History and origin
Fresh tomato and olive oil over bread straight from the toaster
With aceite y tomate, order matters as much as the ingredients. The bread is toasted first; fresh tomato follows, then extra virgin olive oil. Salt is adjusted to taste. The result combines a crisp surface, fresh pulp and a crumb that gathers the juices.
There is no single way to handle the tomato. A ripe half may be rubbed over the bread, it may be grated to retain a little texture, or blended and served in a small pot. In Almería, this formula belongs on breakfast menus and appears on a media de viena, pan de pueblo or seeded bread.
It is a complete tostada in its own right and the base for many others. Ham, tuna, cheese or tortilla may follow, but the original balance remains toasted bread, the tomato’s sweet acidity and olive oil.
