Miguel de Cervantes at the table

In the time of Cervantes, the Castilian meal revolves around the *olla*, the earthenware pot simmering by the fire: a broth of chickpeas and meats (more or less rich depending on the purse) served with brown bread and wine. The rhythm is dictated by the Church, which multiplies the lean days when meat is forbidden. The modest classes, of which Cervantes was often part, supplement with eggs, bacon, leftovers dressed with vinegar, and on feast days, an overflowing pot. People eat from earthenware bowls, with spoon and knife, without individual plates.

The red-orange stigmas of the crocus, cultivated in the plains of La Mancha which Cervantes made the setting of *Don Quixote*, perfume and gild the pots of all Castile. Expensive but used in pinches, it marks the cuisine of the Golden Age, from the humble pottage to the grand feast.