Spanish culinary history: The legacy of Juan Altamiras and Arroz con costra

Recent research is shedding new light on the history of Spanish gastronomy, specifically regarding the influence of Franciscan friars and historical culinary texts.

Investigations into the life of Juan Altamiras, an Aragonese friar, have revealed his significant impact through his work ‘Nuevo arte de cocina’. Originally published in the 18th century, the cookbook was designed to help the less fortunate cook economically during ‘calamitous times’. His culinary influence extended beyond Spain, impacting Hispano-American gastronomy.

In a related study of culinary evolution, researcher José Félix Abad has traced the origins of Elche’s signature dish, ‘Arroz con costra’. Abad suggests the dish is not a sudden invention but the result of a five-century process of adaptation. The technique likely evolved from medieval and Renaissance ‘costradas’—dishes topped with dough or eggs—and may have been transmitted through Franciscan convents before being adapted to the local products and tools of the Camp d'Elx region.