Culinary inspiration and recommendations for Andalusia region of Spain ?

sarabclever, Thanks for the tips and bits of local lore - I took a cooking workshop in Tapas last fall and look forward to sponging up the real deal. We are staying near the Al Hambra. Every trip registers a seismic shift of the palette and alters the culinary course. Sounds like this may involve sherry, ham and flamenco.

I lived in Madrid on study abroad a little over 10 years ago. You should definitely seek out good Jamon Serrano. (There is a chain in Madrid called Museo del Jamon--Ham museum--where the legs of jamon are hanging from the ceiling; it's a real kick). the fanciest one is jamon "de bellota" which means the pigs eat primarily acorns. (It's the most expensive of course). Granada has a historic Moorish quarter which is really fun, and Andalucia in general has a big tapas culture (not that the rest of Spain doesn't). You can just sort of wander around and have tapas at different places and fill up that way. Often there are abbeys in these towns where nuns have traditionally made a local pastry specialty, and they often still make them. Granada means "pomegranate" in Spanish so maybe you can find some there. :-) Have fun!