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Valencian gastronomy is varied, natural and traditional. The fruit and vegetables of this fertile land, fresh fish and abundant seafood provide the main ingredients of an exquisite Mediterranean cuisine.
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The most characteristic dishes are made with rice which is cooked in myriad of ways; the star of the show is the world famous Paella, though there are other traditional dishes like arroz al horno (oven-baked rice), arroz a banda (rice with fish), arroz negro (rice with black squid ink), la fideuá (made with noodles instead of rice) and all i pebre (a casseroled stew made with eels, garlic and pepper).
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All of these should be enjoyed with a glass or two of white wine from Alto Turia and the Serranía, or red wine from Requena, Utiel, and the Campo de Liria. They are all wines of excellent quality with their own officially registered designation of origin.
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The dessert menu offers fresh fruit (Valencia produces wonderful oranges and citrus fruits) and an extensive array of pastries such as rosetones, arrop i tallaetes or arnadí (a sweet made from pumpkin, sweet potato and almonds), these are often accompanied by a mistela or muscatel liqueur. During the Las Fallas festivals buñuelos (a kind of doughnut) are very popular and must be sampled. In the summer months, horchata (a milky drink made from tiger nuts) and fartons (pastry sticks sprinkled with icing sugar), will delight and refresh the weary traveller. Finally, we must mention the 'Agua de Valencia' (Valencian water!!), a potent combination of fresh orange juice and cava; just perfect for raising a glass in honour of your visit to the city.
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Where does paella, one of the most famous spanish foods come from? Everyone who hears of paella ( pa-eh-a ) automatically says that it is from Spain. That answer would only be half right for a real gastronomy expert. It is the typical, rich rice dish from Valencia, located on the east Mediterranean coast of Spain. Even though you can taste this food all over Spain and even world-wide, its true origin is Valencia. Being as Valencia had and still has an extensive area of rice fields, rich soil which was always generous in producing fresh vegetables and knowledgeable farmers who raised plump chickens and rabbits, Valencia used these quality local products to make paella. Not only this but its coastal situation added its abundance in seafood and shellfish to make up another variation of it. And if we add the use of the flavourable olive oil produced in Spain, we have everything necessary to make whichever paella we choose: meat and vegetable or seafood paella.
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But now we must choose the correct utensils to make the paella in. We do not use regular frying pans although it seems that the word is in the valencia language the Castilian translation of frying pan. Pans is a special low border frying pan about 1 1/5 inches deep and has dips in the central part like a golf ball and two rather large handles on each side. Curious, isn´t it? There are paella pans measuring from 7 inches to 1 yard wide and for special occasions for hundreds of people to eat from. The size is very important, having to know the amount of people who will be eating it to be able to choose the correct paella pan.
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The traditional, authentic paella propably the most well known spanish rice recipe, is still made nowadays over an open barbecue with kindling wood which, although does not seem to be so important, adds to the correct cooking of the paella.
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Now that we have learned a little something more about one of our favourite foreign cuisine, I would like to share the Authentic, absolutely TRUE paella recipe.
Ingredients for 4 persons
. 1 medium chicken
. 1 medium rabbit
. 2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
. 165 grs. wide green bean ( spanish-bachoqueta)
. 130 grs. large white lima beans ( spanish-garrafon)
. 1 level teaspoon of saffron
. 3 cups of spanish rice
. 8 cups of hot water or ( even better chicken broth)
. olive oil ( enough to cover the bottom of the paella pan)
. salt ( to taste)
. 1 level teaspoon of sweet red paprika
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First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the rabbit and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry unitl lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat. While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.
Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt. After 20 minutes we add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The fire should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook. Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the fire gets to all patrs equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished. Take the paella off the fire and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle. Now you are ready to dig into your paella with wooden spoons and eat directly from the paela pans!
In other regions and even in some of the best recipes, you will that peas and peppers are added. These are not authentic ingredients for a true Valencian paella recipe. Happy paella eating!
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Cookery in the interior concentrates on a stew by the name of gazpachos, originally made using small game rabbit and partridge plus chicken, mountain herbs and other ingredients, with bits of wafer-thin pasta, an unleavened bread. It is popular in the Valle de Ayora, Utiel and Requena, the Vinalopó and Navarrés. Fried breadcrumbs are also popular in Monóvar, Villena and Pinoso, and make for very savoury eating, mixed with bits of pork and bacon. In the Serranos district, one can try the olla churra featuring pieces of pork and onion sausages, and breadcrumbs known as gachas, using lots of pork. In the Maestrat district, both pork and lamb combine to form a popular pot known as the tombet.
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The coastal waters of the Land of Valencia offer a wide variety of fish and seafood, and fishing has long been traditional in many seaboard villages. The catches made by local fishermen, from the northernmost part of Castellón province to the southernmost tip of Alicante, facing such geographical wonders as the San Antonio and La Nao capes and the Rock of Ifach, supply the vital ingredients for exquisite seafarers' menus. In general, due to the quality of the catches, fish is served in simple, straightforward ways off the grill or griddle, sprinkled with lemon juice or decorated with a light sauce rather than being boiled or done in stock, as this might spoil the flavour, locals say. Prawn, called langostinos, from Vinaròs, Benicarló and Peñíscola in the north, and their southern counterparts from Guardamar del Segura y Santa Pola enjoy well-deserved fame. Stuffed squid, cuttlefish stewed in onion sauce, octopus stew, and spicy sea snails can be found on many menus. Tellinas, steamed mussels, sardines, hake, red mullets, sole, and sea bass make many palates happy. Restaurants often serve seafood platters with fried fish and shellfish, and this, accompanied by a Valencian salad and a fresh white wine, have made many hearts happier for having come to a land where such seafood delights are part of the picture.
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There are still many main dishes which are slightly harder to classify, but none the less highly popular. Charcoaled lamb chops and sausages of all kinds (embutidos) are popular in places, as are cod croquettes at Holy Week and tasty meatballs at Christmas. Chicken and rabbit, either fried with garlic or in a tomato sauce, are savoury treats for the table. Many local families prefer hervido, or bollit, for dinner, boiled potatoes, onion, green beans and spinach, served with a little olive oil, vinegar and salt. The local variety of the Majorcan-style, soft, spreadable sausage called sobrasada from Tárbena (Alicante) and another variety made in La Marina district, together with other kinds of sausages, belong to the local line-up of tasty delicatessen fare. Other meat dishes come from the Els Ports and Vega Baja districts. In the former, there is a tradition of stuffing legs of lamb, whereas in the latter roast leg of kid is a local speciality. Dried fish and meats, salazones, are crumbled up and soaked in oil for serious bread-dipping exercises. This is the case of esgarradet (cod and red pepper). All i oli is the queen of sauces for charcoaled foods. All-i-pebre is a speciality of the Albufera lagoon area consisting of baby eels in garlic and sweet pepper sauce. Cocas are small, pizza-like pastries with tasty toppings.
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On a different note, somewhat sweeter than before, desserts in the Land of Valencia are as varied as the local scenery. Baking and confectionery traditions go back to remote times. Today's baking guilds cultivate their fine skills, either inherited or recently invented, and come up with a surprisingly extensive range of products, including panquemados (Alberique), pumpkin tarts (Castellón), buñuelos, Epiphany cakes, Easter buns, almojábanas (Xàtiva and Alicante), flaons (Morella), raisin pastries, anisette rolls, almond rosegons, and an almost interminable list of sweets. Local fruits like oranges, melons, strawberries, peaches, pears and apples, are eaten raw or used in confectionery. Vinalopó grapes last until the end of the year, and are the traditional way to usher in the New Year.
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Sweetmeats and ice-creams
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Jijona is a town in Alicante province which is now famous for its turrón, a nougat-like sweet consumed at Christmas-time throughout Spain and abroad. The ice-creams made here are also of note, thanks to a fine tradition of artisan food production. Marzipan is made here from local almonds, used to make a special cake to celebrate St Dionysus day in October, as well as the "little loaves" used to celebrate All Saints' Day. During Lent, a dessert made from pumpkin and almonds is popular around the La Costera district. And of compulsory mention are the peladillas, or sugar-coated almonds of Alcoy and Casinos (Valencia), the chocolates and sweets of La Vila-Joiosa, arrop i talladetes in the Vall d'Albaida, a dish of macerated fruit in its own juices. In the Marina Alta district raisin-making from local grapes was long a traditional source of income, before the advent of tourism. And tiger nuts are grown outside Valencia city to be ground up into tiger nut milk, horchata, served cool on hot summer days. This has become so famous that it is now bottled and sold throughout Spain, but its birthplace is Alboraya, Valencia. Another drink, this time using alcohol, goes by the name of agua de Valencia, a mixture of orange juice and cava, which has now won many followers.
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Elaborated with mature fruits of Cyperus suculentus sativus, its culture has been limited during centuries a little circumscribed region Alboraya that still today continues being the main area of chufas of country.
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Of old a set of properties, as much nutritional as medicinal is attributed to the horchata, that they par excellence turn it elixir of the Valencians. Between the known specialties more hailstorm is prepared, in cream and frost.
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The origin of the vines in the province of Valencia dates back to prehistory. Archaeological excavations in the prehistoric regions of San Miguel ( Liria) and La Bastida de les Alcues(Mogente) have shown that the Ibericos cultivated vines and produced wine in an organised way and, in later periods, wine was to be of great importance both socially and economically.
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The cultivation of vines in the Communidad Valenciana still has great socio-economic importance given that a high percentage of those who work in agriculture state that income from this sector is their principal source of earnings. In addition, the producion of wine has great historic and cultural value given that from prehistory, wine has been much more than a simple way of subsistence,and has been and still is considered , part of the cultural and artistic patrimony of the Valencian people who have an intrinsic wine making tradition.
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This subzone covers 6 municipal districts in the region of Los Serranos. Its geographical area is found in the highest point of the Northeast of the province of Valencia . It is a mountainous area with its slopes sun drenched at midday. The vines are grown at altitudes from between 700m to 1000m.
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The basic varieties of grape are: Meseguera and Macabeo which give wines that are splendid white, fresh,fruity and aromatic with an alcoholic graduation of between 10% and 11%.
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This is the biggest subzone and has the largest variety of wines thanks to its variation in soil and climate.
It is situated in the central part of the province of Valencia and covers various counties , la Hoya de Bunol, part of Camp del Turia and Los Serranos, and includes a total of 24 municipal districts. Vines are grown at altitudes that range from 250m to 650 m. Varieties of white grape are Macabeo, Merseguera, Malvasia, Planta Fina, and Pedro Ximenez while varieties of red grape are Garnachas,Tempranillo, and Tintorera.
White wines produced are light, fruity aromatic with a graduation of between 10.5% and 12% and smooth full bodied red wines of between 11% and 13% in strength. The zone also produces from the Pedro Ximenes grape a dark reddish fortified wine with a high alcohol graduation.
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The Moscatel Subzone of Valencia
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This is found situated in the central part of the province of Valencia, overlapping the Valentino subzone, with its production taking place in the municipal districts of Chiva, Cheste, Godelleta, Montroi, Monserrat, Real de Montroi and Turis.
The warm sunned land also receives air blown in from the sea and which thus is a perfect place for the Moscatel Romano and Moscatel de Alejandría grape to be grown and the musts that grow here are naturally rich in sugar.
Production processes are designed so that a strong wine with an alcohol graduation of 15%, and the kind of grape grown lends this wine a special aroma and particular smoothness.
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The Clariano subzone is situated in the south of the province of Valencia, and covers 34 municipal districts situated all in the county of Valle de Albaida and partially in the county of La Costera. The land is rugged and hilly, with altitudes from 400m to 650m.
The white grape varieties grown are Macabeo, Malvasia, Tortosi, Planta Nova and Verdil, whilst their red counterparts are Garnacha, Forcayat, Monastrell, Tempranillo and Tintorera.
The white wines produced are light aromatic and ... and have an 11% to 12% graduation, whilst the reds are ruby in colour, strongly aromered, tasty and with an alcoholic graduation of between 12% and 13%.
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The climate in the Valencian Denominated Region is characterised in general terms by its Mediterranean nature with heavy storms and down pours in summer and autumn. Temperatures vary from 38ºC in the summer to -4ºC in the winter, and with an average yearly temperature of 15ºC. Rainfall is on average 500mm per annum, with the highest rainfall registered between October and December. There is an average of 2700 hours of sun per annum.
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The wine yards are fundamentally located on the Mioceno and Cuaternario lands, which are of brown earth, low in humus on their higher levels and a general limestone consistency, which favours the wine quality. They do not have impermeable levels, which means that there are not normally problems with drainage.
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