The professor of Latin Philology at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, María Teresa Santamaría, has carried out research through which she has discovered the etymology of the word gazpacho, and thus its original meaning.
The term in question, caccabaceus, is attested, as indicated, in three Latin writings dated between the 2nd and 6th centuries AD, with its appearance in a medical text that includes it in a chapter dedicated to wheat and bread being of particular relevance.
As reported in a press release by the university, the discovery represents the resolution of an issue that for centuries had been attempted to clarify without success.
The UCLM researcher emphasizes that, from a scientific perspective, the discovery of the etymum is relevant due to the implications it has in the study of the transition from Latin to Romance. "The term acquired its Romance form through a complex process of phonetic evolution," she indicated.
With this discovery, Santamaría also shows that the current gazpacho from La Mancha preserves the basic characteristics of the gazpacho that originated in Roman times.
"The Latin term designates a type of bread intended to be cooked in a cauldron in a hot liquid. This type of bread must have been very similar to the Cenceña cakes with which Manchego gazpacho is made. Centuries later it would be called gazpacho. a cold dish, which is at the origin of Andalusian gazpacho".
The result of the work also affects the idea that La Mancha cuisine retains an important ancient component and is a heritage element of the first order.
Santamaría's research has been developed within the scope of his research projects on ancient texts and terminology related to medicine, food and natural resources, and in the context of the InMensa gastronomic campus: Heritage and Culture of Food, Cooking and Gastronomy, which has been launched at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
The work, Etymology of gazpacho (caccabaceus): original meaning and phonetic evolution, has recently been published openly in the scientific journal Myrtia (no. 38, 2023, pp.258-307), from the University of Murcia, and represents a notable advance both in the linguistic field, in Classical and Romance Philology, and in that of historical gastronomy UCLM Communication Office.
