Traditional products hopes to be a hit in the supermarkets

ALMACHAR – A COUPLE from Almachar has created a company to produce, distribute and sell the popular local dish “Ajoblanco”. Ajoblanco is a cold soup made from bread, ground almonds, garlic, water, olive oil and salt, which is often eaten with melon, apple and grapes, and is especially popular in the summer.

It is thought to have originated in Almachar, back in the times of Al-Andalus, and every year, on September 2, a festival is held where visitors can taste the famous soup. It has been classified as a Festival of Interest to Tourists in Andalucia.

The couple, both born in the town, thought that as so many companies now produce and sell gazpacho, why not do the same with Ajoblanco?

Jose Antonio had to close his construction company two years ago and has been unemployed ever since.

Now, having studied the product, he and his wife have found that, if properly packed, it has a shelf-life of three months with no additives or preservatives, and following the traditional recipe.

Their aim is to sell it as a paste, so it can be spread on bread or diluted in water, at a price of €5.31 per kilo. They need to invest €740,000 in machinery and have been awarded a grant for €240,000 from the Axarquia Centre for Rural Development. They intend to employ seven people and produce 1,280 kilos of ‘Ajoblanco de Almachar’ per day.