OLLA /OL.uh or AW.lyah/ n. a ceramic pot used for cooking stews, storing and cooling food, and irrigation, especially in the American Southwest
Having been introduced into the American Southwest by the Spanish, clues for the olla will often play on this pedigree with Hispanic preceders like PUEBLO (a communal village), CASA (a house or mansion), or CANTINA (a bar).
Perhaps most frequently, clues will reference the stews and soup dishes for which this pot is widely used. The most important culinary dish to recognize is a Spanish meat and bean stew called olla podrida…
but you’ll also find references to other elements of Spanish cuisine, including PAELLA (a saffron-flavored seafood, chicken, and rice dish) and FRIJOLE (a large family of beans, including the PINTO bean, used in Mexican cookery).
Speaking of frijole, here’s a short video that not only shows you how to make an authentic Frijoles de la Olla, but also tells you how to pronounce it properly…
Let’s finish off with some practice. Find a four letter word that answers to each of the following clues…
- Southwestern stewpot
- spicy stew
- Spanish vessel
- Bean pot
- Casa cooker
- __ podrida
- Pueblo jar
See how kind this month’s Crosswordese theme has been to your morning solve?
