Spanish Journey Part Two
7. Andalusia on a plate

Narrator
A trip to Andalusia would be incomplete without sampling the rich traditional cuisine. In Seville, Casa Robles is the restaurant most renowned for its typical dishes. Robert met the owner Juan Robles.

Robert Elms
Hello, how are you?

Juan Robles
Hello. ‘Afternoon, how are things?

Robert Elms
Which are the most typical dishes here?

Juan Robles
About traditional dishes here… well the thing is, we have many specialities. But from the meat menu we're going to tell you about bull's tail and then hake, which we prepare in several ways - with green sauce, with cured ham, with clams. It is one of the outstanding dishes on the menu.

Robert Elms
Do foreigners like all the different dishes?

Juan Robles
I believe so. Foreigners here like everything - our shellfish, our fish, our meat, our hams. I think there is a lot of culture in our cuisine.

Robert Elms
Is the food in your restaurant typically Andalusian or particularly from Seville?

Juan Robles 
Yes, mostly, 90% is Sevillian, but it also stems from Andalusia as well. But our wine is entirely from Seville. 

Robert Elms
Shall we go to the restaurant? 
When did you start to work in the restaurant business?

Juan Robles 
Almost all my life, because my father started in 1935. We were wine producers - we had our own vines. And in 1954 I set up here and started out on my own. But I started to get us into the restaurant side of things and we’re getting more and more involved.

Robert Elms
I have eaten perfectly. Unbelieveable!

Juan Robles 
Very good.

Robert Elms
Very good, yes!

Juan Robles 
It often gets tourists’ attention… To eat prawns, this is very easy: you first have to whip this off, this is easy, eh?

Robert Elms
You are a maestro!

Juan Robles
Very easy.

Narrator
Juan Robles' daughter is in charge of the dessert-making.

Robert Elms
This is an incredible collection of desserts you have there, is that your job?

Daughter
Yes, part of my job.

Robert Elms
Part of it?

Daughter
Yes, part of it because we have a very extensive dessert menu,  with over 40 varieties of desserts. This is one of our specialties, because... you can try small portions of 5 or 6 different cakes at a time.

Robert Elms
What's it like working for your father?

Daughter
Good. Good. The truth is he has never tried to stop me doing anything: if I want to go off and do a course of some kind, he has never been difficult, quite the opposite, he has encouraged me, he's a good manager.

Robert Elms
Which is your favourite dessert?

Daughter
It is this one here... the Infanta. When Princess Elena got married here in Seville, we wished to pay our respects, in homage to them, so we made this dessert for them, to commemorate their wedding. And it is very good because it has nine different flavours, with nine different techniques in this dessert.

Robert Elms
It is very nice, thank you.

[music]