Ajoblanco —and the Healthiest City in the World 2021
I heard on the radio recently that again, Spain was ranked as the healthiest country in the world in 2021. When I started digging some more, trying to find out if there were other factors added to the ones that had ranked it in the same position when I first wrote about it in 2019 (you can check it here), I came across another ranking, that of the Healthiest CITY in the World.
Puerta Barroca de la Catedral, Plaza del Arzobispo
I was curious, and then happily surprised (or rather, validated) to see at the top of the list Valencia, my hometown! What a great way to accompany today’s recipe, a traditional Spanish dish called ajoblanco, a perfect example of the Mediterranean diet, one of the main factors in the ranking.
Some consider ajoblanco a cold soup, others call it a white gazpacho. And while ajoblanco literally translates to white garlic, garlic is not its main ingredient. Ajoblanco hails from Andalusia, but this so-called gazpacho, unlike the Andalusian gazpacho, doesn’t include tomatoes either. Its main ingredient is almonds! Together with almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil are blended into a delightful dish.
El Banco de Valencia
Biblioteca Carles Ros en la Plaza de al Virgen
Plaza de la Virgen, la Catedral y el Miguelete
Plaza de la Reina, la Catedral y el Miguelete
It is wrongly believed that ajoblanco has its origins in Muslim Spain —the moors conquered most of the Iberian peninsula starting in 711 and lived there until their last stronghold, Granada, fell in 1492. Many of their dishes included almonds, and became part of the Spanish cuisine since, so the link to ajoblanco would be reasonably logical. However, there is evidence of the use of almonds in Hispania —as Spain was called in Roman times— amongst the higher classes, and a 1st century document mentions a dish prepared by soaking bread in vinegar and mashed almonds, a possible precursor of ajoblanco. The dish could have then originated over 2000 years ago.
Horchatería Santa Catalina, an institution -200 yers and counting
Spain, the healthiest country in the world
In order to determine the health of the countries, the Bloomberg report crunched numbers from the UN, the World Bank and the World Health Oganization, ranking 169 nations on a range of factors from life expectancy to obesity, access to clean water, air quality, and others.
The ranking showed a correlation between health and wealth, with high income nations in Europe and the Pacific rim dominating the top of the table. But it didn’t stop there, and although income was a strong indicator of health, other factors played a key role. Investment in publicly funded healthcare, for instance, cost the US to rank 35th on the list, five places lower than a significantly poorer country like Cuba. Spain’s healthcare system, in contrast to that of the US, is predominantly publicly funded by taxes, and operating on principles of universality, free access and financial fairness, and allows everyone the same level of care no matter how much money they have. A private health system is also available.
Another main factor that contributed to Spain’s first place in the ranking was the Mediterranean diet. Rich in ingredients with known health benefits like nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, healthy grains and the fat that comes from olive oil, rich in Omega-3 acids, and with less use of red meats and processed foods, numerous studies have shown its medical benefits, and its contribution to Spain’s life expectancy. The report predicted that by 2040 Spain will overtake Japan as the country with the longest life expectancy in the world, almost 86 years of age.
Good morning from Playa Patacona
Miles of beach at playa Patacona
Visiting Bos Nostrum
Ice cream tastes better at the beach
Partial view of the City of Arts and Science
The breathtaking view from above
Aereal view of the City of Arts and Science
La sobremesa, lingering after lunch
The young ones are the bravest ones
A room with a view —for an architect in the making
Watching the sunset at Azul, in La Marina
Night lights at City of Arts and Science
Valencia, the healthiest city in the world
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the healthiest city in the world (and the number 2 as well, for that matter) would be located in the healthiest country in the world. And in 2021, that number one city is Valencia. Wow! My home city. The City of Light, as it’s also known.
The study was undertaken by money.co.uk, and it studied many of the factors mentioned above in the study of nations by Bloomberg: healthcare system, diet, air pollution, safety or sunlight hours.
In the sturdy, in order to rank Valencia as the healthiest city in the world, Mediterranean diet was only part of what they called, more broadly, Mediterranean lifestyle, which follows certain principles: social meals, a balanced diet, and an emphasis on walking as a mode of transportation.
Social meals have been found to decrease the risk of obesity and also promote a healthy mental well-being. Having a dedicated time to connect with family and friends acts as a mood booster, produces endorphins and increases the overall well-being of the population.
Spaniards walk almost everywhere they can. Spain has the highest percentage of walkers in Europe, with 37% walking to work instead of driving (only 6% of Americans walk to work).
Other factors that helped rank Valencia as the healthiest city in the world included its climate. Valencia enjoys the so-called goldilocks climate, it’s not too hot and not too dry, so there’s plenty of greenery to provide clean air. A coastal city, the sea breeze also helps to blow away excess pollution in the air, and provides a playground for Valencian’s and its visitors.
The city promotes an easy-going and relaxed lifestyle, and it’s renowned for its musical and cultural heritage, which encourage social interaction. Rather than being defined by their jobs like many other cities, the people of Valencia are defined by personal meaningful connections with their friends and family, ultimately creating one of the healthiest communities in the world.
The ranking of the Top 10 Healthiest Cities in the World according to the study by money.co.uk is below:
1. Valencia
2. Madrid
3. Lisbon
4. Vienna
5. Canberra
6. Tel Aviv
7. Tokyo
8. The Hague
9. Ljubljana
10. Zurich
If you’re interested in learning more details on the methodology of the study, you can find it through this link: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/healthiest-places-to-live
For this post, what better than to accompany it with photos of our summer in —where else—VALENCIA! After two years, we were finally allowed to travel and visit family, and even though we didn’t travel elsewhere from our base in the Comunidad Valenciana, we enjoyed the beauty of the city, strolled its streets, bathed in its waters, savored its delicious food and were treated to aerial views of its famous City of Arts and Sciences. Always a treat to be back home!
AJOBLANCO
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups peeled almonds Spanish Marcona almonds if possible
- 3 oz white bread crust removed
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 2 Tbs sherry vinegar
- 1/2 to 1 cup water depending on desired thickness
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- Green grapes
Instructions
- Soak the almonds in enough water to cover them. Let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Break the bread into pieces and soak in a bit of water.
- In the bowl of a blender place the almonds and the almond water, the garlic clove, the bread, the sherry vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Blend until smooth. Add more water depending on desired thickness (I added 1/2 cup).
- With the blender running, drizzle the olive oil in a very slow stream to help it emulsify.
- Chill in the refrigerator a minimum of 2 hours. Just before serving, taste the soup to adjust for seasoning (salt and/or vinegar).
- Ladle into small bowls, place 2 grapes cut in half and drizzle with 3 or 4 drops of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
October 11, 2021 @ 8:15 am
Thank you for the great recipe. I look forward to making it soon. It was nice to see pictures of Valencia and learn about health ranking. I definitely remember walking everywhere while at the University 20 years ago. I was probably my healthiest at that time.
October 11, 2021 @ 4:44 pm
You’ve visited Valencia! You must have recognized most of the sites on the photos. The City of Arts and Sciences must have started construction about the time you were there —a good excuse to go back and check it out 😉 I don’t get tired of walking in the city, the weather is always pleasant and there’s so much to see and do and eat and shop 😀
I’m glad you’re excited about the recipe. I love cold soups and ajoblanco is a favorite. Let me know how you like it!
Cheers
Natacha xx