The Mediterranean in Five Ingredients

Now, obviously, this is a very personal thing which depends on a person’s experience of the Mediterranean. Whilst the cuisine of Morocco and Italy, for example, have an abundance of ingredients in common, you would not immediately notice many similarities between a carbonara and a tagine. Further, certain ‘Mediterranean’ ingredients would not be out of place on a table in, say, Delhi or Mexico City.

So, in order of preference, here are my top five.

Olives. Sit me down next to a dish of Castelvetranos, Kalamata, Nisi, Suri… the list is endless but, one thing is certain, they’ll be gone in a matter of seconds. Best gnawed off their stones in the sunshine but also worth a mention as an ingredient and, of course, as the mother of the greatest oil in the world.

Close second are lemons. Preferably Amalfi. Plump, ear-tinglingly sour and aromatic. If pressed, (pardon the pun,) I would choose zest over juice.

Anchovies are next. The Mediterranean being a sea and all that, you can’t be without a fish. But what a magnificent little morsel this is. Umami, salty and the ultimate aperitif.

And then capers. Fragrant, sweet, growing like a (very attractive and delicious) weed in the dusty streets of remote Croatian villages.

Finally, oregano. Now this was a tricky one. Having spent a season in a French campsite with the aroma of rosemary blowing down off the Pyrenees, I was really torn. But, by virtue of its versatility and ubiquity throughout the Mediterranean, oregano has the edge.

Controversially, you might say, I have not included tomatoes in my list. This is because, for me, tomatoes are a global phenomenon and also a very British thing. One of my favourite childhood memories is inhaling their heady scent in my grandad’s greenhouse.

So, there you have it. My top five Mediterranean ingredients. Let me know yours.