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Sangria
From its simple roots in Spain, Sangria has grown to become
a popular, refreshing drink around the world; it is a wine
punch (more formally and precisely, an aromatized wine) and typically
consists of
* a red wine,
* chopped or sliced fruit,
* a sweetener such as sugar,
* a small amount of added brandy, triple sec, or other
spirits.
The ingredients in Sangrķa vary, particularly in the type of
fruit used, the kind of spirits added if any, and the
presence or lack of carbonation. White wine can be used
instead of red, in which case the result is called sangrķa
blanco. In southern Spain, sangrķa is called zurra and is
made with peaches or nectarines.
Crucial to all successful sangrķas is to allow time for the
fruit flavours to blend with the rest of the ingredients.
Thus preparation consists of cutting the fruit in thin
slices or small cubes, then mixing all ingredients except
for ice and any carbonated sodas in advance. After several
hours in a refrigerator, the ice and any last-minute
ingredients are added and the drinks are poured.
Also crucial to a good sangrķa is a good wine as a base,
since in most recipes for sangria the wine remains the
dominant ingredient. Lower quality wines can be used to make
sangrķa-like wine coolers.
Sangria and Food
Sangria is the perfect complement to spicy food or
Mediterranean dishes. It also goes great with everything
that comes off the grill. You can vary the red wine
depending on the dish, using a lighter wine with seafood, a
bit more fruitier wine with chicken and poultry, and a
really robust red with beef and other strongly flavoured
dishes.
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