Gourmet gazpachos and ajoblancos made in Malaga that you'll rarely find in supermarkets

The chilled food sections in Spain's supermarkets are packed in summer, even earlier, with many options for ready-to-eat chilled soups such as gazpacho and salmorejo (made with tomatoes), although they rarely stock ajoblanco (with almonds). It is a convenient way to consume these healthy soups that are eaten cold, although you rarely find references to the various companies across Malaga that also make them for today's consumers.

Unlike the usual types that are found in the main supermarkets and are backed by large food producers, others made near the Costa del Sol can be found in small, independent stores, mostly known for selling traditional products, and some can even be purchased through online shops. Many are made in relatively small towns, using high-quality raw materials and non-industrial processes. Some of these gazpachos are even certified organic. Nowadays, they create employment in villages and small towns such as Benalauría, Pizarra, Casabermeja, Casarabonela and Benamocarra.

It has been made for almost a decade, using raw ingredients from the Sierra de las Nieves, specifically products from the village of Casarabonela. Its colour gives it away. More than 80% of its content is pure tomato. This is the recipe that Sebastián Gómez, owner of the shop 'Alimentación de Temporada' in Las Lagunas (Mijas) decided to market back in 2016. With its own health registration, his recipe has been sold in one-litre bottles ever since for the price of 3.90 euros. Unlike other gazpachos, this one contains neither cucumber nor bread. Its creator does not consider cucumber to be essential and he believes that including bread is more a nod to past times, when stale bread was used in many dishes in a subsistence economy. Moreover, as it does not contain this latter ingredient, his fresh El Hortelano gazpacho is suitable for coeliacs. Today it is sold in his own shop (Alimentación de Temporada) and also in some nearby supermarkets in Las Lagunas. It is also available in some places in Casarabonela, where he is the owner and where a large part of the raw material is sourced to make this soup. Through Frutas y Verduras Eladio, it can also be found in various restaurants in Malaga province.

This is one of the oldest on this list, having been in production since 2012. It all started in Malaga's Soho district, but from there they decided to move to the foot of the Sierra de Gibralmora, in the town of Pizarra. Currently, they make three chilled soup products in different formats : gazpacho, ajoblanco and porra. The latter claims the more Malaga-style name instead of salmorejo. In all three cases, they seek formulas that combine high-quality ingredients with a recipe that suits most palates. They are typically sold in one-litre or half-litre bottles in the case of ajoblanco and gazpacho. The most common places of sale in Malaga province are the rotisserie chicken outlets and other places selling ready-to-heat, ready-to-eat food to enjoy at home.

It is the only organic product on this list and also one of the oldest still producing to the same formula. It also differs from the rest in that it is not distributed fresh. This gazpacho that has been in production for two decades at La Molienda Verde, a cooperative in the pretty white village of Benalauría, in the Serranía de Ronda. It is made only with natural ingredients, including tomato, cucumber, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, water and a little lemon juice. It is sold in a half-litre glass jar at an average price of three euros, both online and at some of its points of sale in Malaga, such as organic and artisan delicatessens, or at its headquarters in Benalauría.

Gazpacho and ajoblanco have been marketed and sold from Casabermeja for at least a decade under the brand name El Lugar, a name that reflects the locals' nickname for this small town in Malaga province ('the place'). This brand name belongs to the family business Elaborados Cenachero, which took a leap forward in quality four years ago from new facilities in a local warehouse. They currently produce one-litre and half-litre formats of both gazpacho and ajoblanco, both fresh. In both cases, they strive to create the best possible recipe, using traditional ingredients and a production process that showcases them. This year, they also began making and selling porra although, for the time being, they are taking it slow. Today they can be found in the Cash El Nogal network of stores in Casabermeja and the surrounding area, but there are also an increasing number of outlets in Malaga city and in other towns around the province.

Technically, it's a spreadable, creamy paste, but, among its many uses, this product can be the perfect base for making a custom ajoblanco. Simply add cold water to taste to achieve the desired texture and consistency. It is important to keep in mind that, unlike gazpacho, ajoblanco is made by first making a paste or dough with almonds, bread, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt and then adding the water. In this case, Rafael Téllez, owner of this family business in Benamocarra, starts with the recipe from his great-grandmother Amelia, hence the name on the labels. In less than a year, this product has managed to be distributed not only throughout much of the Axarquía area but also to other parts of Malaga province.