Toledo's
cuisine, fitting to the character of the town itself, puts you back into long
gone times, and the dishes seem to be served out of one of Velazquez's still
lifes. Recipes are influenced by the region's long tradition of hunting and
cattle-breeding, but show Moorish influences as well.
Quails are some of the most extraordinary pleasures for delicate
palates. They are usually served either stuffed, Perdiz Estofado,
or together with a particular kind of beans, Perdiz con Pochas.
Very typical are as well lamb, fried or boiled, Cordero Asado
or Cuchifrito, and the potato-omelette Tortilla a la Magra.
But there are two products in particular that have made Toledo's cuisine internationally
famous: Queso Manchego, a very mature cheese often made of ewe's milk,
and marzipan which is produced here in extraordinary quality and exported
into many countries.
The wines of the region, D.O.C. La Mancha or Mentrida,
are of high reputation as well.