Berenjenas Fritas con Miel (Fried Eggplant with Honey) is a tapas dish that’s incredibly popular not only in Cordoba, but all over Andalucía.
Berenjenas Fritas con Miel origin story
The importance of The Moors’ influence on the cuisine of Andalucía cannot be overstated. Arabs invaded Spain from Africa via Gibraltar in 711 CE. They brought with them many of the ingredients that we associate with Spanish cuisine like citrus, dried fruits, nuts, and rice.
Berenjenas (Eggplant) was one of those. No one knows exactly when Eggplant came to the Iberian Peninsula, but it’s probably been on Spanish plates for over 1,000 years. The Moors also introduced sugar cane to Spain. Eggplant and Sugar are the two main ingredients in Berenjenas Fritas con Miel!
Making Berenjenas Fritas con Miel
Most frequently, the eggplant is cut into sticks about the size of French Fries, maybe a little thicker. They are then dipped in flour and fried.
Then, the Berenjenas Fritas con Miel is served with delicious Miel de Caña (literally “Honey of Sugar,” but actually is a kind of molasses.) So, calling the dish Fried Eggplant with Honey is a bit of a misnomer since the “Honey” is actually sugar syrup.
Crispy, salty, sweet. Berenjenas Fritas con Miel is the perfect snack.
There are several variations on this dish. Sometimes the eggplant is breaded and fried. That’s my favorite method because the Berenjenas Fritas con Miel gets extra crispy.
Another variation is to dip the the eggplant in a kind of tempura batter and then deep-fry. That’s good, too.
Less often, you might get the eggplant grilled. That adds a smokey flavor to the dish that’s quite nice.
Where to get Berenjenas Fritas con Miel
Want a plate of crispy, salty, sweet Berenjenas Fritas con Miel? You’re in luck because in Andalucía, it’s on the menu everywhere! This is especially true in Cordoba where it seems every bar, cafe, and restaurant features Berenjenas Fritas con Miel of some kind.
Restaurante Sociedad Plateros María Auxiliadora is my favorite restaurant in Cordoba, not only for Berenjenas Fritas con Miel, but for their excellent Salmorejo (a local tomato soup) and wine list. The Eggplant Fries at Sociedad Plateros are little strips like French Fries, breaded and fried. So very delicious and, like I said, my favorite in Cordoba.
The Berenjenas Fritas con Miel at Casa Pepe de la Juderia in Cordoba are more of the tempura style, dipped in a thicker batter and fried.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Monsaraz, and Evora in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.
