Seville\u2019s Culinary Traditions and Soulful Cooking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some journeys are made with the eyes and others with the palate. Chef Hans Robert Lange Rodriguez\u2019s was, above all, the latter. He arrived in Seville<\/a> intent on getting to know its gastronomy and ended up discovering a way of life and a way of feeling\u00a0\u2014 that of a land that naturally embraces tradition, respects its produce and understands cooking as something everyday, yet profoundly serious.<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez, the owner of\u00a0Teko<\/a>, in Essen, Germany, recalls that when he landed at Seville\u2019s airport and got into the taxi to his hotel, he asked the driver a question:\u00a0\u201cWhat would you eat right now? Not your favorite dish, but what you would choose today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The taxi driver didn\u2019t hesitate: \u201cSpinach with chickpeas.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as he had dropped off his luggage, the chef \u2014 the son of a German father and a Bolivian mother, and a firm advocate of traveling by doing what local people do \u2014 set out in search of the dish. He was utterly fascinated and began ordering it again and again.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn every place it was better than the last: the garlic paste, the capers, and that cumin that appeared at the end of the stew and told me, \u2018I am cumin, I am Andaluc\u00eda<\/a>.\u2019 Now cumin will always be Andalusia for me,\u201d\u00a0Lange Rodriguez confesses.<\/p>\n

\"Lange<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez and Juan Luis Fern\u00e1ndez in Seville\u2019s Alc\u00e1zar gardens, and spinach with chickpeas: a humble recipe that condenses the essence of the Andalusian capital. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide, \u00a9 Mila Bond\/iStock<\/p>\n

Seville, Where the Sea Is Always Present<\/p>\n

Curiously, this same dish, spinach with chickpeas\u00a0\u2014 with the small variation of the addition of cod \u2014 is the dish that for Chef Juan Luis Fern\u00e1ndez, owner of One-MICHELIN-Star\u00a0Ca\u00f1abota<\/a>\u00a0and Lange Rodriguez\u2019s host for his journey, represents the city\u2019s gastronomic character.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a recipe closely linked to Lent: the legumes, the cod and a base of spices saut\u00e9ed and balanced. It\u2019s a cuisine of depth, patience and flavor built over time. And it\u2019s also a lesson in identity: In Seville, even though we\u2019re not on the coast, the sea is always present at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez isn\u2019t just a chef; he\u2019s a visionary \u2014 someone who imagined a place that didn\u2019t yet exist in Seville and made it a reality.\u00a0Ca\u00f1abota, which aims to take the traditional tapas experience a step further and introduce diners to unpretentious products, is an unusual fusion of fish market, restaurant and bar. It quickly became one of the city\u2019s favorite spots.<\/p>\n

\"Ca\u00f1abota\u2019s<\/p>\n

Ca\u00f1abota\u2019s bar features the freshest seafood sourced from C\u00e1diz and Huelva, and Fern\u00e1ndez in his kitchen. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

The proximity to the ports of\u00a0C\u00e1diz<\/a> and\u00a0Huelva<\/a> is clearly reflected in Seville\u2019s cuisine, and in Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s restaurant as well. \u201cWe remain a natural extension of that dialogue between land and sea that shapes Seville\u2019s gastronomy,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

His connection to the marine world runs in his blood:\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez is the fifth generation in a family of fishmongers. He has grown up among fillets, bones, scales and the scent of salt. He knows the species, their seasonality and how to handle them on the plate with maximum respect.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s oysters, sea bass, tuna, wild fish or shellfish,\u00a0\u201cwhat the sea has brought today\u201d defines Ca\u00f1abota\u2019s menu. From there, Chef Marcos Nieto, who works hand in hand with Fern\u00e1ndez, takes care of the rest\u00a0\u2014 which is both very little and\u00a0a lot: He tries to intervene minimally, whether over the embers, in the oven or through clean cooking methods.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Guadalquivir: the river that turned Seville into a global port and continues to define its identity. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

The Guadalquivir, Where the New World Began<\/p>\n

Beyond being a space full of life and the natural border between two shores \u2014\u00a0Seville\u2019s historic center and Triana<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 the Guadalquivir River has long been the link between the Andalusian capital and the sea.<\/p>\n

To help\u00a0Lange Rodriguez understand it,\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez took him to Triana, with a privileged panorama of the city center\u00a0\u2014 the Giralda<\/a> and the Torre del Oro<\/a> cutting the horizon\u00a0\u2014 and a clear view of Seville\u2019s maritime heritage.<\/p>\n

From that vantage point,\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez recalls how Seville was, at one time, the port of the world. \u201cFor centuries, after the discovery of America, the Andalusian capital was the international trade hub, receiving products then unknown \u2014 tomatoes, potatoes, cocoa \u2014 and embracing influences from outside and within Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Seville\u2019s cuisine was global before it was regional, and why it\u2019s the Andalusian province where cultural overlap is most evident: in the use of spices such as cumin or coriander, inherited from Al-Andalus; in frying techniques; convent cooking; or the control of the food calendar, with vegetables taking center stage at certain times.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompared with other Andalusian provinces, it might seem to lack a defined personality or an iconic product, but it\u2019s precisely that blend that defines its identity,\u201d says Fern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The rice fields of Seville in the Guadalquivir marshes. \u00a9 Felipe Rodriguez\/iStock\u2028<\/p>\n

From Tapas to Dishes With Depth<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond its proximity to the Atlantic, Seville\u2019s gastronomy is also influenced by its surroundings: the Guadalquivir valley, the Andalusian countryside and the Sierra Norte. From there emerges a very particular combination in which orchards, grain, livestock and the sea coexist,\u201d explains Fern\u00e1ndez. This \u201camphibious nature\u201d also reappears in products like rice from the Guadalquivir marshes, which \u201cspeaks of the countryside, of constant work and of a way of life tied to the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not losing what makes it unique is, for him, one of the province\u2019s greatest challenges: \u201cSeville is now a more creative and open place, attracting new talent, better trained and more technically skilled than ever before. It\u2019s not about choosing between tradition and modernity, but about preventing modernity from erasing its distinctive characteristics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Light,<\/p>\n

Light, fresh and flavorful gazpacho, and sea bass with fermented goat milk on a bed of chickpeas and spinach, prepared by Lange Rodriguez. \u00a9 Zakharova_Natalia\/iStock, \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

From tapas to main courses \u2014 from caz\u00f3n en adobo\u00a0(marinated dogfish) to gazpacho<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0potaje de vigilia\u00a0(Lenten stew) \u2014 Seville\u2019s cuisine is pure Baroque. Rather than technical complexity, its identity revolves around the raw materials and around celebrations: It is vibrant, meant to be shared, and at the center of all of\u00a0Seville\u2019s festivals, both religious and secular, like\u00a0Holy Week and the April Fair<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition to chickpeas with spinach, there is another dish that for Fern\u00e1ndez\u00a0perfectly encapsulates the history of ancient Hispalis: bacalao en pav\u00eda\u00a0(battered cod). This popular, straightforward and recognizable appetizer has passed from generation to generation and continues to work because it needs no embellishment.<\/p>\n

What does it consist of? A well-desalted fish, with a clean fry \u2014 light, crispy, not heavy \u2014 and the right amount of salt and juiciness. \u201cBehind something seemingly simple there is technique, temperature, time and skill. For me, that says a lot about Andalusia: simplicity on the outside, precision on the inside. And it also speaks to our culture of gathering, of aperitifs, of sharing, of joy without losing our standards,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Alc\u00e1zar gardens and the Giralda: two Seville snapshots that sum up the city\u2019s soul and heritage. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

The Most Intimate Seville<\/p>\n

If fried cod is the portrait of the city in a bite, the Plaza de Espa\u00f1a<\/a> is, for Fern\u00e1ndez, the place that best describes it: its history, architecture, craftsmanship and life. \u201cIt is monumental, yet welcoming; imposing, yet full of people strolling, sharing and enjoying. There you can understand our character: proud of what we are, but always open and joyful.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took\u00a0Lange Rodriguez\u00a0there for the obligatory visit. They then walked through the Alc\u00e1zar gardens<\/a>, another of the city\u2019s grand stages, and through Seville\u2019s bustling streets and courtyards wrapped in orange blossoms, with the Giralda almost always silhouetted in the distance.<\/p>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez\u00a0gave Lange Rodriguez\u00a0a taste of cod with tomato, pring\u00e1 (a slow-cooked meat dish) and torrijas<\/a> (French toast), and introduced him to lesser-known treasures, such as tagarninas (golden thistles), table olives \u2014 manzanilla and gordal\u00a0\u2014 and \u201cthe ubiquitous and often forgotten bitter orange.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also discovered convent sweets\u00a0\u2014\u00a0yemas de San Leandro (custardy\u00a0\u201cegg yolk\u201d sweets), Santa In\u00e9s buns and\u00a0pesti\u00f1os\u00a0(glazed fried dough) \u2014 made by cloistered nuns, sold through revolving windows in convents in the city center. \u201cThey are one of the purest expressions of Seville\u2019s traditional cooking: living craftsmanship and a unique culinary and cultural heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez says, \u201cI thought Andalusia followed the trend of what was happening in Europe, but I\u2019ve realized that, thankfully, they take great care of their tradition, their essence. The Andalusian priority is gathering with people. And there is nothing more beautiful than a full table.\u201d<\/p>\n

For him, all that care is reflected in the food. \u201cIf a dish has all the technical components it must have \u2014 acidity, sweetness, texture \u2014 but the person who made it hasn\u2019t felt anything, that doesn\u2019t satisfy me. On the other hand, if the person serving it smiles and, when you ask about an ingredient, ends up giving you the entire recipe \u2014 like when your father or mother comes to your house and it\u2019s the first time you cook for them \u2014 that is a caress to the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"At<\/p>\n

At Mare Nostrum they make fresh and aged goat cheeses; at right, Mar\u00eda Orz\u00e1ez, who taught her children to make them using traditional French techniques and Andalusian flavor. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

Butter in Andalusia?<\/p>\n

Beyond the city,\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez introduced\u00a0Lange Rodriguez to one of the province\u2019s best-kept secrets: Mare Nostrum<\/a>, a small cheese factory in the Sierra Morena where Eugenia, Claudia and Pablo \u2014 named in 2022 by the Basque Culinary Center<\/a> among the 100 most promising young gastronomy talents \u2014 put into practice everything they learned from their mother, Mar\u00eda Orz\u00e1ez. She taught them to produce signature cheeses made with raw milk from pasture-raised goats, each with a very distinctive character.<\/p>\n

They also make other products, such as goat\u2019s milk butter, which Ca\u00f1abota uses in some dishes, like steamed ostiones (oysters). \u201cFar from delivering the blunt intensity one might expect, the butter gives them subtlety: The sweetness of goat\u2019s milk, blended with acidity, offers a perfect finish. The butter is balanced, enriching the seafood flavors, adding a territorial character and contributing aromatic complexity without overpowering the dish,\u201d explains Fern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat truly captivated me is what lies behind the product: Mar\u00eda’s story. Twenty years ago, she went to France to learn and then passed that knowledge on to her children. They have continued making it in the same way, but embracing modern times, without breaking with that sacred essence of tradition. There is no better product than one made as if it were made for oneself, which is exactly what Mar\u00eda does,\u201d says Lange Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

\"Lange<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez had the opportunity to cook alongside Fern\u00e1ndez, blending German techniques with Mediterranean produce. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez dared to use this butter, together with\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez and Nieto, in a gastronomic experience in Ca\u00f1abota\u2019s kitchen. First he paired it with some spices \u2014 including cumin \u2014 and then he smoked it with a fragment of cork oak from the estate. \u201cIt smelled like Holy Week; it smelled of Andalusia,\u201d\u00a0Lange Rodriguez said, pleased.\u2028\u2028<\/p>\n

\u201cI used the fermented milk, which has an incredible but very delicate acidity, emulsified with regional olive oil, and made a goat-milk ice cream. Then I added Juanlu\u2019s incredibly fresh fish, capers, spinach with its garlic paste, and some chickpeas, trying to cook in a German way \u2014 though now I feel Andalusian,\u201d he jokes.<\/p>\n

\"Lange<\/p>\n

Lange Rodriguez enjoying the Seville countryside. His journey left him with a bouquet of memories and scents. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

Seville in His Suitcase<\/p>\n

From his trip to Seville,\u00a0Lange Rodriguez has taken back to Germany that powerful yet balanced goat milk, which he wants to share with his friends and family\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and which he says he\u2019ll incorporate into some of his own dishes. He also carries away a lesson he rediscovered during those days: There is no better dish than one cooked with heart.<\/p>\n

Above all, he keeps the aroma of cumin as a memory that will make him return to Seville again and again, whispering in his ear, \u201cI am cumin, I am Andalusia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Header image: Juanlu Fern\u00e1ndez at his Ca\u00f1abota restaurant, where he hosted the German chef Hans Lange Rodriguez, owner of Teko in Essen. \u00a9 MICHELIN Guide<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

\n Written by
\n the MICHELIN Guide\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some journeys are made with the eyes and others with the palate. Chef Hans Robert Lange Rodriguez\u2019s was,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[109],"class_list":["post-79765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-seville","tag-seville"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}