Spain Gourmetour 77 (2009)

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EDIT

Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Publication CoordinatorsAlmudena MuyoAlmudena Martín Rueda

Intern JournalistSantiago Sánchez Segura

Photographic ArchiveMabel Manso

Editorial SecretaryÁngela Castilla

Design and Art DirectionManuel Estrada, Diseño Gráfico

LayoutChema Bermejo

MapsJavier Belloso

Color SeparationsEspacio y Punto

Printed in SpainArtes Gráficas Luis Pérez SA

AdvertisingCEDISATel: (+34) 913 080 644Fax: (+34) 913 105 [email protected]

D.L.: M.45.307-1990

ISSN: 0214-2937

NIPO: 705-09-008-1

PublisherICEXState Secretary for Tourism and CommercePº de la Castellana, 1428046 MadridTel: (+34) 913 496 244Fax: (+34) 914 358 876www.icex.es

CoverMiguel S. Moñita y Lucía M. Diz/©ICEX

Information and Subscription:Spain Gourmetour is a publication of theSpanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX) of the State Secretary for Tourismand Commerce to promote Spain’s foodand wines, as well as cuisine and culture.The magazine is issued three times a yearin English, French, German and Spanishand is only and exclusively distributed,free of charge, to trade professionals,specialized journalists, chefs, cookingschools and other food and wineprofessionals. For more information,please contact the Economic andCommercial Offices at the Embassies ofSpain (see list on page 122).The opinions expressed by the authors ofthe articles are not necessarily shared bythe Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX), which cannot be held responsiblefor any omissions or error in the text.

Tomatoes. What could be more Mediterranean? Yet they originally came from

Mexico. A Spaniard brought some home in 1523 and Spain has been growing them

ever since; discover some lesser-known types in this issue.

The latest variety in our series on native grapes is Bobal, to which there are written

references dating back to 1478, and which determined young winemakers and

estate owners are now successfully restoring to former glory. Perseverance is also

showing results for the pioneers of biodynamic wines, now slowly but surely carving

a market niche for themselves.

Spain’s charcuterie is an inexhaustible subject which we revisit with a panoramic

survey that takes in a lot more than the now familiar chorizo. Another Spanish

institution, the Menú del Día, is holding its own very nicely against the fast food

invasion and the foreign trend of a quick sandwich at one’s desk!

Our tour of UNESCO World Heritage Sites comes to a close with a visit to Ibiza

(where the nightlife is by no means the only attraction), followed by the wonders

of Tarragona, former capital of Hispania.

Then there’s the story behind one of Spain’s best-known brands of beer, for which

we have the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 to thank.

All in all, plenty of reading for the long winter evenings. And please keep those

comments and suggestions coming!

Cathy Boirac

Editor-in-chief

[email protected]

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2 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 3

Editorial ..................................1

ColorsTomato.Minority Report .....................14

WinesSpanish Grape Varieties III.Bobal: Wise Old Vines ............28Biodynamics in Focus .............42

Culinary FareMenu of the Day.A Very Spanish Institution ......54

Around & AboutWorld Heritage Sites III.Mediterranean Treasures .........66

Food BasicsSausages. Spain,A Long Tradition ....................80

SPAINGOURMETOURSEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009No. 77

RecipesCarles Gaig .............................94Tomatoes ................................96Sausages ...............................100

Business WatchOn the Move .........................106Damm Group.Mediterranean Edge ..............108

ColophonArtist’s Palate. Still Life withGame, Vegetables and Fruit .....114

Regular FeaturesLasting Impressions...............116Spain Overseas .....................122Ad Index ..............................124Exporters .............................126Credits .................................128

CONT

ENTS

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MinorityReportSpain is a major player in the

tomato industry. But beyond

the big business lies a little-

known world of traditional

tomato varieties, planted and

consumed at a local level, with

a peerless flavor that sets them

apart from the industrial crop.

Paul Richardson investigates

for Spain Gourmetour.TOM

ATO

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Editorial ..................................1

ColorsTomato.Minority Report .....................14

WinesSpanish Grape Varieties III.Bobal: Wise Old Vines ............28Biodynamics in Focus .............42

Culinary FareMenu of the Day.A Very Spanish Institution ......54

Around & AboutWorld Heritage Sites III.Mediterranean Treasures .........66

Food BasicsSausages. Spain,A Long Tradition ....................80

SPAINGOURMETOURSEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009No. 77

RecipesCarles Gaig .............................94Tomatoes ................................96Sausages ...............................100

Business WatchOn the Move .........................106Damm Group.Mediterranean Edge ..............108

ColophonArtist’s Palate. Still Life withGame, Vegetables and Fruit .....114

Regular FeaturesLasting Impressions...............116Spain Overseas .....................122Ad Index ..............................124Exporters .............................126Credits .................................128

CONT

ENTS

02 SUMARIO AFIN.qxd 29/7/09 11:50 Página 2 (INGLES plancha)

03 TOMATE AF.qxd 16/7/09 14:46 Página 14

MinorityReportSpain is a major player in the

tomato industry. But beyond

the big business lies a little-

known world of traditional

tomato varieties, planted and

consumed at a local level, with

a peerless flavor that sets them

apart from the industrial crop.

Paul Richardson investigates

for Spain Gourmetour.TOM

ATO




Whenever the subject of tomatoescomes up in conversation, you willalmost always hear the samecomplaint: they don’t taste as good asthey used to. The reasons are not hardto find. Supermarket tomatoes areintensively grown in greenhouses,often out of season; they are pickedgreen and ripened either in transit orartificially, using chemicals. But thesingle most important factor in thetomato’s perceived decline is thequestion of variety. The modern hybridvarieties used in today’s hyper-efficienttomato industry cannot compete withtraditional varieties in terms of flavor.Indigenous (also called heritage orheirloom) tomatoes were oncecommon in Spain, but when the newgeneration of high-cropping, disease-resistant varieties came along in the1970s they experienced a dramaticdecline. Many are now on the verge ofextinction, surviving in small plotscultivated by elderly farmers fordomestic consumption.

Spain has a long and fruitfulrelationship with the tomato. Thoughnot the world’s largest producer (thattitle goes to China, which producesaround 15% of the global total,compared with Spain’s 3%), it iscertainly an enthusiastic consumer. Itis no exaggeration to say that thetomato represents an irreplaceable partof the diet and lifestyle of the IberianPeninsula. In Spanish cuisine,tomatoes are generally used fresh insalads or for cooking, though bottledand canned products such as tomate

frito (sauce made from tomatoes andextra virgin olive oil) have always beenpopular, and the new wave of ready-made pasta sauces, ketchups and thelike are making inroads into the localmarket. Dishes like gazpacho (southernchilled soup traditionally made withtomato, sweet bell pepper, cucumberand bread, and flavored with garlicand vinegar), salmorejo (cold soupmade with tomatoes, bread, extravirgin olive oil, garlic and vinegar) and

pisto (a type of ratatouille) would beunthinkable without tomato. Meat,fish and vegetables of all sorts arecommonly prepared with tomato,implying the presence of a freshtomato sauce. The classic Spanishsofrito (sautéed garlic, onion andtomato in extra virgin olive oil), thebase for a multitude of Spanish dishes,generally includes tomato. It’s hardlysurprising, then, that Spanishconsumption of tomatoes is among thehighest of any country in the world,estimated at 17 kg (37 lb) per personper year.

“Eaten byforeigners”Originally hailing from the foothills ofthe Andes, the tomato belongs to thesame family as the eggplant, potatoand deadly nightshade. Its Latin name,Lycopersicon esculentum, picturesquelytranslates as “edible wolf peach”.Though Columbus first observed it on

TEXTPAUL RICHARDSON/©ICEX

PHOTOSMIGUEL S. MOÑITA/©ICEX

LUCÍA M. DIZ/©ICEX


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his earliest voyages in the New World,it was Hernán Cortés who eventuallybrought it back from Mexico in 1523.Initially a small berry-like fruit andyellowish in color, it had to overcomea certain resistance in cultures where itwas believed to be either poisonousand/or an aphrodisiac. The tomato(from the Aztec word tomatl) was notcommonly eaten anywhere in Europeuntil the 17th century, and the northerncountries were particularly suspiciousof this strange new fruit. In 1596, anEnglish writer described it not only as“rank and stinking” but much worse:“eaten by foreigners”.Since then the tomato has taken theworld by storm, becoming the mostwidely cultivated vegetable species ofall. According to the FAO, on a globalscale it is grown on a surface area ofbetween 2.5 and 2.9 million ha (6.2-7.2 million acres). A total of 122million tons (244 billion lb) areconsumed each year worldwide. Yetthis quantity is made up by a handfulof varieties which are not exactlyvalued for their flavor, but for otherproperties such as color, resistance todisease, and above all, heavy cropping.Commercially-grown tomato varietiescan be divided into a number of basictypes, such as Beefsteak, Moneymaker,Marmande, and the newest type of LSLtomato (“long shelf life”) within whichDaniela, a variety developed by Israeliscientists, is overwhelmingly the worldleader. Then there is the so-calledAmerican type (including Ace, Sunnyand Empire), the French type (Savor,Medea, Top21 and Romeo), vinetomatoes (many of them LSL, such asthe popular Durinta) and the cherries,ironically, the modern tomato type

Rare and preciousSpain has a magnificent heritage of

traditional tomato varieties, many of

which are native to counties. The

agricultural cooperative La Verde in

the mountains of Cádiz (southern

Spain), possessors of the country’s

biggest private bank of tomato seeds,

currently stocks seeds of about 120

Spanish varieties, though the co-op’s

spokesman Manuel Zapata believes

that there are more out there–“many,

many more”. Exactly how many ishard to say: as Zapata points out,formerly “local” varieties have nowspread to other parts of the country,leading to a nearly infinite number ofvarieties or sub-varieties each with itsown set of variables.One can imagine that these old-fashioned tomatoes, with theirincomparably superior flavor, mighthave a bright future in a markethungry for it. In agricultural terms,however, the situation of thesevarieties is far from rosy. Large-scaleintensive agriculture has no place forthe pink tomato of Huesca, to give just

Sergio and Javier Torres are a pair of identicaltwins whose restaurant Dos Cielos can befound on the 24th floor of Barcelona’s mostspectacular new hotel, the ME by Meliá. Thedining room and kitchen (remarkably, there isno physical division between the two) havewonderful views over land and sea from theFrench architect Dominique Perrault’s strikingtower block in the Poblenou district.

The Torres twins’ dish, Chilled StuffedTomatoes with Jávea Salt Fish and Basil(Tomates fríos rellenos, salazones de Jávea yalbahacas) uses an organic tomato grown bya friend of the twins, a recluse who liveswithout electric light or telephone in themountains of Montseny. Small tomates enrama (vine tomatoes), belonging to anameless local variety, are peeled andhollowed out before being stuffed, either witha basil cream or a mixture of salt fish andartichokes, and decorated with flower petals,seaweed and purple basil leaves. TheMontseny tomato is so sweet, says Sergio,that he has even used it in a dessert, sautéingit whole with butter, rum, vanilla and mint.

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18 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 19

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and shape.

closest to the fruit’s original size


30 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

“My father planted these vines back in1981, soon after he bought theproperty.” Félix Martínez points to thedifferent parcels that surround the Verade Estenas winery, part of the DOUtiel-Requena, with their CabernetSauvignon, Malbec, Merlot andChardonnay vines. “All the others,”says Félix, “about 50% of the 42 ha(104 acres) we have grow Bobal vinesthat are about 100 years old.” Hisgreat-grandfather had a wineryproducing bulk wine, but in 1980 hisfather, Francisco Martínez, bought theproperty where the winery(reminiscent of a French chateau) islocated, and planted imported varietiesin the belief they were what wasneeded to produce quality wines. Thiswinery’s best-known range, labeledVera de Estenas, started out as a blendof these foreign varieties but, since therediscovery of Bobal, an increasinglylarge proportion of this native varietyis being included in the blend.In the 1990s, Francisco’s children took

over and started doing thingsdifferently. They believed the Bobalvariety, the one they grew most, couldoffer both quality and a good sellingpoint. Going against the tradition thatconsidered Bobal better for bulk winesthan for quality, they sought out theoldest of the vines, the ones thatproduced smaller-grained grapes andless than 2 kg (4.4 lb) per stock. It wasa risk but, in the late 1990s, their CasaDon Angel, made at the time from90% Bobal, received very goodreviews. It came as a surprise that sucha pleasant wine with such personalitycould be produced from Bobal. Untilthen, this variety had been used formass production, with young winesbeing sent quickly to the port ofValencia and from there to foreignmarkets receptive of wines with a highskin-to-juice ratio and plenty of color.Félix offers me some Casa Don Angel2005, now made exclusively fromBobal, with 18 months in Allier oakand a production of just 8,000 bottles.

“It’s now on the wine list in arestaurant in Napa,” he says proudly. Iwas surprised by its bright purplishcolor combined with a very pleasantfreshness in the mouth. “Bobaloxidizes very slowly and keeps itscolor and fruitiness for years. And itsacidity is well-balanced,” says Félix. Itseems to me to be a wine with maturefruit, plenty of body, sweet tannin anda slightly bitter finish.

Inland ValenciaVera de Estenas is one of the oldestprivate wineries in the DO Utiel-Requena, in Valencia, a province onthe east coast of Spain that is muchbetter known for its long white sandbeaches than for its interior. Here, farfrom the tourist attractions along thecoast is where the DO’s 40,600 ha(100,325 acres) of vineyard arelocated, 77% of which grow the Bobalvariety. Bobal is apparently a native ofUtiel-Requena from where it spread toother nearby areas, especially to what

TEXTALMUDENA MARTÍN

RUEDA/©ICEX

PHOTOSPATRICIA R. SOTO/©ICEX

TRANSLATIONJENNY MCDONALD/©ICEX

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his earliest voyages in the New World,it was Hernán Cortés who eventuallybrought it back from Mexico in 1523.Initially a small berry-like fruit andyellowish in color, it had to overcomea certain resistance in cultures where itwas believed to be either poisonousand/or an aphrodisiac. The tomato(from the Aztec word tomatl) was notcommonly eaten anywhere in Europeuntil the 17th century, and the northerncountries were particularly suspiciousof this strange new fruit. In 1596, anEnglish writer described it not only as“rank and stinking” but much worse:“eaten by foreigners”.Since then the tomato has taken theworld by storm, becoming the mostwidely cultivated vegetable species ofall. According to the FAO, on a globalscale it is grown on a surface area ofbetween 2.5 and 2.9 million ha (6.2-7.2 million acres). A total of 122million tons (244 billion lb) areconsumed each year worldwide. Yetthis quantity is made up by a handfulof varieties which are not exactlyvalued for their flavor, but for otherproperties such as color, resistance todisease, and above all, heavy cropping.Commercially-grown tomato varietiescan be divided into a number of basictypes, such as Beefsteak, Moneymaker,Marmande, and the newest type of LSLtomato (“long shelf life”) within whichDaniela, a variety developed by Israeliscientists, is overwhelmingly the worldleader. Then there is the so-calledAmerican type (including Ace, Sunnyand Empire), the French type (Savor,Medea, Top21 and Romeo), vinetomatoes (many of them LSL, such asthe popular Durinta) and the cherries,ironically, the modern tomato type

Rare and preciousSpain has a magnificent heritage of

traditional tomato varieties, many of

which are native to counties. The

agricultural cooperative La Verde in

the mountains of Cádiz (southern

Spain), possessors of the country’s

biggest private bank of tomato seeds,

currently stocks seeds of about 120

Spanish varieties, though the co-op’s

spokesman Manuel Zapata believes

that there are more out there–“many,

many more”. Exactly how many ishard to say: as Zapata points out,formerly “local” varieties have nowspread to other parts of the country,leading to a nearly infinite number ofvarieties or sub-varieties each with itsown set of variables.One can imagine that these old-fashioned tomatoes, with theirincomparably superior flavor, mighthave a bright future in a markethungry for it. In agricultural terms,however, the situation of thesevarieties is far from rosy. Large-scaleintensive agriculture has no place forthe pink tomato of Huesca, to give just

Sergio and Javier Torres are a pair of identicaltwins whose restaurant Dos Cielos can befound on the 24th floor of Barcelona’s mostspectacular new hotel, the ME by Meliá. Thedining room and kitchen (remarkably, there isno physical division between the two) havewonderful views over land and sea from theFrench architect Dominique Perrault’s strikingtower block in the Poblenou district.

The Torres twins’ dish, Chilled StuffedTomatoes with Jávea Salt Fish and Basil(Tomates fríos rellenos, salazones de Jávea yalbahacas) uses an organic tomato grown bya friend of the twins, a recluse who liveswithout electric light or telephone in themountains of Montseny. Small tomates enrama (vine tomatoes), belonging to anameless local variety, are peeled andhollowed out before being stuffed, either witha basil cream or a mixture of salt fish andartichokes, and decorated with flower petals,seaweed and purple basil leaves. TheMontseny tomato is so sweet, says Sergio,that he has even used it in a dessert, sautéingit whole with butter, rum, vanilla and mint.

F R O M T H E M O U N T A I N S O FM O N T S E N Y T O M O D E R N I T Y

18 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 19

TOMATO

COLORS

and shape.

closest to the fruit’s original size


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WiseOldVines

Formerly an anonymous componentof bulk wines, the Bobal variety isnow revealing its full potential thanksto a new generation of oenologists inthe DO Utiel-Requena (Valencia) andDO Manchuela (Cuenca andAlbacete). With the emphasis on oldvinestocks of a variety that growsalmost exclusively in these two areas,they are producing pleasant, freshrosés and some very personal reds.The experience of the old vinescontrasts with the youth of thewinemakers who are bringing Bobalto the forefront alongside the greatSpanish varieties.

BOBAL


Tigre (from Almería, southeast Spain,its name owing to its vertical stripes ofgreen and darker green), Zafarraya(from Granada, southern Spain), thecuriously-named Carne de Doncella(“damsel’s flesh”, from the interiorAndalusian town of Úbeda, southernSpain) and Huevo de Toro (“bull’stesticle”, from Jaén, also in southernSpain).The world of the tomato in Spain is agood example of what happens in theabsence of protected designations oforigin (PDOs) and protectedgeographic indications (PGIs) to keeporder in what would otherwise be anunruly house. Unlike other vegetablecrops, notably the pepper (SpainGourmetour No. 76), Spanish tomatoeshave only one PGI, and that appliesnot to a single variety but to an area(La Cañada-Níjar, in the province ofAlmería) where various types oftomato happen to be successfullygrown on a large scale.

“The best tomatoin the world”?The saga of the Muchamiel tomato is aperfect illustration of the challenges, aswell as the opportunities, facingtraditional tomato varieties in Spain.This kind was once well-known inSpain, and especially highly regardedin the coastal region of Valencia(eastern Spain), from whence it hails.(Mutxamel, or Muchamiel, is a village,now more of a suburb, just outside thecity of Alicante.) Flattish in shape,with deep vertical furrows and acoloring resembling the Raf (to whichit is related), tomatoes of this variety

can often reach impressive size. ForRamón Espinosa of ASAJA (the youngfarmers’ association of Alicante), theMuchamiel is “the best tomato in theworld” in terms of flavor. Localrestaurants specialize in a simple salad,dressed with extra virgin olive oil andsalt, for which they charge a highprice. The restaurant Piripi in Alicante,which prides itself on its use of first-class local produce, serves aMuchamiel tomato salad, but only inseason. Oddly, given the high regard inwhich the variety is held locally, it hasbeen allowed to decline almost to theverge of extinction. Only a handful offarmers still grow it in the municipality,and the loss of genetic quality has laidthe variety open to problems of disease,reducing yield considerably. As a resultof a ten-year project at MiguelHernández University in Alicante,however, new cultivars have beenobtained which are much moreresistant to viral infections, as well asmuch higher yielding. Rafael Martínezat Muchamiel’s municipal govermentsays the aim now is to get local farmersplanting the variety again and beginselling the tomato within a reasonableradius, given that it is picked ripe andhas a relatively short shelf life.

In the pinkOther Spanish tomato varieties havefared better in the past and havealways been grown and appreciated intheir home regions. An example is thepink tomato of Huesca, in thenorthern part of the region of Aragón.This part of the province, in thefoothills of the Pyrenees, has a longtradition of horticulture inherited from


one example, whose plantlets requiretwice as long as commercial varietiesto come to maturity. Local varietieslargely depend on the elderly folk whocontinue to grow them year after yearin their vegetable patches. But whathappens when these constantgardeners are finally unable to tendtheir crops? The chain is broken andthe varieties are lost. Zapata describesthe situation of traditional tomato

varieties in Spain as “very delicate”,and points to the organic sector, whichis in a good position to promote theseexcellent and mostly organically-growntomatoes as a possible window ofopportunity. For the moment,traditional and/or “gastronomic”varieties represent a tiny percentage ofthe world tomato market. Spanishtraditional tomato varieties have apresence on the national market that is

so small as to be almost non-existent,to say nothing of foreign markets.With a couple of exceptions, thesetomatoes are so highly prized in theirhome regions, and grown in suchsmall quantities, that they areunknown outside their place of origin.Examples of these local heroes includeVilla del Prado (from Madrid, centralSpain), Label Vasco (from the BasqueCountry, northeast Spain), Tomate

TOMATO

COLORS

TOMATO

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Tigre (from Almería, southeast Spain,its name owing to its vertical stripes ofgreen and darker green), Zafarraya(from Granada, southern Spain), thecuriously-named Carne de Doncella(“damsel’s flesh”, from the interiorAndalusian town of Úbeda, southernSpain) and Huevo de Toro (“bull’stesticle”, from Jaén, also in southernSpain).The world of the tomato in Spain is agood example of what happens in theabsence of protected designations oforigin (PDOs) and protectedgeographic indications (PGIs) to keeporder in what would otherwise be anunruly house. Unlike other vegetablecrops, notably the pepper (SpainGourmetour No. 76), Spanish tomatoeshave only one PGI, and that appliesnot to a single variety but to an area(La Cañada-Níjar, in the province ofAlmería) where various types oftomato happen to be successfullygrown on a large scale.

“The best tomatoin the world”?The saga of the Muchamiel tomato is aperfect illustration of the challenges, aswell as the opportunities, facingtraditional tomato varieties in Spain.This kind was once well-known inSpain, and especially highly regardedin the coastal region of Valencia(eastern Spain), from whence it hails.(Mutxamel, or Muchamiel, is a village,now more of a suburb, just outside thecity of Alicante.) Flattish in shape,with deep vertical furrows and acoloring resembling the Raf (to whichit is related), tomatoes of this variety

can often reach impressive size. ForRamón Espinosa of ASAJA (the youngfarmers’ association of Alicante), theMuchamiel is “the best tomato in theworld” in terms of flavor. Localrestaurants specialize in a simple salad,dressed with extra virgin olive oil andsalt, for which they charge a highprice. The restaurant Piripi in Alicante,which prides itself on its use of first-class local produce, serves aMuchamiel tomato salad, but only inseason. Oddly, given the high regard inwhich the variety is held locally, it hasbeen allowed to decline almost to theverge of extinction. Only a handful offarmers still grow it in the municipality,and the loss of genetic quality has laidthe variety open to problems of disease,reducing yield considerably. As a resultof a ten-year project at MiguelHernández University in Alicante,however, new cultivars have beenobtained which are much moreresistant to viral infections, as well asmuch higher yielding. Rafael Martínezat Muchamiel’s municipal govermentsays the aim now is to get local farmersplanting the variety again and beginselling the tomato within a reasonableradius, given that it is picked ripe andhas a relatively short shelf life.

In the pinkOther Spanish tomato varieties havefared better in the past and havealways been grown and appreciated intheir home regions. An example is thepink tomato of Huesca, in thenorthern part of the region of Aragón.This part of the province, in thefoothills of the Pyrenees, has a longtradition of horticulture inherited from


one example, whose plantlets requiretwice as long as commercial varietiesto come to maturity. Local varietieslargely depend on the elderly folk whocontinue to grow them year after yearin their vegetable patches. But whathappens when these constantgardeners are finally unable to tendtheir crops? The chain is broken andthe varieties are lost. Zapata describesthe situation of traditional tomato

varieties in Spain as “very delicate”,and points to the organic sector, whichis in a good position to promote theseexcellent and mostly organically-growntomatoes as a possible window ofopportunity. For the moment,traditional and/or “gastronomic”varieties represent a tiny percentage ofthe world tomato market. Spanishtraditional tomato varieties have apresence on the national market that is

so small as to be almost non-existent,to say nothing of foreign markets.With a couple of exceptions, thesetomatoes are so highly prized in theirhome regions, and grown in suchsmall quantities, that they areunknown outside their place of origin.Examples of these local heroes includeVilla del Prado (from Madrid, centralSpain), Label Vasco (from the BasqueCountry, northeast Spain), Tomate

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notably short growing season, fromearly August to mid-October. But thatis not the least of its problems. UnlikeLSL tomatoes, traditional varieties arepicked ripe, when the flesh is softest.This makes them prone todamage–first on the plant, where theyare exposed to hailstorms and disease,then in transport–and difficult to storefor any length of time. Logisticalproblems like these are the mainreason the pink tomato of Huesca, likemany of Spain’s indigenous tomatovarieties, may struggle to find afoothold in the marketplace.

Return of the nativeOne might think the pink tomato afreak, a one-off. In fact, pink tomatoesare found in various parts of Spain: innorthern Extremadura, in the provinceof Córdoba, and in the mountains ofAracena, in Huelva province. Thetomate rosado de Aracena (pinkishtomato from Aracena) is currently theobject of a unique project, developedunder the aegis of the Slow Foodmovement (an international non-profitorganization which seeks to counteractthe effects of fast-paced life on eatinghabits), aimed at promoting thissuperb and little-known tomatovariety. Pedro A. Cantero, professor offood and culture at the Pablo OlavideUniversity in Seville, has beenresearching the pinkish tomato sincethe early 1990s, when its cultivationhad reached a stage of almost totalabandonment. Produced in a highmountain area of around 1,000 m

(3,280 ft), in a series of small villagesof which the epicenter is Castaño delRobledo, 4 km (2.5 mi) from Jabugo(southwestern Spain, famous for itsham), the variety has a short seasonbeginning in early August. The tomatocan grow up to 750 g (26 oz) a piece;its delicate skin when ripe requireswooden boards to prevent the fruitfrom touching the ground and rotting.But everyone who has tried the pinktomato agrees that, for flavor, fewvarieties compare. “It’s the best, andI’m not saying that just because it’sours,” jokes Pedro. Traditionally eatenfresh or bottled for the winter, thetomate rosado from Aracena forms partof a local dish known as distraído,combining bread, extra virgin olive oil,tomato pulp, and wafer-thin strips oftocino ibérico (Ibérico lard, most likelya by-product of the ham industrycentered around Jabugo).The aim of professor Cantero’s projectis both to make the pink tomato morewidely known and, in due course, tomake it commercially viable. It isa hard task, given the variety’sdelicate constitution anddrastically short growingseason, but already there aresigns of a small revolution in thevillages of Aracena. The municipalgovernment of Almonaster la Realhas brought out a book, LaMatanza Vegetal, describing theculture of tomato bottling. Inthe village of Calabazares, afestival (La Gran Fiesta delTomate) at the end of Augustis dedicated to the tomate


the Arabs, which has never been lost.The Spanish phrase de toda la vida(since forever) applies to the tomaterosa de Barbastro (pink tomato fromBarbastro), cultivated in small plotsand traditionally sold in local marketsaround the province of Huesca. JavierBetorz is president of a newly-createdassociation (Asociación de HortelanosTradicionales y Amigos de la Huerta delAlto Aragón), which is applying for theAragonese quality seal C’alial for thepink tomato, granted by Aragón’sregional government. Typically on thelarge side (a single specimencommonly weighs 1/2 kg / 1.1 lb),with thin skin, a pinkish color andfleshy interior, the tomate rosa issuperbly delicious, its intense flavormaking supermarket LSL tomatoesseem like another species altogether.According to Betorz, this product isbest appreciated on its own, cut intothick slices and sprinkled with salt andolive oil. Down the road in La Hoyacomarca is the company Huerta Basia(based in the municipality Lupiñén-Ortilla) which has created a registeredbrand name for the local pink tomatoand is attempting to find a gap in the(Spanish) market for a heritage tomatoto rival the famous Raf. FranciscoEscudero of Huerta Basia even claimsthat his tomate basia is “tastier than theRaf”. Iñigo Urrechu of RestauranteUrrechu in Pozuelo de Alarcón (outsideMadrid), who serves the pulp of theBasia tomato in a dressed salad withcured tuna belly, shares his opinion.Grown from seeds kept back fromprevious years, the pink tomato has a

TOMATO

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In the days before refrigeration,greenhouses and fast distribution, thetomate de colgar or tomate de penjar(hanging tomato) was a valuable resourcein Spanish rural households. The hangingtomato is grown in summer, but its thickskin allows it to be stored for use in thewinter months. Once picked they are oftenformed into bunches on strings and hungin a cool dark place (the wine cellar is apopular choice). Varieties of tomate decolgar can be found all over Spain, butespecially in Valencia, Catalonia and the

T H E H A N G I N G T O M A T O :N E X T I N L I N E ?

Balearic Islands, where the custom oftomato-rubbed bread is deeply rooted.The town of Alcalà de Xivert (Castellón,eastern Spain) is known as the heartlandof hanging tomato cultivation in Spain.The local tomate de colgar Herrera wasrecently awarded a quality seal (CV) bythe region of Valencia. Produced by atotal of 21 growers in the Alcalà de Xivertmunicipality, it is sold throughout theValencia region and Catalonia, and theGerman market takes some 2,000 kg(4,409 lb) a year.



SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 25

rosado. The tomato is sold in localgreengrocers, and one producer,Balduino Hernández, makes and sellsa superb tomato jam which is highlyappreciated among the gourmets ofSeville.

Catalan biodiversityParallel stories of rescue from oblivionare to be found all over Spain. Animportant focus of activity is inCatalonia, where the seed bankEsporus (in Manresa, outsideBarcelona) is taking steps to preservethe biodiversity of local crops. Tomatovarieties held by the bank includeCatalan specialities like Tomacó,Pometa, Palosanto and Bombilla (alsoknown as supositori, which hassomething to do with its shape!).Esporus also keeps seeds of the best-known Catalan heritage tomato, theMontserrat, appropriately named afterthe holy mountain of Catalonia andOur Lady of Montserrat, patroness ofCatalonia. This variety has been grownfor generations in the comarca of ElVallès, and has always been highlyvalued by local gastronomes, thoughbeyond the county it is barely known.Despite its top quality, the varietysuffered a sharp decline in the 1970sand is only now being planted morewidely.Ada Parellada, scion of the Parelladarestaurant family of Barcelona, remindsus that pan tumaca (bread rubbed withtomato and dressed with extra virginolive oil, garlic and salt) is one ofCatalonia’s principal signs ofgastronomic identity. As it happens,the tomate de Montserrat would not bethe best variety to use for rubbing onbread as it has very little pulp and

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A W H O L E W O R L D O F F L A V O R

MuchamielDeeply furrowed exterior.Abundant pulp, sweet flesh.

Tomate rosa de Barbastro /tomate basiaLarge tomato, smooth surface.Soft, fine skin. Abundant flesh,very sweet, almost seedless.

MontserratUndulating exterior, canresemble a small pumpkin.Variously colored red, green,yellow and pink. Relativelylittle pulp. Intense flavor.

KumatoPerfect round shape, shinyskin. Dark green, almost blackcolor. Sweet, aromatic flesh.

RafIrregular shape, deeplyfurrowed. Thin skin, fleshy, littlejuice. Sweet/sour flavor, withsweetness predominating.Dark green to light green/red.

Tomate rosado deAracenaLarge, soft-skinned, pink incolor, few seeds. Sweet andsucculent flesh.

After years of beingoverlooked anddangerously closeto being consignedto oblivion,traditional Spanishtomato varieties areentering the worldstage. They areunmatched in tasteand aim to standout as an alternativefor a market lookingfor flavor. Thefollowing sixvarieties arechampioning thecause.




Back to blackThe other great exception to the

general rule that Spanish “minority”

tomatoes are only consumed in their

place of production is the Kumato.

Although this variety could not be

described either as traditional, heritage

or heirloom, it is a curious example of

the market’s response to consumers’

demand for a tomato with taste.

Known as a “black” tomato, this

variety is actually a dark shade of

greenish-brown. Its shiny, impeccable,

perfectly round appearance might lead

you to believe that what we have here

is a transgenic tomato. But this is not

the case. The Kumato was developed

in the early years of the millennium by

a Spanish grower in Aguilas, in theregion of Murcia (southeast Spain),working for Syngenta Seeds Europe,which was looking for a variety thatwould flourish in the saline soils of thesouthern coast of Spain. (Kumato is aregistered trademark of Syngenta,which prefers the name Rosso Brunofor the American market.) The uniqueselling point of the Kumato is that it isedible whether ripe or not–and notonly is it edible, but surprisingly tasty,with a sweetness and intensity of flavornot found in your average saladtomato. It was launched in the UK in2003 and is now being sold in 50branches of Marks & Spencer in theUK as from May this year, both in thenormal size and in a mini version.

Paul Richardson lives on a farm innorthern Extremadura. A freelance traveland food writer, he is the author of A LateDinner: Discovering the Food of Spain(Bloomsbury, UK and Scribner, USA).


plenty of space inside, making it theperfect tomato for stuffing andbaking. However, it is delicious insalads, and the Reixach sisters(Spain Gourmetour No. 74) at therestaurant Hispania, in Arenys deMar, serve a simple salad ofMontserrat tomato with Figueresonions and mongetes del ganxet(white beans) dressed withArbequina extra virgin olive oil.

The Raf tomato:an example tofollowDespite the grassroots revival oftraditional tomato culture, gourmetvarieties account for no more thanthe merest drop in the ocean ofSpanish industrial tomatoproduction. The Raf tomato mayjust be the exception. Here is avariety that, against all odds, isdoing good business in Spain, withconsumers paying up to 10 or 15euros per kg (2.2 lb) for a tomatothat is distinctly on the unattractiveside, often a curious shade of darkgreen which looks to the uninitiatedas if the tomato is completelyunripe.The Raf has an intriguing history.Though the name might soundSpanish, it is in fact an acronym forResistente al Fusarium (resistant tothe viral disease Fusarium). Thoughoriginally created by a French seedcompany which still owns thepatent, its particular requirements

(a lightly saline soil, a dry climateand long periods of sunlight) makeit ideal for the conditions on thesoutheast coast of Spain.Like other speciality tomatoes, theRaf produces low yields; wherehigh-cropping varieties such asDaniela or Atlético easily reach 15kg (33 lb) per sq m (10 ft), the Rafbarely reaches 3 or 4 (6.6 to 8.8lb). Its growing season is alsounusual: thanks to the mildtemperatures of Almería (southeastSpain), its birthplace, the Raf issold from December to April andmay be considered one of the fewgenuine winter tomatoes. The Rafis a descendant of the FrenchMarmande, not a hybrid but theresult of selection by growers overthe last half century. The varietyhas been grown for many years inthe Vegas de Almería, andparticularly in the towns of LaCañada, Níjar and El Alquián, butwas unknown outside the provinceuntil the late 1990s. It is nowhighly fashionable, can be boughtall over Spain, and is muchesteemed by gourmets despite itshigh price. Dani García ofRestaurante Calima (SpainGourmetour No. 70) in Marbella isonly one of the reputed Spanishchefs to have fallen under the spellof this unique tomato. Last winter,the menu at Calima featured a Raftomato stuffed with pipirrana (saladmade from tomato, onion andcucumber) and raw Motril shrimp.

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WiseOldVines

Formerly an anonymous componentof bulk wines, the Bobal variety isnow revealing its full potential thanksto a new generation of oenologists inthe DO Utiel-Requena (Valencia) andDO Manchuela (Cuenca andAlbacete). With the emphasis on oldvinestocks of a variety that growsalmost exclusively in these two areas,they are producing pleasant, freshrosés and some very personal reds.The experience of the old vinescontrasts with the youth of thewinemakers who are bringing Bobalto the forefront alongside the greatSpanish varieties.

BOBAL




“My father planted these vines back in1981, soon after he bought theproperty.” Félix Martínez points to thedifferent parcels that surround the Verade Estenas winery, part of the DOUtiel-Requena, with their CabernetSauvignon, Malbec, Merlot andChardonnay vines. “All the others,”says Félix, “about 50% of the 42 ha(104 acres) we have grow Bobal vinesthat are about 100 years old.” Hisgreat-grandfather had a wineryproducing bulk wine, but in 1980 hisfather, Francisco Martínez, bought theproperty where the winery(reminiscent of a French chateau) islocated, and planted imported varietiesin the belief they were what wasneeded to produce quality wines. Thiswinery’s best-known range, labeledVera de Estenas, started out as a blendof these foreign varieties but, since therediscovery of Bobal, an increasinglylarge proportion of this native varietyis being included in the blend.In the 1990s, Francisco’s children took

over and started doing thingsdifferently. They believed the Bobalvariety, the one they grew most, couldoffer both quality and a good sellingpoint. Going against the tradition thatconsidered Bobal better for bulk winesthan for quality, they sought out theoldest of the vines, the ones thatproduced smaller-grained grapes andless than 2 kg (4.4 lb) per stock. It wasa risk but, in the late 1990s, their CasaDon Angel, made at the time from90% Bobal, received very goodreviews. It came as a surprise that sucha pleasant wine with such personalitycould be produced from Bobal. Untilthen, this variety had been used formass production, with young winesbeing sent quickly to the port ofValencia and from there to foreignmarkets receptive of wines with a highskin-to-juice ratio and plenty of color.Félix offers me some Casa Don Angel2005, now made exclusively fromBobal, with 18 months in Allier oakand a production of just 8,000 bottles.

“It’s now on the wine list in arestaurant in Napa,” he says proudly. Iwas surprised by its bright purplishcolor combined with a very pleasantfreshness in the mouth. “Bobaloxidizes very slowly and keeps itscolor and fruitiness for years. And itsacidity is well-balanced,” says Félix. Itseems to me to be a wine with maturefruit, plenty of body, sweet tannin anda slightly bitter finish.

Inland ValenciaVera de Estenas is one of the oldestprivate wineries in the DO Utiel-Requena, in Valencia, a province onthe east coast of Spain that is muchbetter known for its long white sandbeaches than for its interior. Here, farfrom the tourist attractions along thecoast is where the DO’s 40,600 ha(100,325 acres) of vineyard arelocated, 77% of which grow the Bobalvariety. Bobal is apparently a native ofUtiel-Requena from where it spread toother nearby areas, especially to what

TEXTALMUDENA MARTÍN

RUEDA/©ICEX

PHOTOSPATRICIA R. SOTO/©ICEX

TRANSLATIONJENNY MCDONALD/©ICEX




is known today as the DO Manchuela.The first written mention of the varietyappears in the book Espill or Llibre deles dones by the Valencian poet anddoctor Jaume Roig (early 15th century,1478), one of the great works ofmedieval literature in the Catalanlanguage. In the 19th century, thevariety came into its own because itwas resistant to phylloxera, andproduction was stepped up in Utiel-Requena for shipping out throughValencia. Only in 1957 did Utiel-Requena gain DO status, but there wasstill a large market for doble pasta (highskin-to-juice ratio) wine with plenty ofcolor, and Bobal was ideal for bulkproduction. It was especially valuedfor its color and resistance tooxidation, but few people imagined itcould be used for anything different.Then, in the mid-1990s, just like Félixdid in Vera de Estenas, several youngoenologists started using it for qualityred wines.The problem with Bobal is its hightannin content and the fact that thegrape seeds mature unevenly in young,very productive vineyards. But rosésneed very little maceration so there isno time for bitter flavors to form, andthe freshness of the variety can bebrought out with all its color andaromatic potential. And some greatrosés are produced–fresh, with a verybright color and very pleasant redberry aromas, such as the Enterizo roséfrom the Coviñas cooperative or theVega Infante rosé from the BodegasUtelianas cooperative. But the mainchallenge was to obtain quality redwines, as Daniel Expósito, oenologistat Dominio de la Vega, explained tome. Daniel knows that one of thedifficulties with this variety is to avoidrough, tannic wines with greenishhints in the mouth. After a visit toBarolo in Italy, where he realized thatwines could be excellent even if thetannin content is high, he decided to

try his luck with Bobal. The secret liesin the plant and in finding the idealvineyard for producing quality wines.He took me along to one of hisfavorites: La Muela. This vineyard doesnot belong to him but he supervises it,along with almost all the vineyardsthat provide him with grapes. There heshowed me some venerable twisted,knotted vines and explained that onlyvery old vines can be used to producequality wines. “These ones producefrom 800 g to 1 kg (1.7 lb to 2.2 lb)per vinestock.” And it is the grapesfrom these old vineyards that are usedto make Arte Mayor, a wine withpersonality and no vintage as itcombines wines made and aged indifferent years. Daniel is absolutelyconvinced that this variety has a greatfuture and insists that it requiresgreater research. He is currentlycollaborating on the CENIT program(the National Strategic Consortium forTechnical Research, run by the SpanishMinistry of Science and Technology)on a 4-year research project involving25 wineries in different parts of Spainwhich aims to determine how climatechange is affecting vine-growing andwinemaking in Spain. His winery isparticipating in the projects on cava(Requena is one of the few parts ofSpain where it is possible to producefor the DO Cava outside Catalonia)and on the Bobal variety. In the latter,

the focus is on the polyphenols andidentifying the tannins and how theybehave.

Researchfor the futureThis need for research was one of theleitmotivs in conversations withproducers of Bobal wines. I talked toPablo Ossorio, a native of El Bierzo innorthwestern Spain and oenologistfor the Murviedro wineries, one of thegreat private wineries in the DOUtiel-Requena, which also haswineries in the DO Valencia and theDO Alicante. “I like to be practical.When I see a problem, I try to find asolution. Here Cabernet Sauvignonand Syrah do very well, but what Ihave most of is Bobal.” In 1999, hebrought out Corolilla, a Bobal winethat is the source of constant criticalacclaim and awards, such as the goldmedal received recently for CorolillaCrianza 2006 at the 2009 BrusselsWorld Competition. But this was noromantic adventure. It developed outof his need to produce wine fromabout 10,000 tons of grapes, a largeproportion of which were of thevariety that predominates in the DOUtiel-Requena. For years, he has beenintroducing improvements in thewinemaking process, using micro-oxygenation to remove any grassyaromas and cold maceration to bringout the fruitiness and tannin withoutthe presence of alcohol, and tostabilize the color. But he realized thatwith his grapes there was insufficientglycerin, the substance that givesvolume in the mouth, and he set up aresearch project to find a yeast thatwould enhance this sensation. Theyeast appeared in the Monastrellvariety, which he is now using in hiswines.Pablo Ossorio agrees that qualitycomes from old, low-yielding Bobal

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vineyards. He has his own favorite areawithin the DO but confirms somethingthat Vicente Pérez, president of theRegulatory Council, had already toldme. “Here we have too much of thegood stuff,” says Vicente, referring tothe fact that almost half of the Bobalvineyards are over 50 years old. Seeingmy surprise, Pérez explained that notmany wineries are using Bobal toproduce quality wines. In fact, only 35of the 115 wineries in the DO areproducing wines with a majority ofBobal. “The yield from these vines islow, so they are not very profitable forgrowers.” This has led many of them topull up their old vines, replacing themwith more productive ones or withother varieties. Fortunately, theconcept of quality with Bobal iscatching on and the number ofcustomers for Bobal grapes is growing.It will be the market that will keepthese vineyards going, with winerieshaving to pay growers for the qualitythey want, plus a bonus to make upfor the low yield.One of these 35 wineries is BodegasTorroja, a family-owned business thatstarted experimenting with Bobal in1998. I spoke to Juan Carlos García,just back from two presentations inKorea and Hong Kong. “When youtravel, you realize the value of what youhave at home.” Bobal is his nativevariety, although in this winery they arealso producing a white from Tardanagrapes, another native and less well-known variety. We had lunch in therestaurant they opened up in the oldwinery building as part of the area’swine tourism plan and he told me how,in the late 1990s, they realized theycould do something with the mostprevalent variety in their region. So, in1998, they started to make wine frombarrel-fermented Bobal aged on thelees. It took them a couple of years tofully understand the process, but in

producers, in 1987 they built a newwinery on their estate with the ideaof producing quality, bottled wines,so they did as others around themwere doing: they planted importedvarieties. But they still had to find asolution for the vines they alreadyhad, so they started working in thefield. In the mid-1990s, they changedthe traditional growth stance fromvase-shaped to espalier, and tried outdifferent pruning methods to reduceyield. Meanwhile, they werecollaborating with the TechnologicalInstitute for Viticulture and Oenologyin Requena together with the WineChair set up by the PolytechnicUniversity of Valencia. The researchthey were doing also involvedRichard Smart, the well-knownviticultural researcher and consultantfrom Australia. Luis Orozco, ownerof Finca Ardal, tells me they startedto vinify Bobal in 2000, althoughtheir first 100% Bobal wine, bearingthe Ocho Cuerdas label, was onlyplaced on the market in 2008, after14 months in mainly French oakbarrels. “Bobal is an intense variety. Itneeds time in the wood to gainbalance, to grow and develop itsaromas, to become well-rounded.”Their second Bobal will be on themarket in late 2009, in this case after2 1/2 years of aging in exclusivelyFrench barrels. Luis considers Bobalto be a promising variety but insiststhat the vines need to be carefullytended. “Over 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) perstock is just too much.”Not only does Luis have to tend hisvines but he also has to keep a carefulwatch on the soil in his vineyards.“We found the remains of an ancientIberian settlement in the middle ofone of our vineyards, and practicallyhalf of the contents of RequenaMuseum are from here.” Mentionshould also be made of the cultural

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WINES

2000 their barrel-fermented Sybaruscame out successfully. “It is a veryrobust vine that produces a largeamount of grapes but, if you wantquality, you have to tend the plantscarefully. The main problem is that thegrapes do not ripen uniformly. Theseeds take longer than the rest. This canbe resolved by using very old vines,ones that are at least 40 years old.” Heaims to focus on fruity flavors with atouch of wood, and he says that thespecific characteristics of the variety are“plenty of red fruit, blackcurrant,balsamic flavors, a little licorice andaniseed.” These can be brought out byapplying different techniques: coldmaceration prior to fermentation,avoiding contact with the seeds, thenmalolactic fermentation in the barreland 3 months of daily batonnage to geta silky smooth texture from the finelees, and then final aging for 6 to 14months in French oak.

History in thevineyardFinca Ardal is another of the family-run wineries that has recentlydecided to focus on Bobal as a way ofsetting its wines apart and offeringsomething different. After alongstanding tradition as bulk



carries organic certification from

CPAEN, Consejo de la Producción

Agraria Ecológica de Navarra).

Isn’t this a challenging way to make

and sell wine? Can biodynamic wines

be profitable in his view? He says: “The

challenge is to make biodynamic wines

the most respected in the market and

establish a following of consumers that

only drink these wines… It’s not

profitable in the more commercial

sense of the term, but it can be

profitable for a small wine business.”

He concludes: “Navarre has a good

climate for biodynamics and for us it’s

not a problem if our harvest is small;

when there is a lot of rain our vines are

more resistant to disease. The biggest

challenge is coping with ‘fruit days’

(What is biodynamics?, page 48), but

we have to be strong, and as we have

many different parcels of vines that

isn’t really a problem.”

Careful analysisbefore takingthe plungeBoth the organic and biodynamic

schools of thinking reject the use of

pesticides and work in harmony with

nature; it’s not unusual to find that

serious advocates of organics are

dipping a toe in the water with

biodynamics. With this in mind, and

having tasted some of their

consistently good wines lately, I got in

touch with Albet i Noya of DO

Penedès (Catalonia, northeast Spain),

one of the best-known producers of

organic still wines and cavas.

Technical director Josep Maria Albet i

Noya proved to be rather elusive

initially, but I eventually tracked him

down and found that yes, something

of interest related to biodynamics is

going on at this sizeable estate.

“Over the last three years we’ve been

doing some experimental work

comparing biodynamic with organic

vineyard management,” he told me.

“We’re using the nine basic

biodynamic preparations, and we’re

also following the astral cycles for the

most important work: pruning,

harvesting, fertilizing, deleafing and

cultivating the soil.”

Josep Maria says that it’s too early to

come to any conclusions, but he

expects the difference between the two

methods to be minor when they make

their final assessment. He adds: “The

conversion period to an organic

vineyard is at least three years and we

think that it is the same or even longer

from organic to biodynamic. We are

not thinking of seeking any form of

biodynamic certification in the future,

that’s not our aim.”

Does any aspect of biodynamics seem

unappealing to him? The cost, for

example? “You have to look at the

financial cost and we believe that it’s

significantly more expensive

(compared to organic), especially the

time that it takes us to follow the

process and monitor procedures. You

could also view the more inflexible

trend of some biodynamic followers as

negative… The way that people have

adopted the beliefs of Rudolf Steiner

(What is biodynamics?, page 48) as

set-in-stone rules that can’t be

questioned, transforming biodynamics

into a way of life or dogma very similar

to a sect or religion. I don’t want

anything to do with that kind of

extreme view.”

Albet i Noya believes that biodynamics

has to be made more relevant to the

world of today: “I think that

biodynamics needs to be reinterpreted

as theologians do with religion to

adapt it to reality, current intellectual

thinking and scientific knowledge.”

Given that 80% of Albet i Noya’s wines

are sold abroad and in view of their

valuable international status, it’s not

surprising that the producer is moving

cautiously; a departure towards

biodynamics could be perceived to be

radical or complex by some, but watch

this space.

Those operating on a smaller scale are

often keen to incorporate

biodynamics, convinced by the greater

personality that it brings. At Bodegas

Jiménez-Landi, a young but fast-rising

star in DO Méntrida, José Benavides

Jiménez-Landi and Daniel Gomez

Jiménez-Landi give great importance

to producing fine Garnacha-based

wines made with respect for the

environment and tradition.

This also increasingly means working

along biodynamic lines: indeed four

out of six of the wines made by this

producer come from vineyards where

biodynamic practices are used,

including the excellent Piélago and El

Reventón wines, which are made from

old Garnacha vines. I learned this after

I’d tasted the wines and decided that

they were particularly impressive with

their elegant fruit character, freshness

and perfectly-balanced oak.

Winemaker Daniel Gomez Jiménez-

Landi is clearly skillfully working with

some good fruit, and the soils and

altitude (700-850 m / 2,296-2,788 ft

for the vineyards serving the two wines

mentioned) must be positive

influencing factors as well, but he’s

also convinced by biodynamics.

He says: “We started to work with

biodynamics in a small area of

vineyard in 2006. By 2007, most of the

vineyards were worked this way and

now we try to use biodynamics

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vineyards. He has his own favorite areawithin the DO but confirms somethingthat Vicente Pérez, president of theRegulatory Council, had already toldme. “Here we have too much of thegood stuff,” says Vicente, referring tothe fact that almost half of the Bobalvineyards are over 50 years old. Seeingmy surprise, Pérez explained that notmany wineries are using Bobal toproduce quality wines. In fact, only 35of the 115 wineries in the DO areproducing wines with a majority ofBobal. “The yield from these vines islow, so they are not very profitable forgrowers.” This has led many of them topull up their old vines, replacing themwith more productive ones or withother varieties. Fortunately, theconcept of quality with Bobal iscatching on and the number ofcustomers for Bobal grapes is growing.It will be the market that will keepthese vineyards going, with winerieshaving to pay growers for the qualitythey want, plus a bonus to make upfor the low yield.One of these 35 wineries is BodegasTorroja, a family-owned business thatstarted experimenting with Bobal in1998. I spoke to Juan Carlos García,just back from two presentations inKorea and Hong Kong. “When youtravel, you realize the value of what youhave at home.” Bobal is his nativevariety, although in this winery they arealso producing a white from Tardanagrapes, another native and less well-known variety. We had lunch in therestaurant they opened up in the oldwinery building as part of the area’swine tourism plan and he told me how,in the late 1990s, they realized theycould do something with the mostprevalent variety in their region. So, in1998, they started to make wine frombarrel-fermented Bobal aged on thelees. It took them a couple of years tofully understand the process, but in

producers, in 1987 they built a newwinery on their estate with the ideaof producing quality, bottled wines,so they did as others around themwere doing: they planted importedvarieties. But they still had to find asolution for the vines they alreadyhad, so they started working in thefield. In the mid-1990s, they changedthe traditional growth stance fromvase-shaped to espalier, and tried outdifferent pruning methods to reduceyield. Meanwhile, they werecollaborating with the TechnologicalInstitute for Viticulture and Oenologyin Requena together with the WineChair set up by the PolytechnicUniversity of Valencia. The researchthey were doing also involvedRichard Smart, the well-knownviticultural researcher and consultantfrom Australia. Luis Orozco, ownerof Finca Ardal, tells me they startedto vinify Bobal in 2000, althoughtheir first 100% Bobal wine, bearingthe Ocho Cuerdas label, was onlyplaced on the market in 2008, after14 months in mainly French oakbarrels. “Bobal is an intense variety. Itneeds time in the wood to gainbalance, to grow and develop itsaromas, to become well-rounded.”Their second Bobal will be on themarket in late 2009, in this case after2 1/2 years of aging in exclusivelyFrench barrels. Luis considers Bobalto be a promising variety but insiststhat the vines need to be carefullytended. “Over 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) perstock is just too much.”Not only does Luis have to tend hisvines but he also has to keep a carefulwatch on the soil in his vineyards.“We found the remains of an ancientIberian settlement in the middle ofone of our vineyards, and practicallyhalf of the contents of RequenaMuseum are from here.” Mentionshould also be made of the cultural

BOBAL

WINES

2000 their barrel-fermented Sybaruscame out successfully. “It is a veryrobust vine that produces a largeamount of grapes but, if you wantquality, you have to tend the plantscarefully. The main problem is that thegrapes do not ripen uniformly. Theseeds take longer than the rest. This canbe resolved by using very old vines,ones that are at least 40 years old.” Heaims to focus on fruity flavors with atouch of wood, and he says that thespecific characteristics of the variety are“plenty of red fruit, blackcurrant,balsamic flavors, a little licorice andaniseed.” These can be brought out byapplying different techniques: coldmaceration prior to fermentation,avoiding contact with the seeds, thenmalolactic fermentation in the barreland 3 months of daily batonnage to geta silky smooth texture from the finelees, and then final aging for 6 to 14months in French oak.

History in thevineyardFinca Ardal is another of the family-run wineries that has recentlydecided to focus on Bobal as a way ofsetting its wines apart and offeringsomething different. After alongstanding tradition as bulk


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If you haven’t visited a fully

biodynamic vineyard, you can expect

to see a few aspects that make it quite

different from a conventional one. A

biodynamic vineyard is likely to be far

more colorful in terms of vegetation

and animals. There are plenty of

hedges, bushes and wild flowers to

encourage insects and birds to make

their homes in the vineyard. Hens are

scuttling about and a few cows are

happily grazing nearby. There are also

a few manual ploughs and there’s no

sign of mechanized machinery.

Nothing strange so far, this vineyard

seems a bit like a farm with mixed

agricultural activities, just as it could

have been over 100 years ago. Then

you spot something a bit weird

hanging from a treetop, and the

vineyard owner tells you that it’s a

stag’s bladder filled with yarrow. He

also tells you that he fills a cow horn

with manure and buries it in the soil

during winter. These and other natural

preparations are lined up in Hessian

sacks inside the bodega and used as

vineyard treatments at different times

of the year. There are no traces of

synthetic fertilizers or pesticides here;

this is a way of working in complete

harmony with the forces of nature.

The biodynamicmovement in SpainIt is certainly quiet, and it couldn’t be

described as a revolution, but there is a

small but passionate band of producers

in Spain who are making serious wines

and happen to use biodynamic

methodology. Who are they and why

are they taking this route?

To find out who is doing what you

need to ask a few questions; official

lists of biodynamic wine producers

don’t exist in the way that lists of

organic wine producers do. It’s a case

of infiltrating the biodynamic network,

asking for names and encouraging

people to talk.

In Spain, biodynamics is still in its

infancy. Many of the big names who

practice biodynamics–including

Ricardo Pérez Palacios, Peter Sisseck

(Spain Gourmetour No. 68) and

Bertrand Sourdais–don’t draw

attention to the fact, at least not on

their wine labels. They don’t use it as

a marketing tool, and indeed many

reputable biodynamic producers are

wary of the negative connotations of

witchcraft and strange ancient

practices that can be associated with

the field or the risk of simply baffling

the consumer with its complexity. I’ll

return to Pérez Palacios, Sisseck and

Sourdais shortly.

Let’s start by taking a look at Emilio

Valerio, a DO Navarra (northern

Spain) producer headed up by the

man of the same name that has

launched its first biodynamic wine:

Viñas de Amburza. Taking a different

approach to the one described above,

this new wine appears with the

nothing-to-hide description vino

biodinámico clearly displayed on the

front label in a bold attempt to create

a market for quality wines based on

biodynamic principles.

Viñas de Amburza, which debuts with

the 2005 vintage, is a very

approachable blend of Garnacha,

Graciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and

Merlot (this mix is expected to vary

from vintage to vintage). It is the

culmination of a project which started

a decade ago to produce wine and

olive oil. Over 50 small parcels of

vines are now under biodynamic

cultivation to serve the biodynamic

venture around the town of Dicastillo

(Tierra Estella, a tourist hotspot in

southwestern Navarre).

As Emilio explains, the conversion to

a comprehensive biodynamic way of

working and the return to a more

traditional form of vine growing at

their Laderas de Montejurra vineyards

was gradual. “Firstly and most

importantly you have to adopt a

biodynamic philosophy, and this

covers many aspects: defining the

vineyard area, the objectives, the

relationship with the environment and

the people who work the land, the link

with our culture and our agricultural

traditions… We started with this

philosophy and then we gradually

introduced biodynamic practices such

as the reinvigoration of soils with

compost, first from sheep and now

from cattle. We also encouraged

insects such as bees and dragonflies

and increased cover crops and other

forms of vegetation, and we started to

make preparations–yes, we bury the

horns–and follow the cycles of the

moon and the planets. Most

importantly, we started to observe our

vineyards and olive groves more

closely and learn from our

experiences.”

Interestingly, Emilio does not see

biodynamics as an extension of

organics. “Culturally and

philosophically it’s a completely

different proposition,” he says, but

adds that “a biodynamic wine should

always be organic.” (Viñas de Amburza

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 45Bertrand Sourdais

05 VINO_BIODINAMICO IN.qxd 6/8/09 19:54 Página 44


importance of wine in this area.

Asunción Martínez Valle, the dynamic

municipal architect of Requena, has

been studying the archaeological

remains associated with local wine

production. At Pilillas, there are six

wine presses carved out of rock for

treading grapes, dating from the

Iberian period in the 5th century BC.

The potter’s wheel found at Casillas

del Cura, close to Pilillas, is believed

to have been used to make the

amphorae used for fermenting the

must produced at Pilillas. These

archeological sites, together with

other local remains, form part of the

project entitled “The historical and

cultural urban landscape of Requena:

2,500 years of wine production”,

which aims to obtain UNESCO

recognition for the area as Heritage of

Mankind in the Cultural Landscape

category. This project can be expected

to increase interest in the DO Utiel-

Requena Wine Route, set up by a

number of wineries together with

local restaurants, the main one being

El Carro de Utiel, and offering a

firsthand taste of local wine history,

especially in the town of Requena.

And from one attraction to the next, I

head to the wonderful Hoces de

Cabriel Natural Park. From there, I

crossed into another Spanish

designation also growing mainly

Bobal, the DO Manchuela, in the

provinces of Cuenca and Albacete.

Recent privateinitiativesBefore leaving Valencia, I stopped off atCuevas de Utiel, the area covered byVinos de la Tierra El Terrerazo or, inother words, Bodegas Mustiguillo. Thisis a 300-ha (741 acres) estate. Thegrapes used to produce Quincha Corraland Finca Terrerazo grow on 120 ha(295 acres). The former is the upmarketlabel, a Bobal monovarietal, and thelatter a blend of 70% Bobal, 25%Tempranillo and 5% CabernetSauvignon. The winery’s third wine,Mestizaje, contains 60% Bobal, and theremainder is Cabernet Sauvignon,Syrah, Tempranillo and Garnacha indifferent percentages as required foreach vintage. Oenologist Toni Sarrióndid not grow up in the wine businessbut, rather, in a family that owned alarge construction company. In 1997,he decided to leave the family businessto learn about wine production andproduce wine from grapes thatpreviously were sold to other localwineries. From the start, his maininterest was the local variety. His workin the vineyard is now responsible forsome very personal wines that arereaping rewards in markets such asSwitzerland, the UK and the US. Heconsiders it essential to carefully planharvesting because some vineyardsproduce grapes that mature differently,even on the same bunch. “It’s importantto keep track of what’s happening in the

vineyard to ensure that the bunches areas small and loose as possible.” Heexplains that in the oldest vineyards(the ones that produce the grapes forQuincha Corral and Finca Terrerazo),they used to mark each plant withbuilding site tape using a color code toindicate the degree of ripening inpreparation for harvest. His mostspecial vineyard dates from 1909 andwas featured in a study carried out bythe Valencia Wine Chair with RichardSmart to identify wood for the purposeof selecting ideal clones for qualityvines. They now know more about theirvineyards, so colored tape is no longerneeded to mark out the separateharvesting areas. The harvested grapesare vinified and aged separately, even ifthey come from the same plot. Thenblending takes place gradually in thewooden vats used for fermentation,because they do not have large tanks forthe final mixing. The purpose of all thisbecomes clear when Toni invites me totaste the wines; they offer all thestructure and power of Mediterraneanwines, with the elegant freshness that isthe trademark of Bobal grapes.The DO Manchuela is home to anotherwinery belonging to something of an“outsider” in wine production. This isthe project set up by Víctor de la Sernaat Finca Sandoval. But Víctor is not areal outsider. He was born locally andis one of Spain’s leading wine and foodwriters. His knowledge is combinedwith the experience of oenologist

BOBAL

WINES




importance of wine in this area.

Asunción Martínez Valle, the dynamic

municipal architect of Requena, has

been studying the archaeological

remains associated with local wine

production. At Pilillas, there are six

wine presses carved out of rock for

treading grapes, dating from the

Iberian period in the 5th century BC.

The potter’s wheel found at Casillas

del Cura, close to Pilillas, is believed

to have been used to make the

amphorae used for fermenting the

must produced at Pilillas. These

archeological sites, together with

other local remains, form part of the

project entitled “The historical and

cultural urban landscape of Requena:

2,500 years of wine production”,

which aims to obtain UNESCO

recognition for the area as Heritage of

Mankind in the Cultural Landscape

category. This project can be expected

to increase interest in the DO Utiel-

Requena Wine Route, set up by a

number of wineries together with

local restaurants, the main one being

El Carro de Utiel, and offering a

firsthand taste of local wine history,

especially in the town of Requena.

And from one attraction to the next, I

head to the wonderful Hoces de

Cabriel Natural Park. From there, I

crossed into another Spanish

designation also growing mainly

Bobal, the DO Manchuela, in the

provinces of Cuenca and Albacete.

Recent privateinitiativesBefore leaving Valencia, I stopped off atCuevas de Utiel, the area covered byVinos de la Tierra El Terrerazo or, inother words, Bodegas Mustiguillo. Thisis a 300-ha (741 acres) estate. Thegrapes used to produce Quincha Corraland Finca Terrerazo grow on 120 ha(295 acres). The former is the upmarketlabel, a Bobal monovarietal, and thelatter a blend of 70% Bobal, 25%Tempranillo and 5% CabernetSauvignon. The winery’s third wine,Mestizaje, contains 60% Bobal, and theremainder is Cabernet Sauvignon,Syrah, Tempranillo and Garnacha indifferent percentages as required foreach vintage. Oenologist Toni Sarrióndid not grow up in the wine businessbut, rather, in a family that owned alarge construction company. In 1997,he decided to leave the family businessto learn about wine production andproduce wine from grapes thatpreviously were sold to other localwineries. From the start, his maininterest was the local variety. His workin the vineyard is now responsible forsome very personal wines that arereaping rewards in markets such asSwitzerland, the UK and the US. Heconsiders it essential to carefully planharvesting because some vineyardsproduce grapes that mature differently,even on the same bunch. “It’s importantto keep track of what’s happening in the

vineyard to ensure that the bunches areas small and loose as possible.” Heexplains that in the oldest vineyards(the ones that produce the grapes forQuincha Corral and Finca Terrerazo),they used to mark each plant withbuilding site tape using a color code toindicate the degree of ripening inpreparation for harvest. His mostspecial vineyard dates from 1909 andwas featured in a study carried out bythe Valencia Wine Chair with RichardSmart to identify wood for the purposeof selecting ideal clones for qualityvines. They now know more about theirvineyards, so colored tape is no longerneeded to mark out the separateharvesting areas. The harvested grapesare vinified and aged separately, even ifthey come from the same plot. Thenblending takes place gradually in thewooden vats used for fermentation,because they do not have large tanks forthe final mixing. The purpose of all thisbecomes clear when Toni invites me totaste the wines; they offer all thestructure and power of Mediterraneanwines, with the elegant freshness that isthe trademark of Bobal grapes.The DO Manchuela is home to anotherwinery belonging to something of an“outsider” in wine production. This isthe project set up by Víctor de la Sernaat Finca Sandoval. But Víctor is not areal outsider. He was born locally andis one of Spain’s leading wine and foodwriters. His knowledge is combinedwith the experience of oenologist

BOBAL

WINES




Rafael Orozco, a great champion of theBobal variety. Víctor acknowledges thatat the start he was not totallyconvinced about the virtues of thisvariety but they went ahead anyway,and in 2006 produced the first winewith Bobal from a 5-ha (12 acres)vineyard planted by Orozco’sgrandfather in 1939. Víctor nowconsiders Bobal to be of specialinterest if planted at an altitude of 700m (2,296 ft) or higher, and he agreesthat the older vines are best becausetheir yield is more regular. “They givevery good black grapes with plenty ofaromatic strength and can lead tolively wines with less warmth thanGarnacha or Monastrell.” He considersthat since this wine develops slowly, itworks best when blended with othervarieties. Finca Sandoval produces noBobal monovarietals, but Bobal can befound in all their wines. The mostrepresentative example is Signo, madefrom 90% Bobal with 10% Syrah togive added silkiness and round off theBobal tannins. The main task ahead, inhis opinion, is to carry out researchand single out good-quality old stock.This is precisely the goal set by the DOManchuela together with the Vine andWine Institute of Castile-La Mancha(IVICAM) which, in June 2009, set up

new joint projects to characterize anddifferentiate the Bobal wines, carryingout clonal selection to improve stocks.There are certainly sufficient vineyardsin La Manchuela to provide the rawmaterials needed for this study.Altogether there are 70,000 ha(172,974 acres) under Bobal, althoughonly 2,000 (4,942 acres) of them areattached to the DO along with otherwhite (Albilla, Macabeo, Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo) and redvarieties (Tempranillo, Syrah, CabernetSauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Monstrelland Moravia Dulce). The wineries inthis part of Spain are traditionally bulkproducers, and most of them maintainthis activity, providing an outlet for themany vineyards not covered by the DO.But at the DO Manchuela, there is nowincreasing concern for a variety that isattracting growing interest in foreigncountries because of the greater appealof native varieties. Even the largecooperatives, which tend to be morereluctant to change, are now focusingon Bobal in its own right and havedecided to enter the DO with qualitybottled wines. One example is the SanAntonio Abad Cooperative in the townof Villamalea (Albacete, central Spain),which has 800 members and handles25 million tons every harvest. The first

steps they took were to identify oldvineyards under the leadership of theirfield adviser and, in 2001, theyestablished quality parameters foralcohol content, color, pH and grapehealth. In 2008 they went a step furtherby giving priority to grapes from certainselected vineyards. So far, for bottledDO Bobal, they only produce a rosé,Altos del Cabriel, which in 2009 wonthem a gold medal at VinaliesInternationales in Paris. The othercooperative in Villamalea, Vitivinos, ismuch smaller, with only about 50members who bring in grapes fromvase-shaped vines planted over 30 yearsago. With careful selection of harvestsand close monitoring of parcels as soonas new shoots start to appear, they havebeen able to produce wines such asAzua Bobal Viñas Viejas, a red whichwon a silver medal for the 2003 vintageat the 2007 World BrusselsCompetition.

Balanced vineyardsBut the most interesting work beingdone on Bobal in La Manchuela is insmall private wineries, all of whichstarted out when a grower, having seengenerations of his family selling theirgrapes to third parties, decided to start

producing his own wine from a plantwith which they were very familiar.This was the case with Pagos deFamilia Vega Tolosa, SA, a winery thatstarted out in 1998 with bulk productswhich it continues producing, bringingout its first bottled wine in 2001. But itwas only in 2007 that they placed theirfirst 100% Bobal wine on the market.“I went to a trade fair in London andthe retailer asked me for somethingspecial, something out of the ordinary.”Juan Miguel Tolosa thought of the oldBobal vineyards planted by his familyand produced Vega Tolosa Bobal ViñasViejas, now his premium wine that heexports throughout Europe and theUS. Juan Miguel never misses anopportunity. “Not long ago, I wascalled in to pull up an old vineyardbecause I have a tractor I could use forthe job. But when I saw 80-year-oldvines, I decided instead that I wouldrent the vineyard from the owner.” Heshows me round this vineyard proudlyand explains that it will allow him toproduce larger quantities of ViñasViejas. Juan Miguel never stopsthinking about his market. At presenthe is working on his winery’s websiteso that consumers can see a picture ofthe vineyard that produced the bottlethey are drinking, following the

BOBAL

WINES

B O B A L I S N O T J U S T F O R W I N E

For years, the wine sector has beenstudying the antioxidant properties ofgrape polyphenols in wines.Resveratrol has attracted the mostinterest, with advanced researchbeing conducted in the US, France,Italy and, of course, Spain. “Basically,resveratrol is just one of the plant’sdefenses against a fungus,” saysFélix Cuartero. This professor ofoenology (who retired from theRequena Wine School, where heworked for 30 years offeringguidance to most of the oenologistsmentioned in this article) made adecision three years ago to joinforces with five other local partners toset up Viña Bobal, producing naturalgrape juices and canned grape flesh.Together with Plácido Navas from theUniversity of Seville, they discovered

that Bobal has a high level of resveratrol,more than Pinot Noir or CabernetSauvignon. Also, Félix was very concernedabout the many vineyards that were beinguprooted in the area (“it could lead todesertification and have devastating socialeffects”) and decided to use the antioxidantproperties of Bobal in other products, notjust wine. “It is not a medicine,” says Félix,pointing to Bobalín, a natural grape juiceobtained from ripe grapes using non-violentmethods. “It’s pleasant to drink, it’s a perfectdietary complement and it’s good for you.”It is 100% concentrated juice, with nopreservatives, as the antioxidant tannins inthe juice preserve it for up to two years.The other product is red grape flesh, alsomade from Bobal grape juice but thickenedwith agar agar (a seaweed) so it gives youthe natural antioxidants of the juice plus thetrace elements from the seaweed. Félixgives me some to try and convinces me. Itmakes a perfect jam substitute (toaccompany foie gras, cheese or toast) butwithout any added sugar.




IVICAM-certified traceability numberthat figures on the label. As regards thecurrent market situation, he isoptimistic. “In the future, the marketwill call for native varieties ataffordable prices. The next three yearsmight be tough, but then the futureshould be very promising.”The case of Bodegas Ponce is morerecent. Juan Antonio Ponce is a youngoenologist who worked in differentparts of Spain in the shadow of one ofSpain’s best-known wine consultantsand oenologists, then decided to returnto his roots and work on the Bobalvineyards planted by his grandfather.He created his own winery in 2005.Juan Antonio has gone a step further,keeping up with the times by workingbiodynamically on his vines and wines(What is biodynamics?, page 48),aiming to achieve natural equilibriumbetween plant and soil, grape and wine.Unlike other viticulturalists, he does notfind it difficult to work with Bobal andproduce quality wines. “The mainproblem,” he says, referring to Bobalwines, “is that vines have beenencouraged to give a high yield. I thinka variety that has always been in itslocal area gives good results. What isespecially difficult is to get a vineyardthat gives a fruity, fresh wine withoutrusticity and green tannins.” This isonly possible by achieving equilibrium,

a word that comes up repeatedly in ourconversation. He currently has 18different vineyards, some inherited fromhis family, others purchased over theyears, and some rented, which hecontrols at every level. From these 18vineyards, in 2008 he produced 18different wines in an effort to express ineach of them the specific characteristicsof their terroir, because Juan Antoniobelieves the soil where the vine grows isalmost more important than the age ofthe plants… although his youngestvineyard is 30 years old. In the end, fivewines were placed on the market, fromClos Lojen, a fruity, simple blend fromdifferent parcels, to wines that comefrom a single vineyard such as PF, fromungrafted vines, or Estrecha, a veryinteresting Bobal from the vineyard ofthe same name, a wine with mineraltouches from the soil that give it a veryattractive complexity. When askedabout the future of Bobal, Juan Antoniois certain: “The market likes to seesomething different and unusual,” andBobal meets that demand.

Almudena Martín Rueda was in charge

of export promotion for a Spanish wine

Designation of Origin for seven years and,

for the last two years, has been an editorial

coordinator at Spain Gourmetour.

www.artafterscience.com(English) During 2008, Canadianartist Zev Robinson filmed adocumentary, “La bobal and otherstories about wine”, in which hetraces the grapes from the vineyardto a UK winestore. Interviews withgrowers, winemakers, specialistsand retailers in Spain and the UKgive a thorough overview of thesector and the Bobal variety in theDO Utiel-Requena.

www.utielrequena.org(English, Spanish) The website forthe DO Utiel-Requena RegulatoryCouncil.

www.rutavino.com(English, Spanish). Page of theUtiel-Requena Wine Route withinformation on history,accommodation, restaurants andlocal tourist facilities. It also offersthe possibility of requesting acustomized route or ordering a busand a guide for groups.

www.do-manchuela.com(Spanish) Website for the DOManchuela Regulatory Council

www.bodegamustiguillo.es(English, German, Spanish) Websiteof Vinos de la Tierra El Terrerazo

W E B S I T E S


05 VINO_BIODINAMICO AF.qxd 24/7/09 06:15 Página 42

BIODYNAMICS

in Focus

TextPatriciaLangton/©ICEX

PhotosPabloNeustadt/©ICEX

IllustrationsJavier Olivares

Often inspired by their winemaking experiences andcolleagues in France, and recognizing the need to workin harmony with nature, some of the most talentedcontemporary Spanish winemakers are turning tobiodynamics. Here we look at the reasons why they aretaking this alternative approach to viticulture andwinemaking, the challenges that it presents and whythey generally choose keep their practice under wraps.




If you haven’t visited a fully

biodynamic vineyard, you can expect

to see a few aspects that make it quite

different from a conventional one. A

biodynamic vineyard is likely to be far

more colorful in terms of vegetation

and animals. There are plenty of

hedges, bushes and wild flowers to

encourage insects and birds to make

their homes in the vineyard. Hens are

scuttling about and a few cows are

happily grazing nearby. There are also

a few manual ploughs and there’s no

sign of mechanized machinery.

Nothing strange so far, this vineyard

seems a bit like a farm with mixed

agricultural activities, just as it could

have been over 100 years ago. Then

you spot something a bit weird

hanging from a treetop, and the

vineyard owner tells you that it’s a

stag’s bladder filled with yarrow. He

also tells you that he fills a cow horn

with manure and buries it in the soil

during winter. These and other natural

preparations are lined up in Hessian

sacks inside the bodega and used as

vineyard treatments at different times

of the year. There are no traces of

synthetic fertilizers or pesticides here;

this is a way of working in complete

harmony with the forces of nature.

The biodynamicmovement in SpainIt is certainly quiet, and it couldn’t be

described as a revolution, but there is a

small but passionate band of producers

in Spain who are making serious wines

and happen to use biodynamic

methodology. Who are they and why

are they taking this route?

To find out who is doing what you

need to ask a few questions; official

lists of biodynamic wine producers

don’t exist in the way that lists of

organic wine producers do. It’s a case

of infiltrating the biodynamic network,

asking for names and encouraging

people to talk.

In Spain, biodynamics is still in its

infancy. Many of the big names who

practice biodynamics–including

Ricardo Pérez Palacios, Peter Sisseck

(Spain Gourmetour No. 68) and

Bertrand Sourdais–don’t draw

attention to the fact, at least not on

their wine labels. They don’t use it as

a marketing tool, and indeed many

reputable biodynamic producers are

wary of the negative connotations of

witchcraft and strange ancient

practices that can be associated with

the field or the risk of simply baffling

the consumer with its complexity. I’ll

return to Pérez Palacios, Sisseck and

Sourdais shortly.

Let’s start by taking a look at Emilio

Valerio, a DO Navarra (northern

Spain) producer headed up by the

man of the same name that has

launched its first biodynamic wine:

Viñas de Amburza. Taking a different

approach to the one described above,

this new wine appears with the

nothing-to-hide description vino

biodinámico clearly displayed on the

front label in a bold attempt to create

a market for quality wines based on

biodynamic principles.

Viñas de Amburza, which debuts with

the 2005 vintage, is a very

approachable blend of Garnacha,

Graciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and

Merlot (this mix is expected to vary

from vintage to vintage). It is the

culmination of a project which started

a decade ago to produce wine and

olive oil. Over 50 small parcels of

vines are now under biodynamic

cultivation to serve the biodynamic

venture around the town of Dicastillo

(Tierra Estella, a tourist hotspot in

southwestern Navarre).

As Emilio explains, the conversion to

a comprehensive biodynamic way of

working and the return to a more

traditional form of vine growing at

their Laderas de Montejurra vineyards

was gradual. “Firstly and most

importantly you have to adopt a

biodynamic philosophy, and this

covers many aspects: defining the

vineyard area, the objectives, the

relationship with the environment and

the people who work the land, the link

with our culture and our agricultural

traditions… We started with this

philosophy and then we gradually

introduced biodynamic practices such

as the reinvigoration of soils with

compost, first from sheep and now

from cattle. We also encouraged

insects such as bees and dragonflies

and increased cover crops and other

forms of vegetation, and we started to

make preparations–yes, we bury the

horns–and follow the cycles of the

moon and the planets. Most

importantly, we started to observe our

vineyards and olive groves more

closely and learn from our

experiences.”

Interestingly, Emilio does not see

biodynamics as an extension of

organics. “Culturally and

philosophically it’s a completely

different proposition,” he says, but

adds that “a biodynamic wine should

always be organic.” (Viñas de Amburza

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 45Bertrand Sourdais




carries organic certification from

CPAEN, Consejo de la Producción

Agraria Ecológica de Navarra).

Isn’t this a challenging way to make

and sell wine? Can biodynamic wines

be profitable in his view? He says: “The

challenge is to make biodynamic wines

the most respected in the market and

establish a following of consumers that

only drink these wines… It’s not

profitable in the more commercial

sense of the term, but it can be

profitable for a small wine business.”

He concludes: “Navarre has a good

climate for biodynamics and for us it’s

not a problem if our harvest is small;

when there is a lot of rain our vines are

more resistant to disease. The biggest

challenge is coping with ‘fruit days’

(What is biodynamics?, page 48), but

we have to be strong, and as we have

many different parcels of vines that

isn’t really a problem.”

Careful analysisbefore takingthe plungeBoth the organic and biodynamic

schools of thinking reject the use of

pesticides and work in harmony with

nature; it’s not unusual to find that

serious advocates of organics are

dipping a toe in the water with

biodynamics. With this in mind, and

having tasted some of their

consistently good wines lately, I got in

touch with Albet i Noya of DO

Penedès (Catalonia, northeast Spain),

one of the best-known producers of

organic still wines and cavas.

Technical director Josep Maria Albet i

Noya proved to be rather elusive

initially, but I eventually tracked him

down and found that yes, something

of interest related to biodynamics is

going on at this sizeable estate.

“Over the last three years we’ve been

doing some experimental work

comparing biodynamic with organic

vineyard management,” he told me.

“We’re using the nine basic

biodynamic preparations, and we’re

also following the astral cycles for the

most important work: pruning,

harvesting, fertilizing, deleafing and

cultivating the soil.”

Josep Maria says that it’s too early to

come to any conclusions, but he

expects the difference between the two

methods to be minor when they make

their final assessment. He adds: “The

conversion period to an organic

vineyard is at least three years and we

think that it is the same or even longer

from organic to biodynamic. We are

not thinking of seeking any form of

biodynamic certification in the future,

that’s not our aim.”

Does any aspect of biodynamics seem

unappealing to him? The cost, for

example? “You have to look at the

financial cost and we believe that it’s

significantly more expensive

(compared to organic), especially the

time that it takes us to follow the

process and monitor procedures. You

could also view the more inflexible

trend of some biodynamic followers as

negative… The way that people have

adopted the beliefs of Rudolf Steiner

(What is biodynamics?, page 48) as

set-in-stone rules that can’t be

questioned, transforming biodynamics

into a way of life or dogma very similar

to a sect or religion. I don’t want

anything to do with that kind of

extreme view.”

Albet i Noya believes that biodynamics

has to be made more relevant to the

world of today: “I think that

biodynamics needs to be reinterpreted

as theologians do with religion to

adapt it to reality, current intellectual

thinking and scientific knowledge.”

Given that 80% of Albet i Noya’s wines

are sold abroad and in view of their

valuable international status, it’s not

surprising that the producer is moving

cautiously; a departure towards

biodynamics could be perceived to be

radical or complex by some, but watch

this space.

Those operating on a smaller scale are

often keen to incorporate

biodynamics, convinced by the greater

personality that it brings. At Bodegas

Jiménez-Landi, a young but fast-rising

star in DO Méntrida, José Benavides

Jiménez-Landi and Daniel Gomez

Jiménez-Landi give great importance

to producing fine Garnacha-based

wines made with respect for the

environment and tradition.

This also increasingly means working

along biodynamic lines: indeed four

out of six of the wines made by this

producer come from vineyards where

biodynamic practices are used,

including the excellent Piélago and El

Reventón wines, which are made from

old Garnacha vines. I learned this after

I’d tasted the wines and decided that

they were particularly impressive with

their elegant fruit character, freshness

and perfectly-balanced oak.

Winemaker Daniel Gomez Jiménez-

Landi is clearly skillfully working with

some good fruit, and the soils and

altitude (700-850 m / 2,296-2,788 ft

for the vineyards serving the two wines

mentioned) must be positive

influencing factors as well, but he’s

also convinced by biodynamics.

He says: “We started to work with

biodynamics in a small area of

vineyard in 2006. By 2007, most of the

vineyards were worked this way and

now we try to use biodynamics




throughout our vineyards using all ourown treatments. It’s the best way to geta sense of terroir and great quality… awine must reflect the vineyard that itcomes from.”He sees a growing biodynamicmovement in Spain: “Young peopleand smaller producers have a differentpoint of view,” he says.

Biodynamics inEl BierzoThe best known advocate ofbiodynamics in Spain is Ricardo PérezPalacios, a younger member of thePalacios winemaking dynasty. Togetherwith his uncle, Alvaro Palacios (Spain

Gourmetour No. 62), he has played amajor role in getting El Bierzo noticedfor fine red wines made from theMencía grape. Their joint venture,Descendientes de J. Palacios, in DOBierzo (Castile-Leon, northern Spain),is one of the few Spanish bodegas toadopt biodyamics so wholeheartedly.Descendientes de J. Palacios is namedafter the father of Alvaro and

Biodynamic agriculture stems from thetheories and teachings of the Austrianphilosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925) and particularly the lectures thathe gave in 1924 titled “Spiritual Foundationsfor the Renewal of Agriculture”. However,Frenchman Nicolas Joly’s role in promotingthe biodynamic cause in viticulture andwinemaking probably has far more relevancetoday. Indeed biodynamic thinking across thewine world is largely influenced bybiodynamic producers in the well-knownFrench regions.

Joly has practiced biodynamics at Coulée deSerrant (Savannières, Loire) since the early1980s after he saw the negative impact ofthe use of chemical treatments at the estateand decided on a radical departure.

The wines from Coulée de Serrant are highlyregarded, but Joly himself is also well knownas an energetic and determined proponent ofbiodynamics throughout the world. In 2001he founded Renaissance des Appellations,an association with 148 members in 13countries, which aims to promote authenticwines that reflect their vineyard origin andrespect the environment. Its members,including eight from Spain, are organic orbiodynamic producers who share itsphilosophy (www.biodynamy.com).

Biodynamic producers tend to adaptbiodynamic practices to their vineyard andaccording to their region and grapes. Notmany go as far as burying the cow horn butother aspects are commonly used. Theyinclude the preparation and use of nine

biodynamic treatments which areapplied according to the biodynamiccalendar and lunar cycles (the mostnotable difference betweenbiodynamics and organics), managingvineyard work such as pruning andharvesting according to the samecalendar and using natural yeasts inwinemaking. Below are three of themost common biodynamicpreparations:

- Cow manure fermented in a cowhorn, diluted and sprayed on the soil.(known as number 500)

- Flower heads of chamomile,applied to compost. (known asnumber 503)

- Tea prepared from Equisetum(horsetail plant), diluted and used as aspray to counter fungal diseases.(known as number 508)

These preparations, among others,are used in place of herbicides andpesticides to correct imbalances inthe vine, build up natural resistanceand enhance the organic matter in thesoil. (Copper and sulfur are used inbiodynamics).

W H A T I S B I O D Y N A M I C S ?

Dom

inio

deA

taut

a




throughout our vineyards using all ourown treatments. It’s the best way to geta sense of terroir and great quality… awine must reflect the vineyard that itcomes from.”He sees a growing biodynamicmovement in Spain: “Young peopleand smaller producers have a differentpoint of view,” he says.

Biodynamics inEl BierzoThe best known advocate ofbiodynamics in Spain is Ricardo PérezPalacios, a younger member of thePalacios winemaking dynasty. Togetherwith his uncle, Alvaro Palacios (Spain

Gourmetour No. 62), he has played amajor role in getting El Bierzo noticedfor fine red wines made from theMencía grape. Their joint venture,Descendientes de J. Palacios, in DOBierzo (Castile-Leon, northern Spain),is one of the few Spanish bodegas toadopt biodyamics so wholeheartedly.Descendientes de J. Palacios is namedafter the father of Alvaro and

Biodynamic agriculture stems from thetheories and teachings of the Austrianphilosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925) and particularly the lectures thathe gave in 1924 titled “Spiritual Foundationsfor the Renewal of Agriculture”. However,Frenchman Nicolas Joly’s role in promotingthe biodynamic cause in viticulture andwinemaking probably has far more relevancetoday. Indeed biodynamic thinking across thewine world is largely influenced bybiodynamic producers in the well-knownFrench regions.

Joly has practiced biodynamics at Coulée deSerrant (Savannières, Loire) since the early1980s after he saw the negative impact ofthe use of chemical treatments at the estateand decided on a radical departure.

The wines from Coulée de Serrant are highlyregarded, but Joly himself is also well knownas an energetic and determined proponent ofbiodynamics throughout the world. In 2001he founded Renaissance des Appellations,an association with 148 members in 13countries, which aims to promote authenticwines that reflect their vineyard origin andrespect the environment. Its members,including eight from Spain, are organic orbiodynamic producers who share itsphilosophy (www.biodynamy.com).

Biodynamic producers tend to adaptbiodynamic practices to their vineyard andaccording to their region and grapes. Notmany go as far as burying the cow horn butother aspects are commonly used. Theyinclude the preparation and use of nine

biodynamic treatments which areapplied according to the biodynamiccalendar and lunar cycles (the mostnotable difference betweenbiodynamics and organics), managingvineyard work such as pruning andharvesting according to the samecalendar and using natural yeasts inwinemaking. Below are three of themost common biodynamicpreparations:

- Cow manure fermented in a cowhorn, diluted and sprayed on the soil.(known as number 500)

- Flower heads of chamomile,applied to compost. (known asnumber 503)

- Tea prepared from Equisetum(horsetail plant), diluted and used as aspray to counter fungal diseases.(known as number 508)

These preparations, among others,are used in place of herbicides andpesticides to correct imbalances inthe vine, build up natural resistanceand enhance the organic matter in thesoil. (Copper and sulfur are used inbiodynamics).

W H A T I S B I O D Y N A M I C S ?

Dom

inio

deA

taut

a05 VINO_BIODINAMICO IN.qxd 29/7/09 13:08 Página 48 (INGLES plancha)

05 VINO_BIODINAMICO AF.qxd 24/7/09 06:41 Página 5006 MENU DEL DIA AF.qxd 7/8/09 11:20 Página 62

since 1999. The steep sloping

vineyards are worked with mules and

horses and the landscape is dotted

with fruit trees (fruit juices are also

produced and sold locally) and there’s

a small vegetable garden.

But, he adds: “All this doesn’t mean

anything and it doesn’t make the wine

good without the heritage and

tradition that we’ve found in the

agricultural landscape of El Bierzo: old

vines in a good location, good soils

and the delicate Mencía grape.

Biodynamics (alone) is not giving us

good wine…. There are so many other

elements, and one of the most

important is to work the land in the

traditional way.”

Ricardo does not believe that

biodynamics is well-understood in

Spain or elsewhere. As he says: “Many

people talk about biodynamics in a

very relaxed manner. It’s not just

pruning with the moon.” He also sees

a lack of experience in the wine

industry. “Some winemakers intervene

too much and some not enough.”

In the bodega he works with minimal

intervention–no additives, no pumps

or punching down and only natural

gravity. The wines are also made

similar to the traditional ways of the

locals from Corullón, which includes

fermenting whole bunches and stirring

the juice daily.

“Steiner didn’t say anything specific

about making wine; in fact, he was

abstemious, like nearly all his

followers. In both the vineyard and the

bodega I try to take the best from each

school and adapt it to my estate… We

try to do the best that we can without

ignoring progress and modern science,

but making them work with tradition,

quality, health and well-being.”

Over in neighboring DO Valdeorras

(Galicia, northwest Spain), another

member of the family, Rafael Palacios,

is more hesitant about

biodynamics–what seems to work well

for the red wines of Mencía may not be

ideal for white wines made from

Godello (Spain Gourmetour No. 76) in

this region, not yet at least.

Rafael says that he is introducing

biodynamic methods but he expects

the process to take at least another two

years for the vines to recover their

natural defenses.

He is clearly moving cautiously.

Godello is particularly sensitive to

oidium, which has to be factored in,

and he’s somewhat reluctant to

associate his bodega closely with “new

wave” biodynamic producers who, in

his view, don’t always offer good

wines. With his reputation for wines

As Sortes and Louro do Bolo steadily

growing, this is understandable.

Tempranillo keepsa low profileSo far the Tempranillo grape hasn’t

really come under the spotlight as we

explore the subject of biodynamics

across Spain’s regions. However, there

are a few notable producers in DO

Ribera del Duero who are practicing

biodynamics; it seems strange that

more haven’t followed suit.Winemaker Peter Sisseck has workedorganically from the outset and“actively” with biodynamic practicessince 2000 at Dominio de Pingus forhis top wine, Pingus. The vineyardsserving Flor de Pingus are now alsounder biodynamic viticulture.“I believe that biodynamics favors our


grandfather of Ricardo–Pepe (J.

Palacios)–who, as Ricardo explains,

inspired in him a passion for nature at

an early stage and triggered his “green

tendency”. This continued when he

went to study oenology in Bordeaux,

where he met many winemakers,

including Bertrand Sourdais (now at

Dominio de Atauta, DO Ribera del

Duero, in Castile-Leon, northern

Spain) who have followed the

“alternative” viticulture route across

the French regions.

Later Ricardo met Nicolas Joly and,

although he does not describe him as

his main influence, he highly respects

the French champion of biodynamics,

describing him as un gran señor.

Ricardo Peréz Palacios has translated

Nicolas Joly’s book, Le vin du ciel à la

terre, into Spanish. The Spanish

version is titled El vino del cielo a la

tierra and the English translation is

called Wine from Sky to Earth.

Returning to the El Bierzo estate, wines

Villa de Corullón, San Martín, Fontelas,

Moncerbal, Las Lamas and La Faraona

are all biodynamic and they sell at the

high end of the market (39-104 euros).

The exception is Pétalos de Bierzo,

which is produced from some grapes

from the estate but mostly grapes

bought from growers, the majority of

them organic grape growers.

Ricardo is happy to explain how he

works from the vineyard right through

the vinification process and why he

works how he does. Biodynamics

helps him to work in a traditional way,

a natural way.

Biodynamic practices have gradually

been introduced at the 45-ha (111

acres) estate (30 ha / 74 acres of

vineyards split into roughly 200

parcels of long-established vineyards)

BIODYNAMICS

WINES


Moncerbal



they are throughout Madrid. But if youwant our cocido as part of the Menúdel Día, you absolutely must make areservation.”Other great regional dishes that I havehad the pleasure to discover on Menúsinclude the previously-mentionedbacalao a la llauna at the wonderfulBar Blanca in Barcelona’s Mercat SantAntoni, fricandó (Catalan-style braisedshin of beef and mushrooms) andespinacas a la Catalana (spinach withraisins and pine nuts), also inBarcelona; chocos con garbanzos

(chickpeas with cuttlefish) in thesoutherly capital of windsurfing,Tarifa, in Andalusia; menestra Riojana

(spring vegetables with extra virginolive oil) in La Rioja (northern Spain);ensalada de tomate Murciana (Murcian

tomato salad: tomatoes in conserve,tuna, onions and black olives) inMurcia; solomillo de cerdo adobado (loinof pork with orange and honey) in thewalled city of Lugo in Galicia(northwest Spain); marmitako(albacore tuna and potato stew) inBilbao (Basque Country, northernSpain); and torta de Santiago (almondtart) in Santiago de Compostela, againin Galicia.

A sense ofbelongingAnd then there are the people andtheir stories and the pride they take inproducing these dishes. Not onerestaurant owner, chef, waiter orwaitress refused me help when I was

traveling throughout Spainresearching my book Menú del Día:

More than 100 Classic, Authentic

Recipes from Across Spain. In the hostaland restaurant La Palma in Vigo(northwest Spain) I was prepared thelocal merluza al albariño (hake withsweet onions, clams, and Albariñowine) by Marcelo Vidal and waited onby his father, José. Like manyGalicians, José and his wife Américaemigrated to Argentina in the 1940s.He returned–and he remembers theday instinctively–on March 29th 1972with two young sons, Marcelo andRoberto. Exile, José explained to me,made it clear to him where he reallybelonged.At Taberna del Mono Loco (Tavern ofthe Crazy Monkey) in Zaragoza, the

capital of the inland, northwesterlyregion of Aragón, one local specialitythat you might find on the Menú delDía is ternasco asado (roast lamb). Thelechazo (two- or three-week old lamb)of Castile-Leon and the rest of centralSpain is widely acclaimed, but Aragónalso has a well-deserved reputation forits lamb. Its ternasco comes from atwo-month old animal and is just atouch fuller-flavored than lechazo.Chef and owner Ernesto Galindo isfrom Aragón, but started his career inthe Basque industrial town of Durangoin the late ‘60s. He likes to experimenta little and incorporate what he callsthe new cooking into his Menú deDegustación (sampler menu), but healso offers a Menú del Día. And, ifyou’re lucky, ternasco asado. “It’s avery popular dish,” he says. “But lamb

is expensive so we can’t have it on theMenú del Día every day. I buy mylamb and the rest of my meat fromfriends in Huesca, and most of myfruit and vegetables come fromAragón. The Menú del Dia uses a lot ofseasonal produce and it’s where youfind the traditional dishes.” Thatmeans the menu includes thepreviously-mentioned cocido, lentejas,merluza en salsa verde (hake in a flour-thickened parsley and garlic sauce),bacalao a la Vizcaina (codfish fricassee),and rabo de toro. And soon, Tabernadel Mono Loco will be offering anevening Menu del Dia. “It’s a means ofcombating the crisis, the economicslump,” says Mr. Galindo. “Peopleassociate the Menú with value.”Another restaurant where the Menúdel Día recently returned to its roots

and came to the aid of the workers isMorrysom in Barcelona. Here, inOctober 2008, owner Pedro Sausoroffered an incredible 1 euro Menú. Onits first day on offer, 500 sat down to achoice that included arroz negro,estofado de ternera (veal stew), merluzaa la plancha (hake cooked on the flatgriddle) and patatas con chorizo(potatoes with chorizo sausage).Should you be tempted, the pricehas now returned to the normal8.50 euros.

¡Qué te aproveche!(Enjoy!)Price aside, one of the very best Menúdel Días I remember eating was at thesimplest of restaurants just across theroad from the main train station next

06 MENU DEL DIA IN.qxd 6/8/09 18:22 Página 62


since 1999. The steep sloping

vineyards are worked with mules and

horses and the landscape is dotted

with fruit trees (fruit juices are also

produced and sold locally) and there’s

a small vegetable garden.

But, he adds: “All this doesn’t mean

anything and it doesn’t make the wine

good without the heritage and

tradition that we’ve found in the

agricultural landscape of El Bierzo: old

vines in a good location, good soils

and the delicate Mencía grape.

Biodynamics (alone) is not giving us

good wine…. There are so many other

elements, and one of the most

important is to work the land in the

traditional way.”

Ricardo does not believe that

biodynamics is well-understood in

Spain or elsewhere. As he says: “Many

people talk about biodynamics in a

very relaxed manner. It’s not just

pruning with the moon.” He also sees

a lack of experience in the wine

industry. “Some winemakers intervene

too much and some not enough.”

In the bodega he works with minimal

intervention–no additives, no pumps

or punching down and only natural

gravity. The wines are also made

similar to the traditional ways of the

locals from Corullón, which includes

fermenting whole bunches and stirring

the juice daily.

“Steiner didn’t say anything specific

about making wine; in fact, he was

abstemious, like nearly all his

followers. In both the vineyard and the

bodega I try to take the best from each

school and adapt it to my estate… We

try to do the best that we can without

ignoring progress and modern science,

but making them work with tradition,

quality, health and well-being.”

Over in neighboring DO Valdeorras

(Galicia, northwest Spain), another

member of the family, Rafael Palacios,

is more hesitant about

biodynamics–what seems to work well

for the red wines of Mencía may not be

ideal for white wines made from

Godello (Spain Gourmetour No. 76) in

this region, not yet at least.

Rafael says that he is introducing

biodynamic methods but he expects

the process to take at least another two

years for the vines to recover their

natural defenses.

He is clearly moving cautiously.

Godello is particularly sensitive to

oidium, which has to be factored in,

and he’s somewhat reluctant to

associate his bodega closely with “new

wave” biodynamic producers who, in

his view, don’t always offer good

wines. With his reputation for wines

As Sortes and Louro do Bolo steadily

growing, this is understandable.

Tempranillo keepsa low profileSo far the Tempranillo grape hasn’t

really come under the spotlight as we

explore the subject of biodynamics

across Spain’s regions. However, there

are a few notable producers in DO

Ribera del Duero who are practicing

biodynamics; it seems strange that

more haven’t followed suit.Winemaker Peter Sisseck has workedorganically from the outset and“actively” with biodynamic practicessince 2000 at Dominio de Pingus forhis top wine, Pingus. The vineyardsserving Flor de Pingus are now alsounder biodynamic viticulture.“I believe that biodynamics favors our


grandfather of Ricardo–Pepe (J.

Palacios)–who, as Ricardo explains,

inspired in him a passion for nature at

an early stage and triggered his “green

tendency”. This continued when he

went to study oenology in Bordeaux,

where he met many winemakers,

including Bertrand Sourdais (now at

Dominio de Atauta, DO Ribera del

Duero, in Castile-Leon, northern

Spain) who have followed the

“alternative” viticulture route across

the French regions.

Later Ricardo met Nicolas Joly and,

although he does not describe him as

his main influence, he highly respects

the French champion of biodynamics,

describing him as un gran señor.

Ricardo Peréz Palacios has translated

Nicolas Joly’s book, Le vin du ciel à la

terre, into Spanish. The Spanish

version is titled El vino del cielo a la

tierra and the English translation is

called Wine from Sky to Earth.

Returning to the El Bierzo estate, wines

Villa de Corullón, San Martín, Fontelas,

Moncerbal, Las Lamas and La Faraona

are all biodynamic and they sell at the

high end of the market (39-104 euros).

The exception is Pétalos de Bierzo,

which is produced from some grapes

from the estate but mostly grapes

bought from growers, the majority of

them organic grape growers.

Ricardo is happy to explain how he

works from the vineyard right through

the vinification process and why he

works how he does. Biodynamics

helps him to work in a traditional way,

a natural way.

Biodynamic practices have gradually

been introduced at the 45-ha (111

acres) estate (30 ha / 74 acres of

vineyards split into roughly 200

parcels of long-established vineyards)

BIODYNAMICS

WINES


Moncerbal


06 MENU DEL DIA AF.qxd 7/8/09 11:13 Página 6005 VINO_BIODINAMICO AF.qxd 16/7/09 06:56 Página 52


Spain’s favoritetraditional dishesHomely, unfussy Rincón de Diego isowned by Ramon Gea. “Everyone likesthe Menú del Día,” he says. “It’s a wayto eat Spain’s favorite traditionaldishes. My customers, and I have 40 to50 every day, are mainly Spanish, but Ialso get a lot of English people and afew French. The Menú is a complete,economical meal. What’s reallyimportant is the relationship betweenquality and price. I buy my ingredientsevery morning from the market innearby Garrucha. I go every day to seewhat’s available.”Mr. Gea and his patrons are very luckyto have Garrucha as their local markettown because it is a real, workingfishing town and famous nationwidefor its fish and shellfish, in particularits notably sweet prawns. The boats go

out at dawn and return later the sameday at 5 pm. Shortly after there’s anauction on the quay. Eat fish for dinnerin Garrucha and the chances are that itwas caught and arrived just hoursbefore.The Menú del Día at Rincón de Diegothe day this article was written (aWednesday in late May) is classic:gazpacho (chilled vegetable soup),salmorejo, macarrones (macaroni withmeat and tomato sauce), sopa demarisco (shellfish soup) and sopacastellana (garlic soup with chorizo orcured ham) to start. Then, a laplancha, there are the meat choices:lomo (pork fillet), pollo (chicken),bacon, chuletas de cordero (lambcutlets), bistec de ternera (steak),salchichas (sausages) and hamburguesa(hamburger).And then, fresh from Garrucha, andcooked either a la plancha or baked inthe oven, there’s the fish: dorada (sea

bream), bacaladillas (blue whiting, a

small fish from the cod family), sepia

(cuttlefish), calamares (squid) and

boquerones (fresh anchovies).

Postre (dessert) amounts to a roll call of

Spain’s finest. There’s mousse de

chocolate (chocolate mousse), natillas

(custard), helado (ice cream), flan, and

pan de Calatrava (flan with bread, a

dish that was first produced by monks

at the monastery at the village of

Calatrava in the neighboring region of

Murcia, in southeast Spain).

All of this is accompanied by a salad

and wine, beer or a soft drink, and

finished with coffee. The price is an

incredible 9 euros.

RegionalspecialitiesVisit any region of Spain and you will

find a local speciality on the Menú del

Día. In Madrid it’s cocido, and it appearson Tuesdays. Cocido is a slow-cooked,one-pot stew that originates from theSephardic Jewish adafina (pot), themeal that was pre-prepared for theSabbath; the name is the past perfecttense of the Spanish verb cocer, to cook,and simply means “cooked”. When theChristian kings took control of Spainfrom the Muslim Moors in the 15th

century, eating cocido, with the all-important addition of pork, became away of identifying yourself as aChristian. Variants of the dish–thepucheros of the Valencian coast andAndalusia, the escudellas ofCatalonia–make cocido Spain’s nationaldish, as opposed to the very commonbut staunchly Valencian paella. Madrid’scocido madrileno is widely considered tobe the classic of the order.A good amount of chickpeas (I have afriend who uses one handful per

person and one for the pot), whichwill be from Valseca (Segovia, incentral Spain) if you want the best, isthe principal ingredient. Then thereare the meats and the vegetables,which must be cooked whole. Beefshank, beef and ham bones, tocino (adelicious, enriching fatty bacon),chicken, chorizo, and morcilla (bloodsausage) will all normally appear,along with a carrot, a leek, a potatoand a stalk of celery. There’s no garlicand the only seasoning is salt. Andthere’s also a way to enjoy cocido: asthey do at the classic, old-style,polished oak and tiled floor CasaManolo in Madrid’s Salamanca district.

Cocido onTuesdaysIn the time-honored way, CasaManolo’s cocido appears on its 15 euro

Menú del Día every Tuesday. No oneknows exactly why it has alwaysappeared on Tuesday’s Menú, but awidespread assumption is that it wasthe perfect dish to shop for andprepare on fish-free Mondays (fish wasnot available on Mondays at thecentral market). As a primero, therewill be sopa de cocido (cocido soup),which is the broth in which a fewfideos (small, crooked pieces ofspaghetti-like pasta) have beencooked. And then, as a segundo, therewill be cocido, the meats andvegetables. The traditionalaccompaniment is a side dish of greencabbage, cooked, quite probably, withgarlic, a touch of sherry vinegar andpimentón. “The Menú is a greattradition,” says Casa Manolo’s managerAntonio Borrado. “Callos (stew withveal tripe), calamares, and rabo de toro

(oxtail stew) are very popular here as

06 MENU DEL DIA IN.qxd 29/7/09 13:20 Página 60 (INGLES plancha)


wines very much,” he says.Until now Peter hasn’t drawn attentionto this aspect of his wines, but thebodega seems to be taking a moreopen approach, having joined theRenaissance des Appellationsassociation (What is biodynamics?,page 48).In 2001 another highly-regardedproducer, Dominio de Atauta, adoptedbiodynamic practices following thearrival of Bordeaux-trained winemakerBertrand Sourdais. Like Ricardo PérezPalacios in El Bierzo, Bertrand seesbiodynamics as a way to respect theenvironment and fully express theterroir of a vineyard without rejectingmodernity. As he says: “For me,biodynamics is the way to strengthenthe personality and identity of a wine,but it can never replace the skill of thewinemaker to make great wines.”Perhaps surprisingly, given the statureof DOCa Rioja (northern Spain) in the

wine world, biodynamic wineproducers are as yet few and farbetween in the region and the price ofvineyards can make it hard for theyounger generation to gain a footholdhere and do something that involves adifferent approach.Olivier Rivière is a French winemakerwho started his career in Burgundyworking for estates including DomaineLeroy, which gave him experience inworking with organic and biodynamicvineyards. After coming to Spain towork with Telmo Rodríguez (Spain

Gourmetour No. 61), in 2006 hestarted his own consultancy businessbased in Rioja.Olivier is convinced that biodynamicsis “a tool to make a better wine”. Hebelieves that a vineyard respondsdifferently after four or five yearsunder biodynamic management andthat the vines offer grapes withstronger character.

He adds: “You get real terroir and(biodynamic) wines have their owncharacter even if they are not perfect. Itaste a lot of perfect wine and it can beboring. There are too many uniformwines, especially modernTempranillos. In Rioja peopleused to know which village a winecame from.”Olivier is heading to DO Arlanza(Castile-Leon, northern Spain) topursue a biodynamic wine project,having acquired a vineyard there. Riojaproved problematic for what hewanted to do as growers there have yetto go down the biodynamic route in away seen in other Spanish regions;there is more enthusiasm for organicviticulture in the region.Meanwhile he’s doing a fine job withwines for producers including BodegasLacus, a young DOCa Rioja producerat Aldeanueva de Ebro in the RiojaBaja, which produces wine with great

consideration for the environment.There is one winemaker of note whopractices biodynamics in Rioja: TelmoRodríguez. His Rioja vineyards arelocated in the Lanciego area of Riojaand he takes a similar approach toviticulture in many other regionsof Spain.Telmo’s interest for biodynamics wassparked by what he saw and learnedin France in the early 1990s, whichincluded meeting Nicolas Joly. Backin Spain at his family’s bodega,Remelluri, he saw a need to workcloser with the vineyards; he felt thatsomething had been lost. Heembraced organics and finallybiodynamics when he started todevelop his own vineyards in 2000.Today he has 16 ha (39 acres) underbiodynamic management serving histop Rioja wine, Altos de Lanzaga(100% biodynamic), and his secondwine, Lanzaga, which is produced

from around 60% of biodynamically-grown grapes. The Rioja plots featureold traditional bush vines, the style ofvineyard that Telmo finds mostinteresting for his entire portfolio.“My approach isn’t very intellectualand the challenge wasn’t to producebiodynamic wines. I believe that weneed to be working as naturally aspossible… Great viticulture for greatwines. Biodyamics isn’t complicated; Itry to see it in a simple way.”Like many other prominent Spanishwinemakers, Telmo doesn’t usebiodynamics (or organics) as amarketing angle and he’s lukewarmabout official stamps.Are attitudes changing in Rioja? Hebelieves that many of Rioja’s growersare not very outward-looking in theirmentality–a possible reason whybiodynamics is slow to develop in theregion. However, he also sees morewines coming from smaller growers

and vineyards. “People with a fewacres will produce the best wines inthe future… Rioja is changing.”Biodynamics may not be the choice fora large number of Spanish producers,especially those working on a largescale. However, in the wider context ofrespecting the environment and usingvineyard processes that are as close tonature as possible, it seems to behaving a positive influence. And ifbiodynamics contributes to a wine’squality and personality, then that’s abig bonus.

Patricia Langton is a freelance

journalist specializing in wine, wine

tourism and gastronomy. Her work has

appeared in a number of publications

including Decanter, The Guardian,

easyJet Inflight Magazine, The DrinksBusiness, Harpers Wine & Spirit and

Off Licence News. She has lived and

worked in Spain and visits regularly.




wines very much,” he says.Until now Peter hasn’t drawn attentionto this aspect of his wines, but thebodega seems to be taking a moreopen approach, having joined theRenaissance des Appellationsassociation (What is biodynamics?,page 48).In 2001 another highly-regardedproducer, Dominio de Atauta, adoptedbiodynamic practices following thearrival of Bordeaux-trained winemakerBertrand Sourdais. Like Ricardo PérezPalacios in El Bierzo, Bertrand seesbiodynamics as a way to respect theenvironment and fully express theterroir of a vineyard without rejectingmodernity. As he says: “For me,biodynamics is the way to strengthenthe personality and identity of a wine,but it can never replace the skill of thewinemaker to make great wines.”Perhaps surprisingly, given the statureof DOCa Rioja (northern Spain) in the

wine world, biodynamic wineproducers are as yet few and farbetween in the region and the price ofvineyards can make it hard for theyounger generation to gain a footholdhere and do something that involves adifferent approach.Olivier Rivière is a French winemakerwho started his career in Burgundyworking for estates including DomaineLeroy, which gave him experience inworking with organic and biodynamicvineyards. After coming to Spain towork with Telmo Rodríguez (Spain

Gourmetour No. 61), in 2006 hestarted his own consultancy businessbased in Rioja.Olivier is convinced that biodynamicsis “a tool to make a better wine”. Hebelieves that a vineyard respondsdifferently after four or five yearsunder biodynamic management andthat the vines offer grapes withstronger character.

He adds: “You get real terroir and(biodynamic) wines have their owncharacter even if they are not perfect. Itaste a lot of perfect wine and it can beboring. There are too many uniformwines, especially modernTempranillos. In Rioja peopleused to know which village a winecame from.”Olivier is heading to DO Arlanza(Castile-Leon, northern Spain) topursue a biodynamic wine project,having acquired a vineyard there. Riojaproved problematic for what hewanted to do as growers there have yetto go down the biodynamic route in away seen in other Spanish regions;there is more enthusiasm for organicviticulture in the region.Meanwhile he’s doing a fine job withwines for producers including BodegasLacus, a young DOCa Rioja producerat Aldeanueva de Ebro in the RiojaBaja, which produces wine with great

consideration for the environment.There is one winemaker of note whopractices biodynamics in Rioja: TelmoRodríguez. His Rioja vineyards arelocated in the Lanciego area of Riojaand he takes a similar approach toviticulture in many other regionsof Spain.Telmo’s interest for biodynamics wassparked by what he saw and learnedin France in the early 1990s, whichincluded meeting Nicolas Joly. Backin Spain at his family’s bodega,Remelluri, he saw a need to workcloser with the vineyards; he felt thatsomething had been lost. Heembraced organics and finallybiodynamics when he started todevelop his own vineyards in 2000.Today he has 16 ha (39 acres) underbiodynamic management serving histop Rioja wine, Altos de Lanzaga(100% biodynamic), and his secondwine, Lanzaga, which is produced

from around 60% of biodynamically-grown grapes. The Rioja plots featureold traditional bush vines, the style ofvineyard that Telmo finds mostinteresting for his entire portfolio.“My approach isn’t very intellectualand the challenge wasn’t to producebiodynamic wines. I believe that weneed to be working as naturally aspossible… Great viticulture for greatwines. Biodyamics isn’t complicated; Itry to see it in a simple way.”Like many other prominent Spanishwinemakers, Telmo doesn’t usebiodynamics (or organics) as amarketing angle and he’s lukewarmabout official stamps.Are attitudes changing in Rioja? Hebelieves that many of Rioja’s growersare not very outward-looking in theirmentality–a possible reason whybiodynamics is slow to develop in theregion. However, he also sees morewines coming from smaller growers

and vineyards. “People with a fewacres will produce the best wines inthe future… Rioja is changing.”Biodynamics may not be the choice fora large number of Spanish producers,especially those working on a largescale. However, in the wider context ofrespecting the environment and usingvineyard processes that are as close tonature as possible, it seems to behaving a positive influence. And ifbiodynamics contributes to a wine’squality and personality, then that’s abig bonus.

Patricia Langton is a freelance

journalist specializing in wine, wine

tourism and gastronomy. Her work has

appeared in a number of publications

including Decanter, The Guardian,

easyJet Inflight Magazine, The DrinksBusiness, Harpers Wine & Spirit and

Off Licence News. She has lived and

worked in Spain and visits regularly.


06 MENU DEL DIA AF.qxd 24/7/09 12:41 Página 54

DAYIn an effort to offer something more than sun, sea and sand to Spain's ever-increasing

number of tourists, the Franco government of 1965 ordered every restaurant in

the land to offer a Menú Turístico: three courses, something to drink, and coffee to

finish, for a price a good deal less than if the dishes had been ordered individually,

à la carte. The Menú Turístico was immediately as popular with the Spanish as it

was with the tourists and quickly became known as the Menú del Día. And now,

45 years on and with a reported 63% of working Spaniards sitting down to it every

weekday, it remains in favor and has become a very Spanish institution.

MENUof the

A Very Spanish Institution




On every day of the working week ataround about twelve noon, a just-chalked blackboard will appearoutside pretty much every old-styleneighborhood taberna, strip-lit comedor(literally, dining room), cafetería, andall but the very grandest of restaurantsin Spain.Each of them will announce four orfive primeros platos (first courses):perhaps pisto (a type of ratatouille),lentejas (lentils stewed with off-cuts ofham, knob ends of cured sausage,stray bone–whatever’s to hand),salmorejo (the famous bread-thickenedCordobese tomato soup), ensaladamixta (the typical Spanish salad withlettuce, onion, olives and often tuna),and arroz negro (rice made black withsquid ink).Then there will be about the samenumber of segundos (main courses):fabada (Asturian white beans withwhat the Asturians call compango: aselection of pork bits and cuts such asear, tail, smoked ham and bacon), asteak and a fresh fish of the daycooked simply, a la plancha (on the flatgriddle), and perhaps bacalao (saltcod), which in northwesterly Cataloniamight typically be baked a la llauna(“on the tin”) with tomato, onion,pimentón (a type of paprika fromSpain) and white wine.

The bottom of the blackboard givesthe price (9.50 euros was the morethan reasonable national average as ofOctober 2008) which, in addition tothe primero and segundo, includespan, bebida, postre y cafe (bread, adrink, dessert and coffee), being thetime-honored norm. Dessert is alwaysa simple, routine affair with yogurt,orange juice, fruit of the day and thatgreat favorite, flan (caramel custard),often sufficing.This, as the top of the blackboardboldly states, is the Menu del Día(Menu of the Day), an authenticSpanish tradition.

Support your localmarketThe Menú del Día came into being onMarch 17th 1965. Spain wasexperiencing an industrial upsurgethat, for a period, gave it one of thehighest economic growth rates in theworld. Contributing hugely to this wasthe construction industry, much ofwhich was centered on theMediterranean coast and aimed atattracting tourists and their all-important cash. As an extra incentiveto the sun, sea and sand, Franco’sMinistry of Information and Tourism,at that time under the direction of the

now veteran senator for Galicia,Manuel Fraga, came up with the ideaof the Menu Turístico. This consisted ofa first course, a main course, dessert,something to drink and bread. Everyrestaurant in Spain, however humbleor grand, was obliged to offer it andeach dish included in it had to comefrom the restaurant’s usual à la carte

menu. The price was not to exceed80% of what the dishes would havecost had they been orderedindividually.The original 1965 documents relatingto the introduction of the MenúTurístico also implicitly suggest thatrestaurateurs make good use of Spain’sdaily food markets. At that time, andas they are now, many restaurants werefamily-owned and run, and whatappeared on the Menú was what wasfresh and available for a good price atthe local market that morning. TheMenú Turístico soon gained areputation as the best option for good,local, seasonal produce and traditionaldishes. And from the areas of Spainwhere tourists were yet to venture tothe most inland and northwesterlyparts of the country, the conceptbecame hugely popular with theSpanish and commonly known as theMenú del Día.

TEXTROHAN DAFT/©ICEX

ILLUSTRATIONALFREDO

PHOTOSFERNANDO MADARIAGA/©ICEX



Tourism arrivesin SpainBy 1960, drought had forced so manyof the occupants of the pretty village ofMojácar in the province of Almería onthe Mediterranean coast to emigratethat the population had fallen from8,000 at the turn of the century to1,000. To go some way towards payingfor their passage, the villagers hadtaken the fixtures and fittings of theirhouses with them–doors, windowframes and wooden beamsincluded–and the village was, quiteliterally, falling apart. Its charismaticmayor, Jacinto Alarcón, knew all toowell about the national drive to attracttourists and outside investment ingeneral and had the bright idea ofgiving away ruined houses and plots ofland on the condition that they wereredeveloped. He worked hard atattracting a remarkably eclectic groupof people to the village–the renownedColombian concert pianist EnriqueArias and Michael (later Lord) Adeane,the private secretary to QueenElizabeth of England, amongstthem–in the knowledge that theywould bring friends and family andmore investment with them.And so it happened. Phillip Adeane,Michael’s cousin, first visited Mojácarin 1961 to invest in land on behalf ofthe Costa Rica Railway Company, andhas maintained a house in Almeríaever since. “There weren’t many placesto eat then,” he recalls. “There werewonderful fish and vegetables, butthere was very little meat to buy exceptpork, and a lot of English people usedto take bacon and sausages with them.The other thing I remember from thenis that Franco made all the gas stationsstay open 24 hours a day. The bestrestaurant was Rincón de Pepe, next tothe cathedral in Almería. There weredelicious beans and legs of lamb alhorno (roast). The waiters were allrepublicans and they adored workingin this excellent, old-fashionedrestaurant. In Mojácar, one ate at HotelIndalo.” The indalo is a stick figure of a

man holding an arc or, some say, arainbow in his outstretched arms,which the women of Mojácartraditionally paint on their doors tokeep away evil spirits. “The wholething was rather strange. It was a bitlike being in London at times: you’dsee people you recognized.”

The Menú del Díaarrives in MojácarHe also clearly remembers the adventof the Menú del Día at Hotel Indalo. “Itwas very good and cheap, 150 pesetas(less than 1 euro), I think. There was asalad, a couple of fish choices, meat,maybe filete de cerdo (pork fillet), andthen peaches in syrup and fresh fruit:oranges, melon and bananas. Everyonehad to have a Menú del Día in thosedays. In winter there was always aplato de cuchara (a hearty dish to beeaten with a spoon): lentils, chickpeasor beans with meat. In betterrestaurants, there was huevos a lacubana (Cuban-style fried eggs withrice, tomato sauce and a fried banana)and huevos a la flamenca (eggs, usually

baked, with diced, cured ham or

chorizo–a type of cured red

sausage–and tomato sauce). And

there’s always migas (bread soaked and

fried with pepper, chorizo and pork

belly) on the Menú in Almería when

it’s raining.”

And Mr. Adeane remains a big fan of

the Menú to this day. “We’re going

today to Bar Santa Maria in Almería

where we will have the Menú del Día:

salad, ham and eggs, bread, melon and

ice cream. It’s about 9 euros. The

Menú del Día has resisted inflation

amazingly; it has gone up in price less

than anything. I think it’s largely

because the restaurants buy local,

seasonal produce.”

Hotel Indalo is still in Mojácar, but in

keeping with the requirements of the

majority of package tourists, now it

only offers a buffet libre (all you can

eat); the law that obliged restaurants to

offer a Menú del Día disappeared with

Franco in 1975. But, as throughout

Spain, you still don’t have to go far to

find one in Mojácar.





Spain’s favoritetraditional dishesHomely, unfussy Rincón de Diego isowned by Ramon Gea. “Everyone likesthe Menú del Día,” he says. “It’s a wayto eat Spain’s favorite traditionaldishes. My customers, and I have 40 to50 every day, are mainly Spanish, but Ialso get a lot of English people and afew French. The Menú is a complete,economical meal. What’s reallyimportant is the relationship betweenquality and price. I buy my ingredientsevery morning from the market innearby Garrucha. I go every day to seewhat’s available.”Mr. Gea and his patrons are very luckyto have Garrucha as their local markettown because it is a real, workingfishing town and famous nationwidefor its fish and shellfish, in particularits notably sweet prawns. The boats go

out at dawn and return later the sameday at 5 pm. Shortly after there’s anauction on the quay. Eat fish for dinnerin Garrucha and the chances are that itwas caught and arrived just hoursbefore.The Menú del Día at Rincón de Diegothe day this article was written (aWednesday in late May) is classic:gazpacho (chilled vegetable soup),salmorejo, macarrones (macaroni withmeat and tomato sauce), sopa demarisco (shellfish soup) and sopacastellana (garlic soup with chorizo orcured ham) to start. Then, a laplancha, there are the meat choices:lomo (pork fillet), pollo (chicken),bacon, chuletas de cordero (lambcutlets), bistec de ternera (steak),salchichas (sausages) and hamburguesa(hamburger).And then, fresh from Garrucha, andcooked either a la plancha or baked inthe oven, there’s the fish: dorada (sea

bream), bacaladillas (blue whiting, a

small fish from the cod family), sepia

(cuttlefish), calamares (squid) and

boquerones (fresh anchovies).

Postre (dessert) amounts to a roll call of

Spain’s finest. There’s mousse de

chocolate (chocolate mousse), natillas

(custard), helado (ice cream), flan, and

pan de Calatrava (flan with bread, a

dish that was first produced by monks

at the monastery at the village of

Calatrava in the neighboring region of

Murcia, in southeast Spain).

All of this is accompanied by a salad

and wine, beer or a soft drink, and

finished with coffee. The price is an

incredible 9 euros.

RegionalspecialitiesVisit any region of Spain and you will

find a local speciality on the Menú del

Día. In Madrid it’s cocido, and it appearson Tuesdays. Cocido is a slow-cooked,one-pot stew that originates from theSephardic Jewish adafina (pot), themeal that was pre-prepared for theSabbath; the name is the past perfecttense of the Spanish verb cocer, to cook,and simply means “cooked”. When theChristian kings took control of Spainfrom the Muslim Moors in the 15th

century, eating cocido, with the all-important addition of pork, became away of identifying yourself as aChristian. Variants of the dish–thepucheros of the Valencian coast andAndalusia, the escudellas ofCatalonia–make cocido Spain’s nationaldish, as opposed to the very commonbut staunchly Valencian paella. Madrid’scocido madrileno is widely considered tobe the classic of the order.A good amount of chickpeas (I have afriend who uses one handful per

person and one for the pot), whichwill be from Valseca (Segovia, incentral Spain) if you want the best, isthe principal ingredient. Then thereare the meats and the vegetables,which must be cooked whole. Beefshank, beef and ham bones, tocino (adelicious, enriching fatty bacon),chicken, chorizo, and morcilla (bloodsausage) will all normally appear,along with a carrot, a leek, a potatoand a stalk of celery. There’s no garlicand the only seasoning is salt. Andthere’s also a way to enjoy cocido: asthey do at the classic, old-style,polished oak and tiled floor CasaManolo in Madrid’s Salamanca district.

Cocido onTuesdaysIn the time-honored way, CasaManolo’s cocido appears on its 15 euro

Menú del Día every Tuesday. No oneknows exactly why it has alwaysappeared on Tuesday’s Menú, but awidespread assumption is that it wasthe perfect dish to shop for andprepare on fish-free Mondays (fish wasnot available on Mondays at thecentral market). As a primero, therewill be sopa de cocido (cocido soup),which is the broth in which a fewfideos (small, crooked pieces ofspaghetti-like pasta) have beencooked. And then, as a segundo, therewill be cocido, the meats andvegetables. The traditionalaccompaniment is a side dish of greencabbage, cooked, quite probably, withgarlic, a touch of sherry vinegar andpimentón. “The Menú is a greattradition,” says Casa Manolo’s managerAntonio Borrado. “Callos (stew withveal tripe), calamares, and rabo de toro

(oxtail stew) are very popular here as




they are throughout Madrid. But if youwant our cocido as part of the Menúdel Día, you absolutely must make areservation.”Other great regional dishes that I havehad the pleasure to discover on Menúsinclude the previously-mentionedbacalao a la llauna at the wonderfulBar Blanca in Barcelona’s Mercat SantAntoni, fricandó (Catalan-style braisedshin of beef and mushrooms) andespinacas a la Catalana (spinach withraisins and pine nuts), also inBarcelona; chocos con garbanzos

(chickpeas with cuttlefish) in thesoutherly capital of windsurfing,Tarifa, in Andalusia; menestra Riojana

(spring vegetables with extra virginolive oil) in La Rioja (northern Spain);ensalada de tomate Murciana (Murcian

tomato salad: tomatoes in conserve,tuna, onions and black olives) inMurcia; solomillo de cerdo adobado (loinof pork with orange and honey) in thewalled city of Lugo in Galicia(northwest Spain); marmitako(albacore tuna and potato stew) inBilbao (Basque Country, northernSpain); and torta de Santiago (almondtart) in Santiago de Compostela, againin Galicia.

A sense ofbelongingAnd then there are the people andtheir stories and the pride they take inproducing these dishes. Not onerestaurant owner, chef, waiter orwaitress refused me help when I was

traveling throughout Spainresearching my book Menú del Día:

More than 100 Classic, Authentic

Recipes from Across Spain. In the hostaland restaurant La Palma in Vigo(northwest Spain) I was prepared thelocal merluza al albariño (hake withsweet onions, clams, and Albariñowine) by Marcelo Vidal and waited onby his father, José. Like manyGalicians, José and his wife Américaemigrated to Argentina in the 1940s.He returned–and he remembers theday instinctively–on March 29th 1972with two young sons, Marcelo andRoberto. Exile, José explained to me,made it clear to him where he reallybelonged.At Taberna del Mono Loco (Tavern ofthe Crazy Monkey) in Zaragoza, the

capital of the inland, northwesterlyregion of Aragón, one local specialitythat you might find on the Menú delDía is ternasco asado (roast lamb). Thelechazo (two- or three-week old lamb)of Castile-Leon and the rest of centralSpain is widely acclaimed, but Aragónalso has a well-deserved reputation forits lamb. Its ternasco comes from atwo-month old animal and is just atouch fuller-flavored than lechazo.Chef and owner Ernesto Galindo isfrom Aragón, but started his career inthe Basque industrial town of Durangoin the late ‘60s. He likes to experimenta little and incorporate what he callsthe new cooking into his Menú deDegustación (sampler menu), but healso offers a Menú del Día. And, ifyou’re lucky, ternasco asado. “It’s avery popular dish,” he says. “But lamb

is expensive so we can’t have it on theMenú del Día every day. I buy mylamb and the rest of my meat fromfriends in Huesca, and most of myfruit and vegetables come fromAragón. The Menú del Dia uses a lot ofseasonal produce and it’s where youfind the traditional dishes.” Thatmeans the menu includes thepreviously-mentioned cocido, lentejas,merluza en salsa verde (hake in a flour-thickened parsley and garlic sauce),bacalao a la Vizcaina (codfish fricassee),and rabo de toro. And soon, Tabernadel Mono Loco will be offering anevening Menu del Dia. “It’s a means ofcombating the crisis, the economicslump,” says Mr. Galindo. “Peopleassociate the Menú with value.”Another restaurant where the Menúdel Día recently returned to its roots

and came to the aid of the workers isMorrysom in Barcelona. Here, inOctober 2008, owner Pedro Sausoroffered an incredible 1 euro Menú. Onits first day on offer, 500 sat down to achoice that included arroz negro,estofado de ternera (veal stew), merluzaa la plancha (hake cooked on the flatgriddle) and patatas con chorizo(potatoes with chorizo sausage).Should you be tempted, the pricehas now returned to the normal8.50 euros.

¡Qué te aproveche!(Enjoy!)Price aside, one of the very best Menúdel Días I remember eating was at thesimplest of restaurants just across theroad from the main train station next

06 MENU DEL DIA IN.qxd 6/8/09 18:22 Página 62



to the Plaza de Toros (bullfightingring) in Valencia. The place was quiteliterally nameless and full of veryhappily co-existing office workers andpaint and plaster-splatteredconstruction workers. “¡Que teaproveche!” (Enjoy!) a plasterer said tome as I sat at the bar and was handedthe menu. This traditional Spanishgreeting–something you will hear morethan once when sitting down to aMenú del Dia–is now sadly consideredover-familiar and crass amongst someof Spain’s middle class.As everyone else seemed to be doing, Iordered the paella to start. It arrivedquickly: a generous plateful of yellowrice dotted with a few small pieces ofrabbit and with a large wedge of lemonon the side. I had previously been toldthat lemon was only used to disguise apoor paella, something I immediatelydisregarded as I began to eat. Thepaella was delicious, with the rice firmto bite, a clean, uncluttered smack ofsaffron and a strong hint of garlic.Then came a couple of small, fried slipsoles and a handful of fried potatoes.

Finally I was served a big slice ofrichly-orange and perfectly-ripe localmelon. With a beer and coffeeincluded, I think it cost 7.50 euros.

Thursdays meanPaellaThe day to find paella on the Menú delDía anywhere in Spain is Thursday.The general consensus is that this is sobecause Thursday was the day that ricewas handed out during the days offood rationing. Others claim thatbecause maids traditionally hadThursday off, they would prepare asofrito (slow cooked onion, tomato andgarlic, and the basis for many paellas)on Wednesday evenings so theirmasters could prepare a quick andeasy paella the following day by justadding some meat or fish, rice andstock. And then there’s the legend thatThursday is paella day because Francohunted every Thursday morning andliked to eat paella, his favorite dish,when he finished. As he huntedthroughout the country, it was best

that every restaurant had a paella readyand prepared on Thursdays lest heappear and demand it.The Spanish people take great, justpride in their delicacies, such as jamoniberico de bellota (ham from Ibéricoacorn-fed pigs), azafran de La Mancha(saffron from La Mancha), gambas(prawns) and cochinillo (suckling pig).But they are equally proud of theirchickpeas, lentils, black puddings,sausages, every-day estofados (stews)and arrozes, and meat and fish cookedsimply on the griddle. As it was duringsome hard times past and the darkdays of rationing, food is valued asmuch as it is enjoyed in Spain. Peoplestill like to eat locally and seasonallyand get the best out of whatever isavailable. And the best way of properlyappreciating that, as 63% of workingSpaniards do every weekday, is to sitdown to a Menú del Día.

Rohan Daft is the author of Menú delDía: More than 100 Classic, AuthenticRecipes from Across Spain. He iscurrently writing a book about rationing.

MENU OF THE DAY

CULINARYFARE


07 TARRAGONA_IBIZA AF.qxd 24/7/09 08:52 Página 6607 TARRAGONA_IBIZA AF.qxd 23/7/09 02:01 Página 78

Tarragona. Sarcophagus, Pretorium Ibiza. Ses Salines beach

The wealth of Spanish World Heritage Sites, on which Spain Gourmetourhas been reporting in its past two editions, would simply be unfathomablewithout one key factor: the Mediterranean. This sea “in the middle oflands” which unites three continents has, since ancient times, been a vitallink not only in regard to exploration, trade and expansion, but also to

a quintessential exchange of cultures and ideas. This is why in this lastof three articles about Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites we travelto the Mediterranean shores and allow two emblematic places to speakto us of how it all came to pass. As primal witnesses, Ibiza and Tarragonahave a lot to tell.

MEDITERRANEAN Trea

sure

s

07 TARRAGONA_IBIZA IN.qxd 29/7/09 13:35 Página 66 (INGLES plancha)


Arbequina olive oil. According to jovialJosep Baiges, president of theregulatory council, about 15% of it isexported, mostly to Europe and the USwhere Alice Waters is its specialambassador (see Chez Panisse MenuCookbook). And it is certainly useful toknow that intermingled with all this isthe Cistercian route linking themagnificent 12th-century monasteriesof Santes Creus, Vallbona, and majesticPoblet, a separate World Heritage Sitesince 1991.It all comes to show that whicheverdirection you travel, wherever yourinterests lie, whatever your age orbackground, Spain is a true treasuretrove for visitors. Throughout itsfascinating history, the country hasaccumulated an unequaledmonumental and cultural heritage,clearly recognized as such byUNESCO. Yet as we have seen in thisseries of articles, at every step we alsofind breathtaking landscapes, a widevariety of sports and entertainment,lots of local color, charming peopleand last but by no means least, thefruits of its lands and its succulentgastronomy, which never ceases tosurprise and has earned a well-deserved position among the world’sgreatest. Vibrant Spain awaits you!

Anke van Wijck Adán is a sociologistand has a Master’s degree in gastronomyfrom Boston University. Her articles haveappeared in The Boston Globe.

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

AROUND&ABOUT

different rice dishes (always using PGIDelta del Ebro Bahía rice), togetherwith romesco (Versatile romesco, page72), as well as an array ofmouthwatering appetizers and sinfuldesserts.Tarragona’s port area features a numberof large restaurants with prettyterraces, but if you are not adamantabout harbor views and great comfort,you have the “second row”, where theyounger generation is offeringexcellent fresh daily fish at a goodprice. On your way back you can visitthe large Paleo-Christian Necropolisand then relax on one of Tarragona’smany terraces, have a red vermouth(very popular here as nearby Reus hasa longstanding reputation of producingan exquisite natural vermouth) andjust leisurely mingle among the locals.

Roaming thehinterlandTárraco’s last World Heritage Site liesin Constantí, just north of the city. TheVilla Romana de Centcelles is arecently-restored rural villa featuring amagnificent partly-recovered mosaicdome. This is a great opportunity toroam Tarragona’s fabulous hinterland.In the famous town of Valls you are infor a truly unique and surelyunforgettable gastronomic experience,the calçotada (The Calçotada, page 77).From there it is a short drive toMedieval walled-in Montblanc and itsbeautifully-restored Alenyà Palace,which houses the Regulatory Councilof DO Conca de Barberà. Worth

mentioning here is the Trepat, an

autochthonous minority variety

producing excellent rosés, but lately

also some good reds, as Carles Andreu,

president of the council, explains. In

short, the area will be a paradise for

wine tourists with six catalogued

Modernist cooperative buildings to

visit. One of them is in Esplugas de

Francolí, also famous for its traditional

carquinyolis, all-natural biscotti-like

cookies filled with Marcona almonds.

A traditional manufacturer here is

Especialitats Cobos and, being one of

Spain’s emblematic products, you can

find their carquinyolis in all Spanish

airports.

The area is also part of PDO Siurana,

home to the internationally-awarded

sweet, fruity, and somewhat nutty


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Tarragona. Roman Circus


07 TARRAGONA_IBIZA AF.qxd 24/7/09 08:52 Página 66

Tarragona. Sarcophagus, Pretorium Ibiza. Ses Salines beach

The wealth of Spanish World Heritage Sites, on which Spain Gourmetourhas been reporting in its past two editions, would simply be unfathomablewithout one key factor: the Mediterranean. This sea “in the middle oflands” which unites three continents has, since ancient times, been a vitallink not only in regard to exploration, trade and expansion, but also to

a quintessential exchange of cultures and ideas. This is why in this lastof three articles about Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites we travelto the Mediterranean shores and allow two emblematic places to speakto us of how it all came to pass. As primal witnesses, Ibiza and Tarragonahave a lot to tell.

MEDITERRANEAN Trea

sure

s


07 TARRAGONA_IBIZA AF.qxd 24/7/09 09:07 Página 7607 TARRAGONA_IBIZA AF.qxd 23/7/09 01:19 Página 68

and this just comes to show the depthof Tarragona’s present level ofidentification with and commitmentto its Roman past.We now continue our walk along thePlaza del Forum (Forum Plaza), whereRoman remains tower high overcrowded terraces; the ArchaeologicalMuseum, which displays some uniqueworks of art, such as the twomagnificent Medusa and Fish mosaics;the Pretorium; and the telling remainsof both the Circus and theAmphitheater.

A balcony on theMediterraneanInadvertently, our route has led us outof the old city and into the new area,and here the place to start is at itsvantage point on the impressive Balcóndel Mediterráneo, a wide oblongsquare with spectacular views over thesea down below. Its center opens up toTarragona’s main avenue, RamblaNova, the spinal cord of the city, whereyou’ll find some very fine examples ofModernist architecture, as well as themonument to the Castellers(originating in Valls, a town 20 km /12 mi from Tarragona); the building ofthese hair-raising human towers(castells) has become an engrainedregional tradition and a magnet forvisitors. Some streets down to the left

are the remains of the local Forum andtwo Modernist buildings: the stunningMercado Central (Central Market) nowbeing refurbished, and the localbullring.Close by is Barquet, a charmingrestaurant with the cheerful look of anup-to-date fishermen’s tavern,

decorated by Fidel Solé who runs thefront room, while his brother David(chef and food writer) delights theirguests with fine local cuisine.“Tarragona’s cuisine is 99% fish-based,” explains David, and his menuchanges according to the daily catch. Itprominently features seven or eight


unusual but fascinating wine pairingproposals. If the Romans had known!They of course didn’t, but chefs inTarragona have built up quite someknowledge about Roman cuisine. Forthe last 12 years, close to 20restaurants promote Tàrraco a Taula(Tàrraco at the Table), which consistsof a tapas route, where a five ticketvoucher entitles you to five Romantapas and a drink. From then on, eachrestaurant offers its own version of afull Roman menu. “We try to remain asloyal as possible to the originalrecipes,” says Quintin, today’spresident.The initiative is now an intrinsic partof Tàrraco Viva, a yearly very well-attended festival during the last twoweeks of May which, according to itspassionate director, Magí Seritjol, isbest described as an authentic,thoroughly research-based diffusionof Roman culture. Groups of experts(often archaeologists and historians)from all over Europe participatefollowing the submission andsubsequent approval of their projects.Over 200 of the most variedperformances with off-siteexplanations take place in some 20historic venues, ranging fromreenactments of all facets of Romanlife to workshops and conferences. Inview of its success, Seritjol hasambitious European-wide projects

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The calçotada is Tarragona’ssecond biggest tourist activity (aftergoing to the beach) explains RafaelCastells, the committed secretary ofthe chamber of commerce of Valls,who is directly involved with thequality designation PGI Calçot deValls. Some 450,000 meals areserved during the season(November to April), and the twomost emblematic restaurants, CasaFelix and Masia Bou, serve some1,500 guests each, often in twoseatings. At the center of it all is thecalçot, an oblong young onionwhich grows on normal whiteonions, left to dry for some weeksand returned to the soil where theywill sprout. Once the sprouts have acertain height, they are covered(calçat) with soil and left to grow tobecome a tender calçot. Thecalçotada itself is a ritual that goesbeyond the onion itself. Tables areadorned with porrones (carafes withspouts to drink from) with local redand white wine, slices of country

bread, plates of dry-cured butifarra (Catalansausage) and a bib for each person. Outsidehuge racks with layers of calçots are slowlycharred over vine wood fires, sending inmouthwatering wafts. They are served onterracotta tiles, which are not only theperfect size but also preserve the heat. Now,with your left hand you firmly grab thebottom of the onion and pull from the stringyinner leaves to produce the tender calçot,which you proceed to dip into the pungentromesco sauce and put directly into yourmouth. The rest of the meal consists of freshgrilled sausage with artichokes, white beans,or escalivada (a grilled vegetables medleywith alioli), followed by grilled lamb chops,and always cava, an orange to freshen yourpalate, crema catalana (crème brulée),coffee and liqueurs. ¡Que aproveche! Enjoyyour meal!

T H E C A L Ç O T A D A


Tarragona. Local Forum

Tarragona. Mediterranean balcony

Tarragona. Amphitheater



shops, bars and restaurants. No onecan deny that Ibiza is first andforemost known for its around-the-clock nightlife, boats and beaches. Infact, every summer top DJs from allover the world visit the island, whichhas become a global testing ground forelectronic music. If it works here, it’llwork worldwide!

Ad libitum, the spiritof freedomIndeed Ibiza’s worldwide fame, as said,has much to do with its unfetteredentertainment. It all started in the1960s when a number of rathereclectic groups of jetsetters, artists andhippies from Europe and the USflocked to the island. “They put Ibizaon the map,” says Karen Klapp, alongtime Ibiza resident and tour guide.What they all had in common was theneed to at least temporarily live adlibitum, as they pleased. “Live and letlive” is the reigning philosophy andindeed, as Joan Serra Mayans, Ibiza’scouncilor for business developmentand labor, points out, “the islandwelcomes everyone, but is a haven ofdiscretion.” Nobody sees you unlessyou want to be seen. This is the spiritwhich, in 1971, inspired the lateYugoslavian princess and indefatigableIbiza promoter, Smilja Mihailovitch(1919-1994), to launch her Adlibfashion line, which seems to stemnaturally from Ibiza’s sun-drenchedlight, whitewashed architecture andtraditional costumes, but also from thedesire to break away from norms, tofeel free of constraints. And that, saysLuis Ferrer, is precisely how one feelsin her softly-draped slightly-wrinkledall natural white cotton clothes. Ferrer


The Phoenicians, one of the earliestpeople to cast their sea-trading netover all of the Mediterranean, firstturned the island Ybshm (now Ibiza)into a commercial post in the 7th

century BC, whereas from the 3rd

century BC onward, mainland Tárraco(today’s Tarragona) became a strategicRoman stronghold, primarily becauseof its suitable location in a direct linefrom northern Italy to transport ingarrisons by sea while avoiding theunruly Gulf of Lion. To them, and tomany others after them, the MareNostrum has been and continues to bean invaluable medium for transport,trade, fishery, marine life, culture andleisure activities.

The favorite islandIbiza (Eivissa, in the local Catalanlanguage) and tiny adjacentFormentera, together with the largerislands of Majorca and Menorca,constitute the Balearic Islands, locatedto the east of the Iberian Peninsula.Ibiza is in fact the southwesternmostisland, less than 80 km (50 mi)removed from the mainland. Thisprobably explains the early settlementof Phoenicians, who laid the first stoneof the town of Ibiza (8th century BC),strategically located on a promontoryclose to the splendid natural harbor.The necropolis of Puig d’es Molins,with 3,500 underground burialchambers, attests to the relevance oftheir settlement. Throughout itshistory, the island has remained amuch sought-after point of referenceon navigation and trading routes.Thanks to trade and agriculture itthrived under the Carthaginians, wassubsequently conquered by Romans,

suffered the invasion of Vandals andByzantines, was colonized by theArabs, and was finally reconquered in1235 by Jaime I (1208-1276). UnderFelipe II (1527-1598) in the 16th

century the confines of the inner citywere enlarged and fully refortified.Remains of all these historic periodsare still to varying degrees extant inand around the city. It seems onlylogical that, in 1999, Ibiza was selectedfor inclusion on the list of WorldHeritage Sites, for both itsmonumental and natural heritage. Sowhat could be better than taking aselective tour and seeing for ourselveshow past and present have meltedtogether superbly?The best place to start is at the foot ofthe Portal de Ses Taules, thespectacular main entrance to thehistoric walled-in compound, or DaltVila (upper town). From here, with amap in hand to ensure you don’t missanything, just stroll along the

magnificent Renaissance wall and itsimposing pentagonal bastions (allnamed after saints) which invariablyoffer breathtaking views, and then upand down its sinewy streets with littleshops and restaurants. Mandatoryplaces to see include: the cannon-linedSanta Lucia bastion and its powdermagazine; the Dominican Conventwhich now houses Ibiza’s municipalgovernment; the cathedral and nearbyCuria; the Madina Yabisha Museum,which focuses on the island’s Arabperiod and still holds part of the earlywalls; the Archaeological Museum; theEs Soto Fosc tunnel with its provisioncasemates; the Bastion of St. Bernard,from where you can view thefashionable yacht harbor of Botafoch;and the impressive Castle andAlmudaina (originally Moslem militaryquarters) at the town’s summit. Theyare being fully refurbished toeventually house the future Parador(Spanish heritage hotel).In fact, a new five-star hotel, ElMirador, just across from themunicipal government building, hasbeen ahead in the recovery andgentrification of Dalt Vila which,according to Lourdes Roig, Ibiza’sdynamic chief of protocol, is part of aconscientious effort by the localauthorities to enhance the value of itssplendid heritage with a view toattracting a different type of culturally-motivated visitor and therebycombating the feared seasonality. Partof this effort is a year-round culturalprogram and also strict standards andregulations regarding noise control,opening hours and urban furniture,especially downtown in the bustling LaMarina and Sa Penya districts aroundthe harbor which abound with little

TEXTANKE VAN WIJCK ADÁN/©ICEX


Ibiza. Dalt Vila

AROUND&ABOUT




shops, bars and restaurants. No onecan deny that Ibiza is first andforemost known for its around-the-clock nightlife, boats and beaches. Infact, every summer top DJs from allover the world visit the island, whichhas become a global testing ground forelectronic music. If it works here, it’llwork worldwide!

Ad libitum, the spiritof freedomIndeed Ibiza’s worldwide fame, as said,has much to do with its unfetteredentertainment. It all started in the1960s when a number of rathereclectic groups of jetsetters, artists andhippies from Europe and the USflocked to the island. “They put Ibizaon the map,” says Karen Klapp, alongtime Ibiza resident and tour guide.What they all had in common was theneed to at least temporarily live adlibitum, as they pleased. “Live and letlive” is the reigning philosophy andindeed, as Joan Serra Mayans, Ibiza’scouncilor for business developmentand labor, points out, “the islandwelcomes everyone, but is a haven ofdiscretion.” Nobody sees you unlessyou want to be seen. This is the spiritwhich, in 1971, inspired the lateYugoslavian princess and indefatigableIbiza promoter, Smilja Mihailovitch(1919-1994), to launch her Adlibfashion line, which seems to stemnaturally from Ibiza’s sun-drenchedlight, whitewashed architecture andtraditional costumes, but also from thedesire to break away from norms, tofeel free of constraints. And that, saysLuis Ferrer, is precisely how one feelsin her softly-draped slightly-wrinkledall natural white cotton clothes. Ferrer


The Phoenicians, one of the earliestpeople to cast their sea-trading netover all of the Mediterranean, firstturned the island Ybshm (now Ibiza)into a commercial post in the 7th

century BC, whereas from the 3rd

century BC onward, mainland Tárraco(today’s Tarragona) became a strategicRoman stronghold, primarily becauseof its suitable location in a direct linefrom northern Italy to transport ingarrisons by sea while avoiding theunruly Gulf of Lion. To them, and tomany others after them, the MareNostrum has been and continues to bean invaluable medium for transport,trade, fishery, marine life, culture andleisure activities.

The favorite islandIbiza (Eivissa, in the local Catalanlanguage) and tiny adjacentFormentera, together with the largerislands of Majorca and Menorca,constitute the Balearic Islands, locatedto the east of the Iberian Peninsula.Ibiza is in fact the southwesternmostisland, less than 80 km (50 mi)removed from the mainland. Thisprobably explains the early settlementof Phoenicians, who laid the first stoneof the town of Ibiza (8th century BC),strategically located on a promontoryclose to the splendid natural harbor.The necropolis of Puig d’es Molins,with 3,500 underground burialchambers, attests to the relevance oftheir settlement. Throughout itshistory, the island has remained amuch sought-after point of referenceon navigation and trading routes.Thanks to trade and agriculture itthrived under the Carthaginians, wassubsequently conquered by Romans,

suffered the invasion of Vandals andByzantines, was colonized by theArabs, and was finally reconquered in1235 by Jaime I (1208-1276). UnderFelipe II (1527-1598) in the 16th

century the confines of the inner citywere enlarged and fully refortified.Remains of all these historic periodsare still to varying degrees extant inand around the city. It seems onlylogical that, in 1999, Ibiza was selectedfor inclusion on the list of WorldHeritage Sites, for both itsmonumental and natural heritage. Sowhat could be better than taking aselective tour and seeing for ourselveshow past and present have meltedtogether superbly?The best place to start is at the foot ofthe Portal de Ses Taules, thespectacular main entrance to thehistoric walled-in compound, or DaltVila (upper town). From here, with amap in hand to ensure you don’t missanything, just stroll along the

magnificent Renaissance wall and itsimposing pentagonal bastions (allnamed after saints) which invariablyoffer breathtaking views, and then upand down its sinewy streets with littleshops and restaurants. Mandatoryplaces to see include: the cannon-linedSanta Lucia bastion and its powdermagazine; the Dominican Conventwhich now houses Ibiza’s municipalgovernment; the cathedral and nearbyCuria; the Madina Yabisha Museum,which focuses on the island’s Arabperiod and still holds part of the earlywalls; the Archaeological Museum; theEs Soto Fosc tunnel with its provisioncasemates; the Bastion of St. Bernard,from where you can view thefashionable yacht harbor of Botafoch;and the impressive Castle andAlmudaina (originally Moslem militaryquarters) at the town’s summit. Theyare being fully refurbished toeventually house the future Parador(Spanish heritage hotel).In fact, a new five-star hotel, ElMirador, just across from themunicipal government building, hasbeen ahead in the recovery andgentrification of Dalt Vila which,according to Lourdes Roig, Ibiza’sdynamic chief of protocol, is part of aconscientious effort by the localauthorities to enhance the value of itssplendid heritage with a view toattracting a different type of culturally-motivated visitor and therebycombating the feared seasonality. Partof this effort is a year-round culturalprogram and also strict standards andregulations regarding noise control,opening hours and urban furniture,especially downtown in the bustling LaMarina and Sa Penya districts aroundthe harbor which abound with little

TEXTANKE VAN WIJCK ADÁN/©ICEX


Ibiza. Dalt Vila

AROUND&ABOUT




Out here it will become obvious thatthe island is much more than itsglamorous capital. In fact, as soon asyou drive out into the countryside youare acutely reminded of why the Greek(who briefly used the island as astopover) nicknamed Ibiza andFormentera the Pitiusas, or pine-covered islands. From here it is abouta half hour drive through the typical(now greatly protected) rurallandscape of knotty old fig trees, carobtrees and of course vineyards, to thevillage of San Mateo where we find SaCova. On his small 12-ha (30 acres)estate, Juan Bonet, recently joined byhis daughter and son-in-law, producesPGI Vino de la Tierra de Ibiza; inaddition to the traditional Malvasia,Muscatel and Monastrell, he now alsogrows Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot.“Wine always finds its ownequilibrium,” says Bonet. In these

privileged surroundings, they alsoorganize visits and tastings, includingfor groups from cruise ships regularlyberthing in Ibiza.

Nature’s heritageAnd then there are of course thestunning UNESCO-protected salinas(saltworks, Spain Gourmetour No. 76)and Posidonia meadows (BiosphereReserve). The latter are large expansesof marine flowering plants (not algae!)constituting an extraordinaryunderwater eco-system whichstabilizes the sea floor, acting as ahaven for numerous fish species whichoften reproduce here. It greatlycontributes to biodiversity, is a relevantsource of oxygen, and finally, washedashore and dried out (especially itsfruit, the “olive of the sea”), it helpsprevent beach erosion.

According to José María Fernández,the local technical director of SalineraEspañola, which operates the salinas,in Ibiza the exploitation of salt wasfirst documented in the 6th century BCby the Carthaginians, but thePhoenicians may have exploited themearlier. In fact, the remains of theisland’s first Phoenician establishmentis right nearby in Sa Caleta, close to apicturesque small bay, lined withrather unusual old wooden fishermen’sshacks. Subsequent dwellers keptexploitation going with certain upsand downs, and over time technicalimprovements were introduced whichhave allowed expansion and export.Today the company is producing some40,000 tons (89,600,000 lb) ofexcellent quality salt. The splendidviews of Ibiza’s saltworks, flanked bydensely pine-covered hills, will remainin your mind’s eye for a long time. As

is not only one of the pioneers indesigning and manufacturing the Adlibbrand, he is also one of the promotersof the yearly Ibiza and FormenteraFashion Week.While these quarters team with a widevariety of small restaurants servinglocal and international cuisine, there isone you shouldn’t miss. The lively BarSan Juan (on Guillem de MontgriStreet) is a casa de comidas, or eatery. Itoffers simple but superb genuine Ibizafare, such as fried octopus withpotatoes and peppers, braised rabbit,and arroz de matanza, a brothy ricewith pork and chicken. But leave somespace for dessert and try theirgreixonera (a delicious oven-bakedpudding made of bread, eggs, milk,cinnamon and grated lemon peel).“For more than 60 years we havestayed true to my grandmother’srecipes,” emphasizes young CarlosMarin, who is the third generation tosuccessfully run this charming place.And being a casa de comidas, anyspare seat will be occupied if needed,so you may make some interestingacquaintances.

Around and aboutthe PitiusasBecause of its insularity and formerrelative squalor, Ibiza features a greatlysubsistence-oriented traditionalgastronomy. The island had to makethe best out of what was available atany time of the year. On the otherhand, this implied the need forpreservation, and Ibiza features anumber of succulent typical sausages.

Although still existent, homemanufacturing is waning, but there isone company which still makes theoriginal products following thetraditional matanza (pig slaughter)concepts. On the way to SantaGertrudis, you will find the restaurantCan Caus which, under the brandname Companatge, producesbutifarrón negro (black sausage) andbutifarrón blanco (white sausage with ahint of cinnamon), vientre relleno(stuffed pig stomach, traditionallyreserved for special occasions) and thepopular sobrasada (the savory darkorange spiced sausage which is air-cured and made with pimentón, a typeof paprika from Spain). With its pâté-like texture, it is often used as a

spread, invariably conjuring up thewow factor when briefly broiled. It wasin the 1980s when Juan Luis Ferrer,Can Caus’s owner, committed himselfto the recovery of these traditionaldelicacies, mostly using local productswhich, of course, are seasonallydictated. He also produces thesurprisingly fresh and very flavorfultypical goats’ and sheeps’ milk cheese(often with a spicy pimentón coveredrind). While Can Caus caters to all ofthe island and beyond, the best placeto savor their products is right at thecontiguous Ibiza-style restaurant,where you should not miss the sofritopayés, a succulent peasant dish withchicken, lamb, butifarrón negro,sobrasada and potatoes.


AROUND&ABOUT


AROUND&ABOUT


07 TARRAGONA_IBIZA IN.qxd 6/8/09 18:23 Página 70



Out here it will become obvious thatthe island is much more than itsglamorous capital. In fact, as soon asyou drive out into the countryside youare acutely reminded of why the Greek(who briefly used the island as astopover) nicknamed Ibiza andFormentera the Pitiusas, or pine-covered islands. From here it is abouta half hour drive through the typical(now greatly protected) rurallandscape of knotty old fig trees, carobtrees and of course vineyards, to thevillage of San Mateo where we find SaCova. On his small 12-ha (30 acres)estate, Juan Bonet, recently joined byhis daughter and son-in-law, producesPGI Vino de la Tierra de Ibiza; inaddition to the traditional Malvasia,Muscatel and Monastrell, he now alsogrows Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot.“Wine always finds its ownequilibrium,” says Bonet. In these

privileged surroundings, they alsoorganize visits and tastings, includingfor groups from cruise ships regularlyberthing in Ibiza.

Nature’s heritageAnd then there are of course thestunning UNESCO-protected salinas(saltworks, Spain Gourmetour No. 76)and Posidonia meadows (BiosphereReserve). The latter are large expansesof marine flowering plants (not algae!)constituting an extraordinaryunderwater eco-system whichstabilizes the sea floor, acting as ahaven for numerous fish species whichoften reproduce here. It greatlycontributes to biodiversity, is a relevantsource of oxygen, and finally, washedashore and dried out (especially itsfruit, the “olive of the sea”), it helpsprevent beach erosion.

According to José María Fernández,the local technical director of SalineraEspañola, which operates the salinas,in Ibiza the exploitation of salt wasfirst documented in the 6th century BCby the Carthaginians, but thePhoenicians may have exploited themearlier. In fact, the remains of theisland’s first Phoenician establishmentis right nearby in Sa Caleta, close to apicturesque small bay, lined withrather unusual old wooden fishermen’sshacks. Subsequent dwellers keptexploitation going with certain upsand downs, and over time technicalimprovements were introduced whichhave allowed expansion and export.Today the company is producing some40,000 tons (89,600,000 lb) ofexcellent quality salt. The splendidviews of Ibiza’s saltworks, flanked bydensely pine-covered hills, will remainin your mind’s eye for a long time. As

is not only one of the pioneers indesigning and manufacturing the Adlibbrand, he is also one of the promotersof the yearly Ibiza and FormenteraFashion Week.While these quarters team with a widevariety of small restaurants servinglocal and international cuisine, there isone you shouldn’t miss. The lively BarSan Juan (on Guillem de MontgriStreet) is a casa de comidas, or eatery. Itoffers simple but superb genuine Ibizafare, such as fried octopus withpotatoes and peppers, braised rabbit,and arroz de matanza, a brothy ricewith pork and chicken. But leave somespace for dessert and try theirgreixonera (a delicious oven-bakedpudding made of bread, eggs, milk,cinnamon and grated lemon peel).“For more than 60 years we havestayed true to my grandmother’srecipes,” emphasizes young CarlosMarin, who is the third generation tosuccessfully run this charming place.And being a casa de comidas, anyspare seat will be occupied if needed,so you may make some interestingacquaintances.

Around and aboutthe PitiusasBecause of its insularity and formerrelative squalor, Ibiza features a greatlysubsistence-oriented traditionalgastronomy. The island had to makethe best out of what was available atany time of the year. On the otherhand, this implied the need forpreservation, and Ibiza features anumber of succulent typical sausages.

Although still existent, homemanufacturing is waning, but there isone company which still makes theoriginal products following thetraditional matanza (pig slaughter)concepts. On the way to SantaGertrudis, you will find the restaurantCan Caus which, under the brandname Companatge, producesbutifarrón negro (black sausage) andbutifarrón blanco (white sausage with ahint of cinnamon), vientre relleno(stuffed pig stomach, traditionallyreserved for special occasions) and thepopular sobrasada (the savory darkorange spiced sausage which is air-cured and made with pimentón, a typeof paprika from Spain). With its pâté-like texture, it is often used as a

spread, invariably conjuring up thewow factor when briefly broiled. It wasin the 1980s when Juan Luis Ferrer,Can Caus’s owner, committed himselfto the recovery of these traditionaldelicacies, mostly using local productswhich, of course, are seasonallydictated. He also produces thesurprisingly fresh and very flavorfultypical goats’ and sheeps’ milk cheese(often with a spicy pimentón coveredrind). While Can Caus caters to all ofthe island and beyond, the best placeto savor their products is right at thecontiguous Ibiza-style restaurant,where you should not miss the sofritopayés, a succulent peasant dish withchicken, lamb, butifarrón negro,sobrasada and potatoes.


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del Rey Street has remained in theRiera family since 1941 and is now runby Joan and his wife Catalina, whotook over for his mother in thekitchen. Personable Joan knows whathis patrons expect: exquisite no-frillsregional cuisine based on top-qualitylocal products. “It’s the traditionalcuisine from Ibiza that we haveprepared always, it is the cuisine wecherish and defend,” says Joan. Hismenu includes calamares a la Ibicenca(tender pieces of squid in a sauce ofgreen peppers, tomato, onion and bayleaf), bullit de peix (various fish cookedtogether with seasonal vegetables, suchas green beans or artichokes, andserved in a separate skillet; it comeswith rice prepared with the stock andaccompanied by a delicate saffronalioli, a sauce made with extra virginolive oil and garlic) and borrida deratjada (ray braised in a flavorful sauceof crushed almonds, friedbreadcrumbs and hardboiled egg). Healso serves an ample choice ofsucculent rice dishes, and of coursealso typical desserts such as flaó (acheesecake with fresh goats’ cheesefrom Can Caus, spearmint and eggs),greixonera, and the almond-basedcrema de nadal, a Christmas specialty.What a treat!As small as it is, what makes the islandof Ibiza unique and your tripmemorable is not only its monumentaland natural riches, but also its capacityto successfully blend in the old and the


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airport tarmacs run parallel, theywelcome you upon arrival and bidyour farewell upon leaving.Nature here also produces the rawmaterials for some of the island’s trulyemblematic drinks. Just outside townin Puig d’en Valls, the distillery MaríMayans has been producing famousHierbas Ibicencas, Frígola and Palosince 1880, as well as other products.Thanks to the popularity of thesedrinks among tourists, the companyexports widely and has distributors inseveral European countries and theUS.Now before leaving the island, treatyourself to lunch or dinner at Ca’nAlfredo, a local institution. Thisintimate restaurant on downtown Vara


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In his book El Romesco. Història, tècniquesi receptes (Romesco. History, Techniquesand Recipes), David Solé mentions no lessthan 12 ways to make romesco and asmany as 32 recipes based on the sauce.This should say enough about its relevanceand versatility. According to Solé, romescowas first popularized by fishermen as ahandy and succulent sauce in which tobraise their fish while away from home, asnone of its ingredients are readilyperishable: garlic, onions and tomatoes (allroasted), dry red peppers or round ñoras(sweet peppers) and at times bitxo (a hotpepper) or pimentón (a type of paprikafrom Spain), toasted almonds and

hazelnuts (traditionally a seamen’s fare),fried stale bread, olive oil, vinegar, sugar,salt, and often wine, rancid wine or evenbrandy. It depends on each chef how manyof these ingredients, in what proportionand for what purpose find their way intothe picada, or ground mixture. The result isa tasty dark orange sauce being savoredas it is, for example for dipping calçots (LaCalçotada, page 77), or slightly stir-friedadding a bit of stock to gently braise themain ingredient, be it fish or meat, until it’sdone. Solé’s book even refers to the manyweb pages on romesco on the internet.You may just become a scholar yourself.Your friends will love it!


V E R S A T I L E R O M E S C O



Tàrraco vivaThe best way to go about seeing thecity is to first stroll the old quarter, orPart Alta (upper part), where youshouldn’t miss Plaza de la Font, a livelysquare lined with terraces andpresided over by Tarragona’s town hall;Casa Castellarnau, a beautifully-renovated mansion housingTarragona’s Museum of History; CalleMayor (Mayor Street), which is full ofsmall shops; and the famous stairsleading up to the cathedral, with its

peculiar façade, gorgeous cloister andDiocesan Museum.By now it is time to also becomeacquainted with Tarragona’s cuisine.Beide the cathedral you will find AQ.Ana Ruiz and Quintin Quinsac havebeen a team for 20 years and for fourthey have been operating thisprivileged place, she in the kitchen, hein the front room. In an effort to veeraway from high cuisine, they seek to“please rather than surprise,” saysQuintin. They succeed in both, asingredients are simple and textures

wonderfully harmonic, while thedifferent flavors remain perfectlydiscernable. As to their menu, “Wehave no preconceived ideas, but we doof course address regional dishes anduse regional ingredients,” explainsQuintin. Try Ana’s delicate false ravioli:two layers of wafer-thin sliced gambasde Tarragona (local shrimp) stuffedwith cooked garlic and drizzled withshrimp-head infused olive oil, or hersucculent coulant of octopus, potatoand butifarra. And in the meantime, letQuintin surprise you with his most


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new, culture and entertainment, localsand visitors, glamour and nature,freedom and respect.

To Tárraco alongthe Via AugustaBack on the mainland, some 100 km(62 mi) south of Barcelona, we findTarragona, once the capital of Hispaniaand almost equal in importance toRome; today it is a lively provincialcapital. Even before reaching the city,we find the first five Roman vestiges(included in Tarragona’s 2000declaration as a World Heritage Site)along what once was the Via Augusta,in its heyday the longest Roman roadin Hispania spanning over some 1,500km (932 mi) from the Pyrenees toCádiz. Inhabited by Iberos (Spain’sautochthonous population), Tarragonadidn’t make history until the arrival of

the Romans when, thanks to itsproximity to the river Ebro, it becamea stronghold against the Carthaginianssettled south of the river, as LuisBalart, the knowledgeable director ofTarragona’s Museum of History,explains. To get a clear idea of itsmagnitude during the height of theRoman Empire, he recommends firstvisting the splendid historic model ofImperial Tárraco on the pretty PlazaPallol (Pallol Square). Here you canalso begin the Archaeological Walk, aperfectly laid-out walkway along thestill-extant 1.1 km (0.7 mi) longRoman wall.Although today things havedramatically changed and its heritageis greatly protected and promoted,Tarragona is paradigmatic of how inthe past pragmatism and the need forprogress often prevailed overconsiderations of conservation. New

buildings were raised over existingones, only at times preserving part ofthe original, like the majesticPretorium, which was turned into aMedieval palace and upheld ever since.As a result, not only are Roman andMedieval remains densely interwoveninto the present urban structure, butso are a wealth of early 20th centuryModernist architecture structures(Gaudí 1852-1926, the mostinfluential Modernist architect wasborn in neighboring Reus), whichmakes visiting the city all the moreinteresting. At the outset it isimportant to know that Tarragona’sdeclaration as a World Heritage Siteonly concerns its Roman remains.However, the city is far more than that,and the local tourist board has issuedthree separate brochures with routesalong its Roman, Medieval andModernist heritage sites.


Tarragona National Archaeological Museum (MNAT)

Tarragona. Gothic arches in the Medieval quarter



and this just comes to show the depthof Tarragona’s present level ofidentification with and commitmentto its Roman past.We now continue our walk along thePlaza del Forum (Forum Plaza), whereRoman remains tower high overcrowded terraces; the ArchaeologicalMuseum, which displays some uniqueworks of art, such as the twomagnificent Medusa and Fish mosaics;the Pretorium; and the telling remainsof both the Circus and theAmphitheater.

A balcony on theMediterraneanInadvertently, our route has led us outof the old city and into the new area,and here the place to start is at itsvantage point on the impressive Balcóndel Mediterráneo, a wide oblongsquare with spectacular views over thesea down below. Its center opens up toTarragona’s main avenue, RamblaNova, the spinal cord of the city, whereyou’ll find some very fine examples ofModernist architecture, as well as themonument to the Castellers(originating in Valls, a town 20 km /12 mi from Tarragona); the building ofthese hair-raising human towers(castells) has become an engrainedregional tradition and a magnet forvisitors. Some streets down to the left

are the remains of the local Forum andtwo Modernist buildings: the stunningMercado Central (Central Market) nowbeing refurbished, and the localbullring.Close by is Barquet, a charmingrestaurant with the cheerful look of anup-to-date fishermen’s tavern,

decorated by Fidel Solé who runs thefront room, while his brother David(chef and food writer) delights theirguests with fine local cuisine.“Tarragona’s cuisine is 99% fish-based,” explains David, and his menuchanges according to the daily catch. Itprominently features seven or eight


unusual but fascinating wine pairingproposals. If the Romans had known!They of course didn’t, but chefs inTarragona have built up quite someknowledge about Roman cuisine. Forthe last 12 years, close to 20restaurants promote Tàrraco a Taula(Tàrraco at the Table), which consistsof a tapas route, where a five ticketvoucher entitles you to five Romantapas and a drink. From then on, eachrestaurant offers its own version of afull Roman menu. “We try to remain asloyal as possible to the originalrecipes,” says Quintin, today’spresident.The initiative is now an intrinsic partof Tàrraco Viva, a yearly very well-attended festival during the last twoweeks of May which, according to itspassionate director, Magí Seritjol, isbest described as an authentic,thoroughly research-based diffusionof Roman culture. Groups of experts(often archaeologists and historians)from all over Europe participatefollowing the submission andsubsequent approval of their projects.Over 200 of the most variedperformances with off-siteexplanations take place in some 20historic venues, ranging fromreenactments of all facets of Romanlife to workshops and conferences. Inview of its success, Seritjol hasambitious European-wide projects

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The calçotada is Tarragona’ssecond biggest tourist activity (aftergoing to the beach) explains RafaelCastells, the committed secretary ofthe chamber of commerce of Valls,who is directly involved with thequality designation PGI Calçot deValls. Some 450,000 meals areserved during the season(November to April), and the twomost emblematic restaurants, CasaFelix and Masia Bou, serve some1,500 guests each, often in twoseatings. At the center of it all is thecalçot, an oblong young onionwhich grows on normal whiteonions, left to dry for some weeksand returned to the soil where theywill sprout. Once the sprouts have acertain height, they are covered(calçat) with soil and left to grow tobecome a tender calçot. Thecalçotada itself is a ritual that goesbeyond the onion itself. Tables areadorned with porrones (carafes withspouts to drink from) with local redand white wine, slices of country

bread, plates of dry-cured butifarra (Catalansausage) and a bib for each person. Outsidehuge racks with layers of calçots are slowlycharred over vine wood fires, sending inmouthwatering wafts. They are served onterracotta tiles, which are not only theperfect size but also preserve the heat. Now,with your left hand you firmly grab thebottom of the onion and pull from the stringyinner leaves to produce the tender calçot,which you proceed to dip into the pungentromesco sauce and put directly into yourmouth. The rest of the meal consists of freshgrilled sausage with artichokes, white beans,or escalivada (a grilled vegetables medleywith alioli), followed by grilled lamb chops,and always cava, an orange to freshen yourpalate, crema catalana (crème brulée),coffee and liqueurs. ¡Que aproveche! Enjoyyour meal!

T H E C A L Ç O T A D A


Tarragona. Local Forum

Tarragona. Mediterranean balcony

Tarragona. Amphitheater




Arbequina olive oil. According to jovialJosep Baiges, president of theregulatory council, about 15% of it isexported, mostly to Europe and the USwhere Alice Waters is its specialambassador (see Chez Panisse MenuCookbook). And it is certainly useful toknow that intermingled with all this isthe Cistercian route linking themagnificent 12th-century monasteriesof Santes Creus, Vallbona, and majesticPoblet, a separate World Heritage Sitesince 1991.It all comes to show that whicheverdirection you travel, wherever yourinterests lie, whatever your age orbackground, Spain is a true treasuretrove for visitors. Throughout itsfascinating history, the country hasaccumulated an unequaledmonumental and cultural heritage,clearly recognized as such byUNESCO. Yet as we have seen in thisseries of articles, at every step we alsofind breathtaking landscapes, a widevariety of sports and entertainment,lots of local color, charming peopleand last but by no means least, thefruits of its lands and its succulentgastronomy, which never ceases tosurprise and has earned a well-deserved position among the world’sgreatest. Vibrant Spain awaits you!

Anke van Wijck Adán is a sociologistand has a Master’s degree in gastronomyfrom Boston University. Her articles haveappeared in The Boston Globe.


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different rice dishes (always using PGIDelta del Ebro Bahía rice), togetherwith romesco (Versatile romesco, page72), as well as an array ofmouthwatering appetizers and sinfuldesserts.Tarragona’s port area features a numberof large restaurants with prettyterraces, but if you are not adamantabout harbor views and great comfort,you have the “second row”, where theyounger generation is offeringexcellent fresh daily fish at a goodprice. On your way back you can visitthe large Paleo-Christian Necropolisand then relax on one of Tarragona’smany terraces, have a red vermouth(very popular here as nearby Reus hasa longstanding reputation of producingan exquisite natural vermouth) andjust leisurely mingle among the locals.

Roaming thehinterlandTárraco’s last World Heritage Site liesin Constantí, just north of the city. TheVilla Romana de Centcelles is arecently-restored rural villa featuring amagnificent partly-recovered mosaicdome. This is a great opportunity toroam Tarragona’s fabulous hinterland.In the famous town of Valls you are infor a truly unique and surelyunforgettable gastronomic experience,the calçotada (The Calçotada, page 77).From there it is a short drive toMedieval walled-in Montblanc and itsbeautifully-restored Alenyà Palace,which houses the Regulatory Councilof DO Conca de Barberà. Worth

mentioning here is the Trepat, an

autochthonous minority variety

producing excellent rosés, but lately

also some good reds, as Carles Andreu,

president of the council, explains. In

short, the area will be a paradise for

wine tourists with six catalogued

Modernist cooperative buildings to

visit. One of them is in Esplugas de

Francolí, also famous for its traditional

carquinyolis, all-natural biscotti-like

cookies filled with Marcona almonds.

A traditional manufacturer here is

Especialitats Cobos and, being one of

Spain’s emblematic products, you can

find their carquinyolis in all Spanish

airports.

The area is also part of PDO Siurana,

home to the internationally-awarded

sweet, fruity, and somewhat nutty


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Tarragona. Roman Circus


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USA

GES

SAA LongTradition

The whiff of sausage is one of thecharacteristic smells of Spain. From northto south and east to west of the IberianPeninsula, including the Balearic and CanaryIslands, the whole country is redolent of thepimentón (a type of paprika from Spain) andother spices that go into its charcuterie.Spanish sausages come hard and soft, curedand cooked, and go by names such asbutifarra (a Catalan specialty) and morcilla(black pudding). Spain as a whole producespork products galore, many with thedistinguished Ibérico pedigree. Led by thecountries of the EU, foreign markets aregradually getting to know the repertoire, notleast because of new ways of presenting onceunfamiliar sausages. Many are now soldsliced and vacuum-packed, a method thatmaintains all their qualities intact, makesthem easier to serve and eat, and offers aguaranteed shelf life.

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but there are some that stand out fromthe rest for popularity and prestige andtherefore demand attention. Anobvious one with which to start ischorizo de Cantimpalos, made inSegovia province. One of the best-known and most traditional sausagesfrom Castile-Leon (the region thatoccupies much of the northern centralpart of the Iberian Peninsula), thischorizo has Protected GeographicalIndication (PGI) status. It is made withpork (in proportions of 70% lean to30% fat) from pigs fed mostly barley,

seasoned with salt, pimentón, garlicand oregano, and is left to cure for 20to 30 days in cold, breezy conditionsin the towns and villages of Segoviawhere it is made (Cantimpalos, thetown from which this type takes itsname, lies at an altitude of around1,000 m / 3,290 ft). It is usuallypresented in rather rough strings withthe skin completely covered in fungusand yeasts that give it a characteristicwhitish appearance. When cut,however, it reveals pale red meat thatis smooth, well-textured, gives off a

delicious smell and is silky in themouth.Another famous version, chorizoriojano, is a classic product from LaRioja (in northern Spain) and also hadPGI status. It is integral to thetraditional dishes of that region, and isstill made, as it always has been, withlean and fat pork to which sweetpimentón (and sometimes a touch ofspice for extra zing), salt and garlic areadded. Its rich, lasting flavor owesmuch to pimentón.Salamanca, in western central Spain, is

If asked to name an element commonto all of Spain’s diverse regionalcuisines, pork would be the obviousanswer. The Spanish always say thatyou can eat every bit of a pig, andprove the point with traditional recipesthat use the lot, from prime cuts rightdown to blood, intestines and tail.Much of what is capitalized on in thisway goes into sausages of one sort andanother, of which there are countlessvarieties in the country as a whole.Every little subdivision of every regionhas its own specialties, some of themwith surprising specific features: ifcatalogued, the total range would behighly competitive on a world scale(Spain Gourmetour No. 24, 25, 26, 27,28 and 43). Sausages, in the broad senseof meat stuffed into a casing, aregenerically known in Spanish asembutidos, a term that covers chorizo,lomo, salchichón and the less well-knownmorcón, sobrasada, morcilla, butifarra andbotillo. Embutidos come cured, cookedand smoked; in some of them thepredominant aroma derives from

pimentón (a type of paprika from Spain),and in others from spices and garlic.Some are flavor-packed and hearty,others subtle and delicate; some arespreadable, some for eating raw, othersfor frying; some are made from Whitepork, others from Ibérico… The range isinteresting, appetizing, and deeplyrooted in an ongoing tradition that is anidentifying feature of Spanish food.

Magical cureA considerable proportion of Spain’ssausages are cured. Perhaps the best-known of these is the chorizo (SpainGourmetour No. 36), a deliciouscombination of lean and fatty pork,chopped and marinated with salt andspices, and with pimentón–theingredient that makes it so readilyrecognizable in color, aroma andflavor. In many parts of the Peninsula(particularly in the north), chorizo issmoked over wood fires, addinganother layer to their already richflavor. The mixture is usually stuffed

into natural casings (pig’s intestine),and the resultant sausages are givendifferent names depending on size andshape: ristra (“string”, which refers tolittle chorizos tied with a cord andlinked together like a string of beads),herradura (“horseshoe”, one singlesausage with the two ends benttowards each other and tied together)and vela (“candle”, a single sausageencased in intestine with the endsfree). In addition to these, one of themost traditional presentations for achorizo is in cular gut, obtained fromthe large intestine of the pig. They areall cured sausages. They may beslightly or thoroughly smoked, but allchorizo must be given time to matureand dry in cold, airy conditions. Eacharea’s specific climatic conditions andthe size of the sausage will determinehow long the curing period shouldlast.The regional larders of Spain containhundreds of different types of chorizo,each with its own identity. Spaceprevents our doing them justice here,

TEXTRAQUEL CASTILLO/©ICEX

PHOTOSJUAN MANUEL SANZ/©ICEX

TRANSLATIONHAWYS PRITCHARD/©ICEX



The simplicity of high-quality seasonal products and impeccable frying in extra

virgin olive oil, two keys to the cuisine of Carles Gaig. The flavors, smells and

aromas of the past but in new guises, reflecting the evolution of a family, his

family, one that has been dedicated to the world of hospitality for over four

generations. The small family-run hostel, where they started out at the beginning

of the past century offering home cooking, has become one of Barcelona’s

landmark restaurants–Gaig Restaurant–and is now the proud holder of a

Michelin star. Gaig’s teachers were his great-grandmother and, in particular,

his mother, but he also learned from reading the works of Spanish food writers

and gastronomes, Josep Pla (1897-1981) and Néstor Luján (1922-1995). Then

a trip to the Basque Country in 1975 allowed him to meet chefs Patxi Quintana

and Juan Mari Arzak. Subsequent contact with Paul Bocuse and Freddy Girardot

ended up revolutionizing his cuisine. His dishes are now wrapped in modern

dress but the flavors take us back to his origins. Carles Gaig has also selected

the wines to accompany these dishes.

5RECIPESGaigRestaurant

Gaig RestaurantAragó, 214(corner with Aribau)08011 BarcelonaTel.: 934 291 [email protected]

IntroductionAlmudena Muyo/©ICEX

TranslationJenny McDonald/©ICEX

Photos, recipesToya Legido/©ICEX

Photos, introductionTomás Zarza/©ICEX

09 RECETAS IN.qxd 29/7/09 13:53 Página 94 (INGLES plancha)


but there are some that stand out fromthe rest for popularity and prestige andtherefore demand attention. Anobvious one with which to start ischorizo de Cantimpalos, made inSegovia province. One of the best-known and most traditional sausagesfrom Castile-Leon (the region thatoccupies much of the northern centralpart of the Iberian Peninsula), thischorizo has Protected GeographicalIndication (PGI) status. It is made withpork (in proportions of 70% lean to30% fat) from pigs fed mostly barley,

seasoned with salt, pimentón, garlicand oregano, and is left to cure for 20to 30 days in cold, breezy conditionsin the towns and villages of Segoviawhere it is made (Cantimpalos, thetown from which this type takes itsname, lies at an altitude of around1,000 m / 3,290 ft). It is usuallypresented in rather rough strings withthe skin completely covered in fungusand yeasts that give it a characteristicwhitish appearance. When cut,however, it reveals pale red meat thatis smooth, well-textured, gives off a

delicious smell and is silky in themouth.Another famous version, chorizoriojano, is a classic product from LaRioja (in northern Spain) and also hadPGI status. It is integral to thetraditional dishes of that region, and isstill made, as it always has been, withlean and fat pork to which sweetpimentón (and sometimes a touch ofspice for extra zing), salt and garlic areadded. Its rich, lasting flavor owesmuch to pimentón.Salamanca, in western central Spain, is

If asked to name an element commonto all of Spain’s diverse regionalcuisines, pork would be the obviousanswer. The Spanish always say thatyou can eat every bit of a pig, andprove the point with traditional recipesthat use the lot, from prime cuts rightdown to blood, intestines and tail.Much of what is capitalized on in thisway goes into sausages of one sort andanother, of which there are countlessvarieties in the country as a whole.Every little subdivision of every regionhas its own specialties, some of themwith surprising specific features: ifcatalogued, the total range would behighly competitive on a world scale(Spain Gourmetour No. 24, 25, 26, 27,28 and 43). Sausages, in the broad senseof meat stuffed into a casing, aregenerically known in Spanish asembutidos, a term that covers chorizo,lomo, salchichón and the less well-knownmorcón, sobrasada, morcilla, butifarra andbotillo. Embutidos come cured, cookedand smoked; in some of them thepredominant aroma derives from

pimentón (a type of paprika from Spain),and in others from spices and garlic.Some are flavor-packed and hearty,others subtle and delicate; some arespreadable, some for eating raw, othersfor frying; some are made from Whitepork, others from Ibérico… The range isinteresting, appetizing, and deeplyrooted in an ongoing tradition that is anidentifying feature of Spanish food.

Magical cureA considerable proportion of Spain’ssausages are cured. Perhaps the best-known of these is the chorizo (SpainGourmetour No. 36), a deliciouscombination of lean and fatty pork,chopped and marinated with salt andspices, and with pimentón–theingredient that makes it so readilyrecognizable in color, aroma andflavor. In many parts of the Peninsula(particularly in the north), chorizo issmoked over wood fires, addinganother layer to their already richflavor. The mixture is usually stuffed

into natural casings (pig’s intestine),and the resultant sausages are givendifferent names depending on size andshape: ristra (“string”, which refers tolittle chorizos tied with a cord andlinked together like a string of beads),herradura (“horseshoe”, one singlesausage with the two ends benttowards each other and tied together)and vela (“candle”, a single sausageencased in intestine with the endsfree). In addition to these, one of themost traditional presentations for achorizo is in cular gut, obtained fromthe large intestine of the pig. They areall cured sausages. They may beslightly or thoroughly smoked, but allchorizo must be given time to matureand dry in cold, airy conditions. Eacharea’s specific climatic conditions andthe size of the sausage will determinehow long the curing period shouldlast.The regional larders of Spain containhundreds of different types of chorizo,each with its own identity. Spaceprevents our doing them justice here,

TEXTRAQUEL CASTILLO/©ICEX

PHOTOSJUAN MANUEL SANZ/©ICEX




08 EMBUTIDOS AF.qxd 24/7/09 11:10 Página 9208 EMBUTIDOS AF.qxd 24/7/09 11:09 Página 84

SAUSAGES

FOODBASICS


SAUSAGES

FOODBASICS

“…though we introduced it as a moregourmet-orientated product, a ricesausage,” says da Silva. Along with theUK, other countries including Italy,France, the Netherlands, Belgium andMexico also enjoy this unique sausage,which sells primarily to the hospitalityindustry, with only token amountsbeing sold through specialist shops. Inthe near future and high-pressuretechnology (as described earlier)permitting, the Japanese market,which is always receptive to top-quality Spanish products, should beadded to this list.

Raquel Castillo is a journalist with aspecial interest in food and wine. She ishead of the gastronomic section of thedaily business newspaper Cinco Días anda regular contributor to such specialistmagazines as Vino y Gastronomía, Vivirel Vino, Vinoselección and Sobremesa.She is also co-author of El aceite de olivade Castilla-La Mancha and of theComer y beber en Madrid eating outguide.

PGI Botillo del Bierzowww.botillodelbierzo.es

PGI Cecina de Leónwww.cecinadeleon.org

PGI Chorizo de Cantimpaloswww.chorizodecantimpalos.org

PGI Chorizo Riojanowww.lariojacalidad.org/igp/chorizo_riojano/informacion/index.html

PGI Chosco de Tineowww.asturex.org/agro/pdf/choscodetineo.pdf

PGI Embutido de Requenawww.embutidoderequena.es

PGI Salchichón de Vicwww.salchichonvic.com

PGI Sobrasada de Mallorcawww.sobrasadademallorca.org

Chorizo cular de Salamanca, lomoIbérico, morcilla de Burgos andmorcón Ibéricowww.patrimonio-gastronomico.com/embutido.shtml?idboletin=123

W E B S I T E S

Salt, that universal preserving agent usedsince the dawn of time, helps create asplendid delicacy that is eaten all over Spain:cecina de León. Cecina (Spain GourmetourNo. 47) is meat that is salted, smoked andthen dried. It can only be made in areaswhere the climatological conditions are justright: it requires cold, dryish winters, hotsummers, and long periods of frost. Leónprovince (northwesterly inland Spain) fits thebill perfectly and is the source of the bestcecinas in Spain. They are covered by PGIstatus.

Cecina is made from meat obtained fromvarious cuts of beef: center leg (the fleshymass formed by the medial thigh muscles),round (made up of the topside andsilverside, which form a triangular/cylindricalprism), stifle (an oval-shaped cut made up ofthe components of the square rump muscle)and sirloin (a triangular cut made up of themedium, accessory and deep glutealmuscle, and the twin rump muscles). Oncethe pieces have been selected and shaped,they are salted to promote dehydration andto preserve them. They are then washed andleft to rest for 30-45 days, during which timetheir flavor, aroma and texture take ondefinition, and are then smoked in oak orholm-oak wood smoke for two to threeweeks. The process is rounded off with acuring period in perfectly ventilated natural

drying chambers. The cecina will beready to eat seven months aftersalting at the earliest, and it will haveturned a darkish brown on theoutside which, when cut, will reveal acherry-to-garnet red interior in whichthe color is more pronounced at theedges. The meat, with its slightmarbling of fat, will present littleevidence of salt or fiber. Itscharacteristic smoky aroma andclean, pronounced, pleasantly meatyflavor are particularly appealingfeatures.

Given the size of the cuts from whichit is made, cecina is generally slicedto order, though it also comesvacuum-packed.

Other León specialties include cecinade chivo, made (in the town ofVegacervera in the north of theprovince) in much the same wayexcept that the raw material is goat’smeat, and cecina de caballo is made(in Villarramiel, Palencia, insoutheastern León) of either horse ormule meat. Cecina de caballo has apleasant and very distinctive flavor,somewhat sweeter than the othersbecause of the glycogen that horsemeat contains.

C E C I N A D E L E Ó N , M E A TW I T H A S M O K Y F L A V O R



one of the biggest charcuterie-producing regions and is knownparticularly for its chorizo cular, whichtakes its name from the part of the bigintestine that serves as its casing. Thisis a large sausage containing little fat,and is matured for three to fourmonths. Reddish in color and verysmooth, it is presented in stringformation, its skin covered in a finewhitish coating produced by moldsand yeasts during the maturationprocess and affecting the outside only.The other star in this category ischorizo Ibérico, produced in those partsof the country where Ibérico pigs arereared (Salamanca, Extremadura andAndalusia, Spain Gourmetour No 68.) Itis made with the same ingredients asthe others, except that prime cuts (fillet,loin, tenderloin...) are used, and thepork is from an Ibérico pig fed onacorns, which gives it a characteristicmarbling of fat and unbeatable flavorand aroma along with it. Ibéricochorizo is usually stuffed into a naturalcasing and cured for six months. This isa gourmet’s sausage.

Beyond chorizoThese same regions are also home tomorcón, an interesting sausage,similar to chorizo but with apersonality all its own. The same nameis used for the wide gut at the end ofthe intestine into which it is stuffed.Historically, morcón was made withthe leftover bits of pig–a kind ofragbag. However, the boom in finequality charcuterie has resulted in itstransformation into a rather poshsausage containing lean pork cut upinto biggish pieces marinated with theclassic sweet pimentón, salt and garlic,but with no added fat or fatty pork. Amorcón is a big sausage, weighing inat around a kg (2.2 lb), and thereforetakes longer to cure (a minimum of 65days). It is red both inside and out,with streaks of infiltrated fat that giveit a marble-like appearance, and it hasa very distinctive pronounced aromaand flavor.The same parts of the country alsoproduce lomo, one of the starproducts of the charcuterie industry.


Its name means “loin”, and it is madewith loin cuts from White or Ibéricopigs (acorn-fed in the latter case)marinated with pimentón, salt andgarlic. The cut of meat–generallyweighing between 800 g and 1 kg (1.7to 2.2 lb)–is stuffed into a pork gutcasing and left to cure slowly, usuallyfor six months, in natural dryingfacilities where the local climaticconditions take their effect, curing thedelicate meat with its marbling of fat, aparticularly notable feature of Ibéricopork. The end result is justifiablyconsidered a delicacy: there is a hugedemand for lomo Ibérico from withinSpain, and it is also a bestsellerabroad.One of the oldest and mostidiosyncratic of Spain’s sausages issobrasada from Majorca (the biggestof the Balearic Islands, theMediterranean archipelago to the eastof the Peninsula), which has enjoyedPGI status as Sobrasada de Mallorcasince 2004 (Spain Gourmetour No. 55).There are two types, one obtainedfrom White pigs and the other fromMajorcan Blacks (a native breed, free-range raised and fattened on barley,legumes and figs). The sausages alsocome in different shapes, dependingon their casing, but all are made withminced lean and fatty pork, salt,pimentón and spices (pepper,rosemary and thyme). Theidiosyncratic feature is that the meat,both lean and fat, is minced to a pastewhich is then mixed thoroughly withthe remaining ingredients, stuffed intoits casing and left to cure for severalweeks.The customary formats for sobrasadaare rizada (in thick gut casing) andsemirrizada (in medium gut casing),weighing 400 to 800 g (0.88 to 1.7

lb), though the more modernpresentation is a 200 g (0.44 lb)vacuum-packed tub containing pastebut no casing. (This is not to beconfused with crema de sobrasada,which is a different, non-curedproduct). Pimentón gives sobrasada arich dark orangey-red color on theinside and outside. The outer surfaceof a sobrasada sausage is smooth orslightly rough, with no signs of mold,and the soft, sticky, smooth pasteinside is delicious eaten just as it is,spread on bread.

Cured sausageswithout pimentónSpain’s classic cured sausages arechorizo, lomo and salchichón. Thislast type constitutes a big family,differentiated by the fact that it ismade without pimentón.Salchichón is made with fresh pork, asmall proportion of fat, salt andpepper (either whole grains, ground ora mixture of both) minced and stuffedinto natural casings and left to cure.Salchichones are produced all over thecountry, but there is one that isgenerally regarded as a yardstick forquality: Salchichón de Vic (whichcomes from the town of Vic, not farfrom Barcelona, in Catalonia in thenortheastern part of the Peninsula). Ithas PGI status, its area of provenancebeing the broad plain–La Plana deVic–that lies between the Pyrenees (themountain range that forms a naturalborder between Spain and France) andthe coastal depression. This vastcorridor is swept by cold mountainwinds which endow meat productscured there with special properties.In terms of shape, a Salchichón de Vicis perfectly round. The sausages are

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one of the biggest charcuterie-producing regions and is knownparticularly for its chorizo cular, whichtakes its name from the part of the bigintestine that serves as its casing. Thisis a large sausage containing little fat,and is matured for three to fourmonths. Reddish in color and verysmooth, it is presented in stringformation, its skin covered in a finewhitish coating produced by moldsand yeasts during the maturationprocess and affecting the outside only.The other star in this category ischorizo Ibérico, produced in those partsof the country where Ibérico pigs arereared (Salamanca, Extremadura andAndalusia, Spain Gourmetour No 68.) Itis made with the same ingredients asthe others, except that prime cuts (fillet,loin, tenderloin...) are used, and thepork is from an Ibérico pig fed onacorns, which gives it a characteristicmarbling of fat and unbeatable flavorand aroma along with it. Ibéricochorizo is usually stuffed into a naturalcasing and cured for six months. This isa gourmet’s sausage.

Beyond chorizoThese same regions are also home tomorcón, an interesting sausage,similar to chorizo but with apersonality all its own. The same nameis used for the wide gut at the end ofthe intestine into which it is stuffed.Historically, morcón was made withthe leftover bits of pig–a kind ofragbag. However, the boom in finequality charcuterie has resulted in itstransformation into a rather poshsausage containing lean pork cut upinto biggish pieces marinated with theclassic sweet pimentón, salt and garlic,but with no added fat or fatty pork. Amorcón is a big sausage, weighing inat around a kg (2.2 lb), and thereforetakes longer to cure (a minimum of 65days). It is red both inside and out,with streaks of infiltrated fat that giveit a marble-like appearance, and it hasa very distinctive pronounced aromaand flavor.The same parts of the country alsoproduce lomo, one of the starproducts of the charcuterie industry.


Its name means “loin”, and it is madewith loin cuts from White or Ibéricopigs (acorn-fed in the latter case)marinated with pimentón, salt andgarlic. The cut of meat–generallyweighing between 800 g and 1 kg (1.7to 2.2 lb)–is stuffed into a pork gutcasing and left to cure slowly, usuallyfor six months, in natural dryingfacilities where the local climaticconditions take their effect, curing thedelicate meat with its marbling of fat, aparticularly notable feature of Ibéricopork. The end result is justifiablyconsidered a delicacy: there is a hugedemand for lomo Ibérico from withinSpain, and it is also a bestsellerabroad.One of the oldest and mostidiosyncratic of Spain’s sausages issobrasada from Majorca (the biggestof the Balearic Islands, theMediterranean archipelago to the eastof the Peninsula), which has enjoyedPGI status as Sobrasada de Mallorcasince 2004 (Spain Gourmetour No. 55).There are two types, one obtainedfrom White pigs and the other fromMajorcan Blacks (a native breed, free-range raised and fattened on barley,legumes and figs). The sausages alsocome in different shapes, dependingon their casing, but all are made withminced lean and fatty pork, salt,pimentón and spices (pepper,rosemary and thyme). Theidiosyncratic feature is that the meat,both lean and fat, is minced to a pastewhich is then mixed thoroughly withthe remaining ingredients, stuffed intoits casing and left to cure for severalweeks.The customary formats for sobrasadaare rizada (in thick gut casing) andsemirrizada (in medium gut casing),weighing 400 to 800 g (0.88 to 1.7

lb), though the more modernpresentation is a 200 g (0.44 lb)vacuum-packed tub containing pastebut no casing. (This is not to beconfused with crema de sobrasada,which is a different, non-curedproduct). Pimentón gives sobrasada arich dark orangey-red color on theinside and outside. The outer surfaceof a sobrasada sausage is smooth orslightly rough, with no signs of mold,and the soft, sticky, smooth pasteinside is delicious eaten just as it is,spread on bread.

Cured sausageswithout pimentónSpain’s classic cured sausages arechorizo, lomo and salchichón. Thislast type constitutes a big family,differentiated by the fact that it ismade without pimentón.Salchichón is made with fresh pork, asmall proportion of fat, salt andpepper (either whole grains, ground ora mixture of both) minced and stuffedinto natural casings and left to cure.Salchichones are produced all over thecountry, but there is one that isgenerally regarded as a yardstick forquality: Salchichón de Vic (whichcomes from the town of Vic, not farfrom Barcelona, in Catalonia in thenortheastern part of the Peninsula). Ithas PGI status, its area of provenancebeing the broad plain–La Plana deVic–that lies between the Pyrenees (themountain range that forms a naturalborder between Spain and France) andthe coastal depression. This vastcorridor is swept by cold mountainwinds which endow meat productscured there with special properties.In terms of shape, a Salchichón de Vicis perfectly round. The sausages are

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black (which means that they alsocontain pig’s blood), or white (withoutblood). Variants, like butifarra del perol,include offal such as kidney, tongue,liver and/or head meat. These alwaysneed to be prepared by scalding orboiling, and can later be eaten just asthey are, or cooked a la brasa (overopen coals), fried or incorporated intostews. Butifarra features largely in localrecipes: they can be cooked withmongetes del ganxet (delicate whitebeans), arroz y setas (rice and wildmushrooms), habas y patatas (broadbeans and potatoes)... or simply roastedand served with bread and tomato,peas, or–interestingly–snails. They alsoprovide a delicious stock for the soupknown as sopa catalana de butifarra.The other big subdivision of thecooked sausage family is made up ofmorcilla, a classic product all overSpain. Again there is one that standsout from all the rest: morcilla deBurgos (from the town in Castile-Leon,in northern central Spain) is the bestknown and most widely eaten. The

recipe for morcilla de Burgos calls foronion of the local native Horcal variety,rice, lard, blood, salt and spices (whichcould be pimentón, cumin, clove,cinnamon, aniseed, oregano, thymeand pepper). All the raw ingredientsare kneaded together and then themixture is stuffed into a natural casingthat gives the morcilla its shape. It isthen boiled for an hour or two(depending on the consistency of theintestine casing), after which time it isready for eating. Morcilla is a freshproduct with a relatively short shelf life(20-25 days when vacuum-packed;around 45 days when pasteurized) andit can be eaten fried, cooked a la brasaor, again, incorporated into stews.Morcilla is always juicy, full of flavorand has a very characteristic oniony,spicy smell.Experiments are being conducted intodifferent ways of making the typicalBurgos morcilla, albeit withoutabandoning traditional methods. Atmeat processing company Embutidosde Cardeña, they are working on what

they call “designer morcilla”, a newproduct developed in response to thesuggestion of Basque superchef MartínBerasategui (of the three-Michelin-starrestaurant that bears his name inLasarte, on the Cantabrian coast in theBasque Country). The new sausage,which weighs about 1 kg (2.2 lb), ismade with top-quality arroz bomba (atype of rice from the eastern coastalarea of Spain that is very absorbent offlavors), and is boiled for four hours at95ºC (203ºF), the process beinginterrupted periodically for the hotmorcilla to be massaged by hand toensure even distribution of itscontents. The end result is an excellentproduct with the bonus of containingplenty of readily metabolized fiber,which makes it much easier to digest.

New formats in themarketplaceThe food industry has always been atrailblazer in applying new technologyto the production process. To a large

always marketed in a candle or stickshape, measuring 35-90 mm acrossand 20-90 cm long. Their weights varyaccordingly, ranging from 300 g (0.66lb) for the smallest to 2.5 kg (5.5 lb)for the biggest. All are unbeatablyfragrant, smooth and flavor-packed.One variant on the salchichón is amuch thinner version known as fuet(the name means whip in Catalan).Though the ingredients are identical,fuet cures much more quickly becauseit is smaller. An interesting variant isfuet dulce, a sweet sausage aromatizedwith sugar and lemon, made in Gerona.

As with chorizo and lomo, there is also

an Ibérico salchichón, made from

select cuts of Ibérico pork seasoned

with pepper and salt. Like lomo, it is

stuffed into cular gut and left to cure

in natural drying facilities for six

months.

Cooked sausagesSpain’s sausage repertoire is by no

means limited to the cured range.

There is a whole category made from

pork meat, pork fat and other

ingredients, suitably seasoned, cooked

and then stuffed into casings, foreating either as they are or in somesort of prepared form.The Mediterranean arc area of Spain(Catalonia, the Balearics, the Valenciaregion and Murcia) is where most of itscooked sausages come from. Queen ofthem all is butifarra, particularly theCatalan version. Butifarra has beenmade since the 14th century, andconsists of an intestine casing filled withchopped pork, pork fat and/or otheringredients (egg, rice, onion, pine nuts),salt, pepper and, sometimes, theoccasional herb or spice. They come in

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parameters (temperature, moisture, airflow and suspended particles, lighting)are all specifically designed so that theorganoleptic properties of foodstuffsare retained. José Gomez, managingdirector of Joselito, has installed one ofthe most advanced clean rooms inSpain in his factory in Guijeulo(Salamanca), producing acorn-fedIbérico cured ham and shoulder,salchichon, chorizo and lomo. “Slicingis down to a fine art nowadays,” heremarks “because modern technologymakes it possible for the entire processto be sterile and completelyautomated.”At Joselito, they began investing inslicing technology R&D five years ago,and now have a state-of-the-art cleanroom. “It’s like an operating room. Wework according to US regulations,which require temperatures of 5 to 6ºC(41 to 32.8ºF), whereas in Europe theregulations allow room temperaturesto reach 10 to 12ºC (50 to 53.6ºF).The colder the better for slicing–youavoid the spread of bacteria that way,”he explains.The process that the sausages undergois simple but highly technical. Firstthey pass through a scanner and thenthrough a cutting machine fitted withan enormous titanium blade (the factthat this does not get hot avoidsadverse effects on the delicate fat in theIbérico pork). The slices then movealong automatically to a weighingdevice, from there onto trays and arethen vacuum packed. This wholesequence is automated, albeitmonitored by a food technologist.At Joselito, like many otherprocessors, they have opted forvacuum packing as the best preservingmethod, largely for reasons of image,

since it makes the sliced producteasier to see and more attractive. Thesame results can also be achieved withinert gas says Francisco Carrasco,commercial director of CarrascoGuijuelo, another company that alsospecializes in producing andmarketing Ibérico products. Heexplains: “Inert gas creates a cushionof air between packaging and productwhich prevents the slices fromsticking to the plastic packaging. Thetechnology has been copied from themethod used for cooked ham (such asYork ham), and it has the addedadvantage of eliminating the need forplastic separators between the layersof slices.”Both systems are guaranteed to keepthe product in perfect condition for ayear as long as it is kept refrigerated,ideally at a temperature between 0 and6ºC (32 to 42.8ºF). However, as ahedge against malpractice, themanufacturers suggest a six-monthuse-by date.Vacuum packing is also used as apreserving method for whole chorizo,salchichon, butifarra, sobrasada(which is usually vacuum-packed intubs, without casing) and morcilla–infact for sausages of all kinds, bothfresh and cured. Meanwhile, researchis continuing into new methods toprolong and guarantee the shelf life ofthese products. With exports in mind,Embutidos de Cardeña is working ontheir morcilla de Burgos–a cookedsausage with a short shelf life (20-25days when vacuum-packed, up to 45when pasteurized), experimentingwith a hyperbaric (high pressure)pasteurization method developed byanother Burgos company. This methodprolongs the shelf life of foodstuffs

degree, spending on research anddevelopment is what gives companiesan edge and enables them to offer theend consumer products that areinnovative in the sense of being easierto eat and keep fresh, and that complyscrupulously with the increasinglystrict health and safety requirements.Needless to say, sausage producingcompanies are no strangers to all this.Spain is known for the range andappeal of its traditional charcuterie. Inthe late 19th century, the ritual matanza(pig slaughter) carried out by eachhousehold to provide it with a long-lasting supply of meat in various formsbegan to make way for an emergingindustry which, in the course of the20th century, became established andtransformed. By keeping pace withprogress in general and industrialprocesses in particular, the moderncompanies that manufacture andmarket fresh and cured sausages todayhave adapted deftly to the demands ofthe national and international marketsand to what consumers want. This iswhy, alongside traditionalpresentations, other formats have beenmade available and have been well-received at points of sale: sliced,vacuum-packed sausage, for example,offers the same fine quality productbut is easier to eat, longer lasting andavailable in smaller quantities.All cured embutidos (including cecina:see Cecina de León, meat with asmoky flavor, page 93) are sliceable,but the process requires properequipment and premises (slicing andclean rooms). Clean rooms areprotected environments where extremefood safety measures are enforced tothe hilt. Structure, materials,machinery and environmental

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88 SSEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2009 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

• Embutidos de Requena.With PGI status pending, Requena,on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, is asource of salchichón, chorizo,morcilla, sobrasada, and two veryidiosyncratic sausages: güeña andperro. The first type comes in strunglinks and is made from pork meatand pork fat, with the addition ofscraps. The latter is ball-shaped andcontains pig’s blood and skin, whichare added to the pork meat and fat,and requires pre-boiling.

• Other chorizos:

Potes (Cantabria, in the north of thePeninsula), a smoked version; Teror(Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands,off the coast of Morocco), eaten as aspread; and wild boar and venisonchorizo are also produced in areas ofSpain where there is plenty of game

(Jaén, Ciudad Real–both in centralsouthern Spain–and León and Asturias inthe north). The ingredients and productionmethod are similar to other chorizo exceptthat pork flavors are replaced by those offurred game.

• Chosco de Tineo.

This product from Tineo, Asturias (northernSpain) has PGI status. It is made from porkloin and tongue encased in the caecumportion of the pig’s large intestine, and issmoked and cured.

• Botillo del Bierzo.

This sausage is made in El Bierzo (León)and also has PGI status. It contains ribs,tail, lean pork, tongue, cheek and othermeats from various parts of the pig. It isencased in the large intestine, wood-smoked and cured. Flavor-packed andhearty, it is eaten in stews.

O T H E R Q U A L I T YA R T I S A N S A U S A G E S

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without affecting its nutritional quality,flavor, aroma or texture. The resultsachieved by the company indicate thatit should be possible to keep morcillain perfect condition for up to 90 days.

Spanish sausagesworldwideAccording to data compiled by theSpanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX), Spain sold over 31,000 tons(62,000,000 lb) of sausages to foreignmarkets in 2008. France, Portugal,Germany and Russia, in that order,accounted for over 50% of Spain’sexports of cured and cooked meatproducts, followed at a distance byItaly, Greece, the UK, the CzechRepublic, Belgium, the Netherlands,Andorra, Lebanon, Croatia, Denmarkand the US. The total was just over450 million euros.Foreign sales in 2008 showed asignificant increase, largely because ofhigher sales of cured ham and

shoulder (up an impressive 33.2%compared with the previous year), stillamong the best known and avidlyconsumed of Spain’s gourmet productsabroad. They were by no means alone,however, since cured sausages alsoexperienced an increase ininternational demand–a considerable12.6%–over the same period.According to a study conducted bySpanish magazine Alimarket, there aretwo clear leaders in this area of exportactivity: Campofrío Food Group(which changed its name recentlywhen it absorbed leading Europeanmeat processor Groupe SmithfieldHoldings to become the biggestprocessed meat company in Europe),and El Pozo. Both produce a widerange of products, including curedsausages, which they distribute bothwhole and, in large part, sliced andvacuum-packed throughoutsupermarkets and hypermarkets, bothin Spain and abroad. The next bigchallenge is to gain access for these

products to the gourmet distributionchannel, an area whose potential is stilllargely untapped.That said, many producers have beenvery successful over the years inplacing their products in foreignmarkets. Casa Riera Ordeix, whichproduces salchichones de Vic (SpainGourmetour No. 52), is a case in point:it exports 15% of its output to the UK,Germany, France, the Netherlands and,occasionally, the Dominican Republicand Venezuela. It is currently focusingits attention on Japan and the US. Itsmain outlets are delicatessens (Harrodsand Fortnum & Mason in London andGaleries Lafayette in Paris) andspecialist charcuterie shops rather thanbig chains.Within the EU, Joselito emerges clearlyas one of the best-known companies inthe sector. Its star product is acorn-fedIbérico ham (shoulder does well too),but it also exports cured lomo, chorizoand salchichón. Its products are well-placed in gourmet shops such as

Harrods (London), Peck (Milan),Isetan (Tokyo) and Kaspia (Paris), andsome of the worlds’ top chefs–not justthe Spanish ones–serve them in theirrestaurants (including Joël Robuchonat L’Atelier in Paris, and Carlo Cracco,in his eponymous restaurant in Milan).The company’s Ibérico products arealso sold in Russia, where they canusually be found at Anatoli Komn andthe Ararat Park Hyatt, both in Moscow.Other companies, such as theAndalusian Cooperative CattleRaising Corporation of the Valley ofthe Pedroches (Cooperativa Ganaderadel Valle de los Pedroches, COVAP,Spain Gourmetour No. 64) andEmbutidos Fermín (Salamanca),which produce Ibérico ham, shoulderand other cured products, are keenexporters. Embutidos Fermín isexemplary in that its marketing policyis to concentrate on non-EUcountries. Raúl Martín, the company’sexport manager, points out that notall products achieve the same degree

of acceptance among consumers. Heexplains the finer points: “Morcón hasonly limited sales within Europe,perhaps because it is unfamiliar.There is a niche market for it–France,Germany and Portugal, countries thatare interested in Ibérico products as awhole. In any case, it is alwaysperceived as a gourmet product andrestricted to specialist shops.” In hisopinion, cured lomo is much morecommercial, and much betterreceived: “Taking lomo, chorizo, hamand shoulder together, we export25% of our production. We are theonly company with a presence inCanada, the US and Singapore, andwe also sell in Mexico, Austria, Koreaand Japan, though our main market isthe US. Actually, we’ll start exportinglomo to Canada and the US later thisyear.”Huelva-based firm Sánchez Romero isanother well-known manufacturer ofIbérico products. Ibérico ham is theirstrong seller, though they also have a

fine reputation for cured sausage.They export morcón within Europe(France, Italy, Russia, Portugal,Scandinavia and the UK), albeit insmall quantities. Nevertheless,between 6 and 8% of their Ibéricolomo production goes abroad, to thesame countries as morcón plusGermany, the Netherlands,Luxembourg, Costa Rica and theDominican Republic. They sellthrough gourmet shops andcharcuteries, which they supply withwhole or partial pieces or ready-slicedproducts, all vacuum-packed.For the moment, the problem ofmorcilla de Burgos’s short shelf life isgetting in the way of selling themoutside the EU on a regular basis.Nevertheless, “...it’s a very well-knownproduct,” according to Roberto daSilva, manager of Embutidos deCardeña. Indeed, for the last 18 yearsthe company has been selling it in theUK, where it is bracketed withBritain’s own famous black pudding,




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without affecting its nutritional quality,flavor, aroma or texture. The resultsachieved by the company indicate thatit should be possible to keep morcillain perfect condition for up to 90 days.

Spanish sausagesworldwideAccording to data compiled by theSpanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX), Spain sold over 31,000 tons(62,000,000 lb) of sausages to foreignmarkets in 2008. France, Portugal,Germany and Russia, in that order,accounted for over 50% of Spain’sexports of cured and cooked meatproducts, followed at a distance byItaly, Greece, the UK, the CzechRepublic, Belgium, the Netherlands,Andorra, Lebanon, Croatia, Denmarkand the US. The total was just over450 million euros.Foreign sales in 2008 showed asignificant increase, largely because ofhigher sales of cured ham and

shoulder (up an impressive 33.2%compared with the previous year), stillamong the best known and avidlyconsumed of Spain’s gourmet productsabroad. They were by no means alone,however, since cured sausages alsoexperienced an increase ininternational demand–a considerable12.6%–over the same period.According to a study conducted bySpanish magazine Alimarket, there aretwo clear leaders in this area of exportactivity: Campofrío Food Group(which changed its name recentlywhen it absorbed leading Europeanmeat processor Groupe SmithfieldHoldings to become the biggestprocessed meat company in Europe),and El Pozo. Both produce a widerange of products, including curedsausages, which they distribute bothwhole and, in large part, sliced andvacuum-packed throughoutsupermarkets and hypermarkets, bothin Spain and abroad. The next bigchallenge is to gain access for these

products to the gourmet distributionchannel, an area whose potential is stilllargely untapped.That said, many producers have beenvery successful over the years inplacing their products in foreignmarkets. Casa Riera Ordeix, whichproduces salchichones de Vic (SpainGourmetour No. 52), is a case in point:it exports 15% of its output to the UK,Germany, France, the Netherlands and,occasionally, the Dominican Republicand Venezuela. It is currently focusingits attention on Japan and the US. Itsmain outlets are delicatessens (Harrodsand Fortnum & Mason in London andGaleries Lafayette in Paris) andspecialist charcuterie shops rather thanbig chains.Within the EU, Joselito emerges clearlyas one of the best-known companies inthe sector. Its star product is acorn-fedIbérico ham (shoulder does well too),but it also exports cured lomo, chorizoand salchichón. Its products are well-placed in gourmet shops such as

Harrods (London), Peck (Milan),Isetan (Tokyo) and Kaspia (Paris), andsome of the worlds’ top chefs–not justthe Spanish ones–serve them in theirrestaurants (including Joël Robuchonat L’Atelier in Paris, and Carlo Cracco,in his eponymous restaurant in Milan).The company’s Ibérico products arealso sold in Russia, where they canusually be found at Anatoli Komn andthe Ararat Park Hyatt, both in Moscow.Other companies, such as theAndalusian Cooperative CattleRaising Corporation of the Valley ofthe Pedroches (Cooperativa Ganaderadel Valle de los Pedroches, COVAP,Spain Gourmetour No. 64) andEmbutidos Fermín (Salamanca),which produce Ibérico ham, shoulderand other cured products, are keenexporters. Embutidos Fermín isexemplary in that its marketing policyis to concentrate on non-EUcountries. Raúl Martín, the company’sexport manager, points out that notall products achieve the same degree

of acceptance among consumers. Heexplains the finer points: “Morcón hasonly limited sales within Europe,perhaps because it is unfamiliar.There is a niche market for it–France,Germany and Portugal, countries thatare interested in Ibérico products as awhole. In any case, it is alwaysperceived as a gourmet product andrestricted to specialist shops.” In hisopinion, cured lomo is much morecommercial, and much betterreceived: “Taking lomo, chorizo, hamand shoulder together, we export25% of our production. We are theonly company with a presence inCanada, the US and Singapore, andwe also sell in Mexico, Austria, Koreaand Japan, though our main market isthe US. Actually, we’ll start exportinglomo to Canada and the US later thisyear.”Huelva-based firm Sánchez Romero isanother well-known manufacturer ofIbérico products. Ibérico ham is theirstrong seller, though they also have a

fine reputation for cured sausage.They export morcón within Europe(France, Italy, Russia, Portugal,Scandinavia and the UK), albeit insmall quantities. Nevertheless,between 6 and 8% of their Ibéricolomo production goes abroad, to thesame countries as morcón plusGermany, the Netherlands,Luxembourg, Costa Rica and theDominican Republic. They sellthrough gourmet shops andcharcuteries, which they supply withwhole or partial pieces or ready-slicedproducts, all vacuum-packed.For the moment, the problem ofmorcilla de Burgos’s short shelf life isgetting in the way of selling themoutside the EU on a regular basis.Nevertheless, “...it’s a very well-knownproduct,” according to Roberto daSilva, manager of Embutidos deCardeña. Indeed, for the last 18 yearsthe company has been selling it in theUK, where it is bracketed withBritain’s own famous black pudding,



SAUSAGES

FOODBASICS


SAUSAGES

FOODBASICS

“…though we introduced it as a moregourmet-orientated product, a ricesausage,” says da Silva. Along with theUK, other countries including Italy,France, the Netherlands, Belgium andMexico also enjoy this unique sausage,which sells primarily to the hospitalityindustry, with only token amountsbeing sold through specialist shops. Inthe near future and high-pressuretechnology (as described earlier)permitting, the Japanese market,which is always receptive to top-quality Spanish products, should beadded to this list.

Raquel Castillo is a journalist with aspecial interest in food and wine. She ishead of the gastronomic section of thedaily business newspaper Cinco Días anda regular contributor to such specialistmagazines as Vino y Gastronomía, Vivirel Vino, Vinoselección and Sobremesa.She is also co-author of El aceite de olivade Castilla-La Mancha and of theComer y beber en Madrid eating outguide.

PGI Botillo del Bierzowww.botillodelbierzo.es

PGI Cecina de Leónwww.cecinadeleon.org

PGI Chorizo de Cantimpaloswww.chorizodecantimpalos.org

PGI Chorizo Riojanowww.lariojacalidad.org/igp/chorizo_riojano/informacion/index.html

PGI Chosco de Tineowww.asturex.org/agro/pdf/choscodetineo.pdf

PGI Embutido de Requenawww.embutidoderequena.es

PGI Salchichón de Vicwww.salchichonvic.com

PGI Sobrasada de Mallorcawww.sobrasadademallorca.org

Chorizo cular de Salamanca, lomoIbérico, morcilla de Burgos andmorcón Ibéricowww.patrimonio-gastronomico.com/embutido.shtml?idboletin=123

W E B S I T E S

Salt, that universal preserving agent usedsince the dawn of time, helps create asplendid delicacy that is eaten all over Spain:cecina de León. Cecina (Spain GourmetourNo. 47) is meat that is salted, smoked andthen dried. It can only be made in areaswhere the climatological conditions are justright: it requires cold, dryish winters, hotsummers, and long periods of frost. Leónprovince (northwesterly inland Spain) fits thebill perfectly and is the source of the bestcecinas in Spain. They are covered by PGIstatus.

Cecina is made from meat obtained fromvarious cuts of beef: center leg (the fleshymass formed by the medial thigh muscles),round (made up of the topside andsilverside, which form a triangular/cylindricalprism), stifle (an oval-shaped cut made up ofthe components of the square rump muscle)and sirloin (a triangular cut made up of themedium, accessory and deep glutealmuscle, and the twin rump muscles). Oncethe pieces have been selected and shaped,they are salted to promote dehydration andto preserve them. They are then washed andleft to rest for 30-45 days, during which timetheir flavor, aroma and texture take ondefinition, and are then smoked in oak orholm-oak wood smoke for two to threeweeks. The process is rounded off with acuring period in perfectly ventilated natural

drying chambers. The cecina will beready to eat seven months aftersalting at the earliest, and it will haveturned a darkish brown on theoutside which, when cut, will reveal acherry-to-garnet red interior in whichthe color is more pronounced at theedges. The meat, with its slightmarbling of fat, will present littleevidence of salt or fiber. Itscharacteristic smoky aroma andclean, pronounced, pleasantly meatyflavor are particularly appealingfeatures.

Given the size of the cuts from whichit is made, cecina is generally slicedto order, though it also comesvacuum-packed.

Other León specialties include cecinade chivo, made (in the town ofVegacervera in the north of theprovince) in much the same wayexcept that the raw material is goat’smeat, and cecina de caballo is made(in Villarramiel, Palencia, insoutheastern León) of either horse ormule meat. Cecina de caballo has apleasant and very distinctive flavor,somewhat sweeter than the othersbecause of the glycogen that horsemeat contains.

C E C I N A D E L E Ó N , M E A TW I T H A S M O K Y F L A V O R



09 RECETAS AF.qxd 24/7/09 12:21 Página 94

The simplicity of high-quality seasonal products and impeccable frying in extra

virgin olive oil, two keys to the cuisine of Carles Gaig. The flavors, smells and

aromas of the past but in new guises, reflecting the evolution of a family, his

family, one that has been dedicated to the world of hospitality for over four

generations. The small family-run hostel, where they started out at the beginning

of the past century offering home cooking, has become one of Barcelona’s

landmark restaurants–Gaig Restaurant–and is now the proud holder of a

Michelin star. Gaig’s teachers were his great-grandmother and, in particular,

his mother, but he also learned from reading the works of Spanish food writers

and gastronomes, Josep Pla (1897-1981) and Néstor Luján (1922-1995). Then

a trip to the Basque Country in 1975 allowed him to meet chefs Patxi Quintana

and Juan Mari Arzak. Subsequent contact with Paul Bocuse and Freddy Girardot

ended up revolutionizing his cuisine. His dishes are now wrapped in modern

dress but the flavors take us back to his origins. Carles Gaig has also selected

the wines to accompany these dishes.

5RECIPESGaigRestaurant

Gaig RestaurantAragó, 214(corner with Aribau)08011 BarcelonaTel.: 934 291 [email protected]

IntroductionAlmudena Muyo/©ICEX

TranslationJenny McDonald/©ICEX

Photos, recipesToya Legido/©ICEX

Photos, introductionTomás Zarza/©ICEX




RECIPES

This is a different way of eating redPalamós shrimp, with its full flavorbrought out by cooking it in its naturalmedium. This is our new-lookshellfish coca.

SERVES 416 red shrimp from Palamós; 400 g / 14 oz

white bread; 50 g / 2 oz cream cheese; 20 g /

1 oz pomegranate; 2 Raf tomatoes; 1 baby

zucchini; chives; balsamic vinegar; basic

vinaigrette; seawater; baby mesclun; extra virgin

olive oil; salt.

Cut the bread into wafer-thin slicesthen trim to form uniform shapes.Toast lightly with extra virgin olive oilon a chrome-plated griddle.Peel and seed the tomatoes, then cutthem. Cut the zucchini and blanchlightly in salted water. Just beforeserving, dress the tomato and zucchini.Peel the shrimp, remove the heads andblanch in seawater for just 60 seconds.Reduce the balsamic vinegar thenleave to cool. Mix with the extra virginolive oil.Mix the cream cheese with choppedchives and dress.

To servePlace the zucchini and tomato on aslice of bread, then top with anotherlayer. Add the bodies of the red shrimpand some baby mesclun dressed withvinaigrette. Stick the heads into thetop vertically. Finish the dish withsome of the cheese and chive mixture,the oil with reduced vinegar and somepomegranate seeds.

Recommended wineGramona Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (DOPenedès), by the Gramona Winery. Thecharacteristics of this wine blendperfectly with the shrimp–very subtlearomas with apple and peach pluspassion fruit giving a tropical touch. Inthe mouth it is fresh and long.

TOMATOES

Light Coca with Red Shrimp,Raf Tomato and Baby Zucchini(Coca ligera de gamba roja contomate raf y calabacín tierno)


09 RECETAS AF.qxd 24/7/09 12:22 Página 9811 CERVEZA_DAMM AF.qxd 16/7/09 11:38 Página 110


A refreshing recipe for a hot summer.The lobster makes this very simpledish special, though the protagonist isthe tomato. We use the pear tomatoesfor the soup, which gains in subtletyfrom the milkiness of the almonds,and the Kumato tomatoes for theirpersonality, with their characteristicgreen color and fleshiness, ideal formaking the tartar.

SERVES 44 Kumato tomatoes; 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz pear

tomatoes; 85 g / 3 oz Marcona almonds; 1

large lobster; 2 cardamom seeds; 3 baby

Marcona almonds; wild sprouts; chives; roast

almond oil; extra virgin olive oil; salt.

Cook the lobster in salted water, shelland leave the best parts whole. Use thesmaller pieces in the Kumato tartar.Dress the large pieces.Peel, seed and dice the Kumatotomatoes. Add the lobster trimmingsand dress with extra virgin olive oil,salt and chopped chives.Meanwhile, peel the baby Marconaalmonds. Crush the pear tomatoeswith two cardamom seeds and theMarcona almonds. Strain, season withsalt and make an emulsion with roastalmond oil.

To servePlace a mold on a plate and fill withKumato tomato tartar. Press to shape.Remove the mold and add the dressedlobster pieces. Serve the soupseparately so as to maintain the dish’saesthetic. Decorate with wild sprouts.

Preparation time1 hour 15 minutes

Recommended drinkInedit, by Damm Group. This beer,with an intense, complex aroma andtouches of sweet spice and fruit iscreamy in the mouth. The aftertaste isof coriander, licorice and orange peel,and its delicate sparkle, verve andfreshness make it the perfect partnerfor this dish.

TOMATOES

RECIPES

Pear Tomato Soup and KumatoTartar with Lobster(Sopa de tomate pera y tartarde kumato con bogavante)


moreish, yet doesn’t muscle in on whatone’s eating when it’s served withfood.” And that is an important point:Adrià has declared on severaloccasions that Inedit was designed“because there was a need for a beerthat complemented the eatingexperience”, and has gone so far as topredict that “...there’ll be more beerslike it in the next five years, becausethe big brewers will want to have anequivalent of their own.” “It’s a beerdesigned to fit into the gastronomicenvironment and accentuate theflavors of food,” Cervantes agrees.“Adrià’s involvement has given it thatindividual touch. He and his teamcame up with an intriguingcombination of bitterness and acidity,fine-tuned by interesting nuances–ahint of coriander, orange peel aromas,a liquorice aftertaste–that even make ita beer that can accompany dessert.” Allin all, Inedit offers a convincingalternative to wine, particularly fordrinking with foods for which it ishard to find a good wine match forreasons of texture (salmon, asparagus),acidity (vinegar-dressed salads, citrusfruits) or bitterness of flavor(artichokes, rocket). To enjoy itsculinary attributes to the fullest, Ineditshould be kept in an ice bucket duringthe meal and served in white wineglasses, pouring just under half aglassful at a time.Starting with its chic bottles andpackaging, Damm has aimed Inedit ata gastronomically-aware public, whoseem to have responded favorablyduring its first few months on themarket. To take, as an example, the USmarket (where its official launch lastMay was attended by Adrià himself),

much in mind when they decided ona complete reorientation of theirexport policy three years ago. “We’dalways taken a reactive rather than aproactive approach to exports,fulfilling orders that came in fromabroad but no more than that. Then,in 2006, we started thinking aboutdesigning and implementing aspecific export strategy.”Castellà sums up the plan’s threeessential elements. Firstly, the firm’sexport activity is limited to just threeproducts–Estrella Damm, Inedit andDaura–as opposed to the wider rangeit sells in Spain, where it marketsmany more beers, including somebought from various local breweries(Keler and Victoria, for example), andwhere it has diversified its activities inthe last ten years, buying up twobrands of mineral water and setting upa company called Alfil Logistics.Secondly, the US and the UK havebeen pinpointed as priority markets,though the group has also succeededin striking significant deals incontinental Europe and kept optionsopen as regards other countries.Finally, the group has chosen to workwith importers and distributors thatoffer marketing capacity as well aslogistical services: these associatesinclude companies with an impressivetrack record: Anheuser-Busch in theUK, United States Beverage in the USand Radeberger Gruppe in Germany.As for the promotional aspects of thestrategy, the image-enhancingBarcelona connection is highlighted inexplicit advertising slogans, such as“The Beer of Barcelona” and “EstrellaExports the Flavor of Barcelona AllOver the World”, and by adapting

bottles, cans and packs heading abroadto feature the word “Barcelona” ontheir labels. Damm also has a longrecord of visibly supporting majorBarcelona events, starting with theUniversal Exposition held there wayback in 1929. More recently, EstrellaDamm sponsored the Spanish WorldCup in 1982, the Olympic Games in1992 and the Barcelona World Race in2007 (a yachting event), and it alsosponsors some of the city’s big annualmusical functions, like PrimaveraSound Festival and the InternationalFestival of Advanced Music andMultimedia Art of Barcelona (Sónar).The group has also established linkswith internationally-known Catalangroups and celebrities, ranging fromBarcelona Football Club (of which it isan official sponsor) to fashion designerCusto Dalmau (who designed thebottles for a limited edition of Estrella)to top chef Ferran Adrià (who played akey role in the creation of EstrellaDamm Inedit).

A beer for foodiesFerran Adrià, Juli Soler and elBulli’steam of sommeliers worked closelywith Damm’s master brewers on theInedit project for the best part of twoyears before the designer beer waslaunched in March 2007. “As soon aswe started thinking seriously about theproject, we knew that we wanted Adriàto direct it. He was the ideal person: aCatalan chef with star status in Spainand well beyond,” explains Castellàwhen asked how the relationshipbetween his company and the 5-timenominee for best cook in the worldfirst came about.The end result of the collaboration is abeer which, in his role as taster, CarlosCervantes describes as possessing abroad spectrum of subtle aromasdespite not being a highly fermentedbeer: “You don’t often find so muchflavor in a beer with low alcoholcontent (4.8°). There is a mildness to itthat puts it into the long drinkcategory, it is thirst quenching and


DAMM GROUP

BUSINESSWATCH

DAMM GROUP

BUSINESSWATCH

11 CERVEZA_DAMM IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:02 Página 110 (INGLES plancha)



A refreshing recipe for a hot summer.The lobster makes this very simpledish special, though the protagonist isthe tomato. We use the pear tomatoesfor the soup, which gains in subtletyfrom the milkiness of the almonds,and the Kumato tomatoes for theirpersonality, with their characteristicgreen color and fleshiness, ideal formaking the tartar.

SERVES 44 Kumato tomatoes; 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz pear

tomatoes; 85 g / 3 oz Marcona almonds; 1

large lobster; 2 cardamom seeds; 3 baby

Marcona almonds; wild sprouts; chives; roast

almond oil; extra virgin olive oil; salt.

Cook the lobster in salted water, shelland leave the best parts whole. Use thesmaller pieces in the Kumato tartar.Dress the large pieces.Peel, seed and dice the Kumatotomatoes. Add the lobster trimmingsand dress with extra virgin olive oil,salt and chopped chives.Meanwhile, peel the baby Marconaalmonds. Crush the pear tomatoeswith two cardamom seeds and theMarcona almonds. Strain, season withsalt and make an emulsion with roastalmond oil.

To servePlace a mold on a plate and fill withKumato tomato tartar. Press to shape.Remove the mold and add the dressedlobster pieces. Serve the soupseparately so as to maintain the dish’saesthetic. Decorate with wild sprouts.


Recommended drinkInedit, by Damm Group. This beer,with an intense, complex aroma andtouches of sweet spice and fruit iscreamy in the mouth. The aftertaste isof coriander, licorice and orange peel,and its delicate sparkle, verve andfreshness make it the perfect partnerfor this dish.

TOMATOES

RECIPES

Pear Tomato Soup and KumatoTartar with Lobster(Sopa de tomate pera y tartarde kumato con bogavante)


11 CERVEZA_DAMM AF.qxd 16/7/09 11:37 Página 10809 RECETAS AF.qxd 24/7/09 12:22 Página 100


From the minute he enters the room tobegin our interview, I notice that thereis something out-of-the-ordinary aboutCarlos Cervantes; he is certainly notyour average businessman. Much ofthis special quality resides in anastonishing and sincere passion for hisjob. “I grew up in a household wherethe air filled with a beery smell whenmy father got home from work in thebrewery, and I feel fortunate to havebeen part of the company for the past35 years, like many generations of myfamily before me,” he declares withpatent sincerity. His business carddescribes him as a member of thecompany’s external relations team, buta brief tour of the Damm factory onthe outskirts of Barcelona with him asguide makes it clear that he is a lotmore than just that.I am swept along by his eloquententhusiasm as we make our wayround the plant. Always alert andentertaining (as members of hisFacebook fan club will confirm),Carlos displays a prodigiouscommand of facts and figures:“Within these 120,000 sq m (129,166sq ft) we produce 3 million bottles,1 million cans and 15 thousandbarrels every day.” He goes into hisbeer’s organoleptic properties: “Thehops we use in our classic recipe,originally from Leon province(Castile-Leon, in the northern half ofthe Peninsula), distinguish us frombeers that use different, stronger ones

because they give Estrella freshness

and make it a less bitter, more

‘quaffable’ long drink.” He also

explains the finer points of brewing:

“We still source our yeast

stocks–which are what gives all

brands of beer their added

value–from the German bank from

which the company’s founder, August

Kuentzmann Damm, obtained the

originals when he set up the business

in Barcelona.” (Like many thousands

of Alsatians, Damm emigrated after

his native region came under the

dominion of the Second Reich in the

wake of the Franco-Prussian War in

1871). He also tells me how some of

the factory’s cutting-edge technology

works: “This new machine can fill 90thousand cans an hour”; and he stillfinds time to take a proud interest inhis employees’ careers: “Two of ourmaster brewers have come out at thetop of their year on specialist brewingcourses at Madrid PolytechnicUniversity and at the Versuchs-undLehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin.”Carlos’s own professional career, hismemory and even his house (he is anavid collector of all things beer-related)are steeped in Damm’s 133-yearhistory. It is the only brewery in Spainto remain active for so long, and thewealth of experience that this longpedigree implies has stood it in goodstead as it tackles a decisive facet of itspresent phase: its internationalstrategy.

From local to globalThe city of Barcelona, its people andtheir Mediterranean lifestyle areattributes that give Damm anadvantageous edge in a field as closelyassociated with free time and leisureactivities as the alcoholic beveragesector. “It’s quite common practice forbeers to base their image on theirplace of origin, and it’s a stroke ofluck for us that Barcelona and Spainin general are associated verypositively with gastronomy andquality of life,” declares GuillemCastellà, the group’s export director.The company heads had this very

TEXTSANTIAGO SÁNCHEZ

SEGURA/©ICEX


PHOTOSGRUPO DAMM

MediterraneanEdge

DAMMGROUP

When the Damm Group,

founded in Barcelona in

1876, launched its new

international strategy, it

looked to the Catalan

capital for the keystone of

the campaign. Millions of

foreign visitors to the city

who have enjoyed Estrella

Damm, the company’s

classic beer in situ will now

be able to do so back

home, along with two

new products: Inedit, a

beer created under the

guidance of Ferran Adrià

expressly for drinking with

posh food, and Daura, a

gluten-free beer suitable

for celiac sufferers.



The idea is to make a summer-stylesurf and turf, so we suggest a salad ofgreater weever fish (an unusual speciesin the kitchen, mostly used to makestock), fuet (a type of sausage) and twotypes of tomato: Montserrat, servedpractically as it comes, and tomates de

colgar (hanging tomatoes), the typicaltomatoes for pan tumaca (slices oftoasted country bread, rubbed withgarlic and ripe tomatoes, and crownedwith a pinch of salt and extra virginolive oil). The raspberries and basilgive a lively touch to the dish.

SERVES 42 Montserrat tomatoes; 2 tomates de colgar;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz baguette bread; 12 fresh

basil leaves; 200 g / 7 oz greater weever fish;

40 g / 1 1/2 oz fuet; 1 lollo rosso lettuce;

1 oak leaf lettuce; fleur de sel; 50 cc / 1.7 fl

oz rice vinegar; 12 raspberries; extra virgin

olive oil; salt, vinegar.

Cut the fuet into thin slices anddehydrate at 65ºC / 149ºF for 4 hours.Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onthe slices of baguette and bake at185ºC / 365ºF for 6 minutes. Removeand carefully rub with tomato, thensprinkle with fleur de sel.Peel the Montserrat tomato and cutinto thin slices.Remove any bones from the fish andsear lightly on the griddle. Submerge inrice vinegar for 40 minutes, then drainand place in extra virgin olive oil.Wash and dress the lettuce with a basicvinaigrette just before serving. Finishthe dish with raspberries and freshbasil leaves.

To serveArrange one or two slices of Montserrattomato forming a base, then add themarinated fish, which should be servedwarm (at 50ºC / 122ºF), thedehydrated fuet, pan tumaca toast,lettuce leaves, raspberries and freshbasil leaves. The idea is that the dishshould be as fresh and natural aspossible.

Preparation time4 hours to dehydrate the fuet and 1hour for the rest.

Recommended wineOliver Conti Gewürztraminer andSauvignon Blanc 2005 (DO Empordà),by Oliver Conti. This wine has amineral, floral nose against abackground of grapefruit, and iscreamy in the mouth with plenty ofripe fruit and citric acidity. It is anexcellent partner for the fish and theother ingredients in the dish.


TOMATOES AND SAUSAGES

RECIPES

GreaterWeever Fish,Fuet, Basiland PanTumaca

(Araña de mar, fuet, albahaca y pan tumaca)




The idea is to make a summer-stylesurf and turf, so we suggest a salad ofgreater weever fish (an unusual speciesin the kitchen, mostly used to makestock), fuet (a type of sausage) and twotypes of tomato: Montserrat, servedpractically as it comes, and tomates de

colgar (hanging tomatoes), the typicaltomatoes for pan tumaca (slices oftoasted country bread, rubbed withgarlic and ripe tomatoes, and crownedwith a pinch of salt and extra virginolive oil). The raspberries and basilgive a lively touch to the dish.

SERVES 42 Montserrat tomatoes; 2 tomates de colgar;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz baguette bread; 12 fresh

basil leaves; 200 g / 7 oz greater weever fish;

40 g / 1 1/2 oz fuet; 1 lollo rosso lettuce;

1 oak leaf lettuce; fleur de sel; 50 cc / 1.7 fl

oz rice vinegar; 12 raspberries; extra virgin

olive oil; salt, vinegar.

Cut the fuet into thin slices anddehydrate at 65ºC / 149ºF for 4 hours.Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onthe slices of baguette and bake at185ºC / 365ºF for 6 minutes. Removeand carefully rub with tomato, thensprinkle with fleur de sel.Peel the Montserrat tomato and cutinto thin slices.Remove any bones from the fish andsear lightly on the griddle. Submerge inrice vinegar for 40 minutes, then drainand place in extra virgin olive oil.Wash and dress the lettuce with a basicvinaigrette just before serving. Finishthe dish with raspberries and freshbasil leaves.

To serveArrange one or two slices of Montserrattomato forming a base, then add themarinated fish, which should be servedwarm (at 50ºC / 122ºF), thedehydrated fuet, pan tumaca toast,lettuce leaves, raspberries and freshbasil leaves. The idea is that the dishshould be as fresh and natural aspossible.

Preparation time4 hours to dehydrate the fuet and 1hour for the rest.

Recommended wineOliver Conti Gewürztraminer andSauvignon Blanc 2005 (DO Empordà),by Oliver Conti. This wine has amineral, floral nose against abackground of grapefruit, and iscreamy in the mouth with plenty ofripe fruit and citric acidity. It is anexcellent partner for the fish and theother ingredients in the dish.


TOMATOES AND SAUSAGES

RECIPES

GreaterWeever Fish,Fuet, Basiland PanTumaca

(Araña de mar, fuet, albahaca y pan tumaca)




SAUSAGES

RECIPES


Maximum simplicity in a traditionaldish of cod with samfaina (Catalan-style ratatouille). The reduced Modenavinegar, with its body and acidity,contrasts with the saltiness of the fishand the butifarra sausage.

SERVES 4700 g / 1 1/2 lb cod fillet in 4 pieces; flour to

coat; 2 tomatoes; 1 red pepper; 1 green

pepper; 1 yellow pepper; 1 zucchini;

1 eggplant; 1 onion; 200 g / 7 oz black

butifarra; herbs; green sprouts; balsamic

vinegar; extra virgin olive oil; aniseed.

Season the cod with salt, dip in flourand, just before serving, fry in veryhot oil.Grill the eggplants and peppers overhot coals, then peel and cut into smallpieces. Chop the onion and fry. Whencaramelized, add the chopped flesh ofthe two tomatoes and, finally, thezucchini. When cooked, add the othervegetables, season and add aniseed.This is the samfaina.Place the butifarra sausage in a steamerto soften, then peel. Heat the flesh andcrush, then form a roll using saranwrap, chill and cut into thin slices,heating again just before serving.Reduce the balsamic vinegar.When cold, mix with the extra virginolive oil.

Lightly SmokedFillet of Cod withSamfaina andBlack Butifarra

(Lomo de bacalao ligeramente ahumadocon samfaina y butifarra negra)To serve

Fry the cod just before serving so that

the flour coating is crisp. Top with a

quenelle of samfaina and sprinkle with

a little reduced balsamic vinegar.

Finish with green sprouts and the

black butifarra sausage.


Recommended wineGeol 2006 (DO Costers del Segre), byTomàs Cusiné. This is a rich, powerfulwine with explosive aromas of forestfruit–blackberries, cranberries, etc.–in

combination with toast and wood.Fresh and velvety with similar notes inthe mouth, it makes an ideal partnerfor the cod and samfaina.




A typical food combination in León isasparagus with cecina (air-dried meat).This is the idea that inspired this dish,but here it comes in a very personalversion–with the local white asparagusfrom Gavà, south of Barcelona.

SERVES 420 white asparagus spears from Gavà;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz cecina from León; 80 g /

3 oz milk; 50 g / 2 oz butter; 80 g / 3 oz

chicken stock; 50 g / 2 oz extra virgin olive oil;

20 g / 1 oz flour; salt; sugar.

Cut the cecina into wafer-thin slices,then chop into squares and fry. Thenplace in extra virgin olive oil to makececina crisp oil.Cook the asparagus in boiling saltedwater with a little sugar. Separate thetips and stalks, the latter to be used tomake the sauce and filling for theravioli. Don’t overboil the tips.To make the sauce, crush the hardestpart of the stems to extract the flavor,add chicken stock and butter and beatuntil thick. Then add more butter,sprinkle with flour and cook. Add therest of the asparagus stems and themilk. Add some cecina squares, bringto a boil and let cool.Finely slice the asparagus tips (leavingsome whole to decorate the plate) andcook in the same way as the stems.Once cooked, form a lattice, makingsquare-shaped ravioli, fill with thecooled mixture and close. Heat in anatural coal oven.

To serveLayer the plate with sauce, top withthe ravioli and decorate with asparagustips. Finish with the León cecina crispoil.

Preparation time2 hours

Recommended winePago de Carraovejas 2005 (DO Riberade Duero), by Bodegas Pago deCarraovejas. This wine with animpressive nose against a balsamicbackground with ripe fruit and vanillais flavorsome in the mouth withintense fruitiness, medium structureand creaminess. It is a fine foil to theasparagus and cecina from Leónravioli.

SAUSAGES

RECIPES

Asparagus and Cecina from León Ravioli(Espárragos con cecina de León en ravioli)


10 EN MARCHA AF.qxd 16/7/09 06:09 Página 106

such as Morocco, China,Russia, Poland, Cuba, SouthAfrica and several MiddleEastern states.In the course of this expansionabroad, the company has wonrecognition from theInternational Taste and QualityInstitute (iTQi) in recentmonths. In this Brussels-basedorganization’s Superior TasteAwards 2009, the top qualification,“exceptional” (three stars), went toMondariz’s still mineral water, Elite,the premium (or gran reserva) brand ofnatural mineral water that Aguas deMondariz supplies to top restaurants.Meanwhile, its sparkling water wasawarded the “outstanding” (two stars)qualification by a jury comprised ofchefs and sommeliers from leadingEuropean culinary associations.Mondariz also started exporting itsFuente del Val water recently. Generalmanager Javier R. Losada explains thatit is intended as a distinctive foodsector product, “specificallyrecommended for people on a lowsodium diet.”Date of foundation: 1873Activity: Bottling and marketingmineral watersTurnover for 2008: 20 million eurosWorkforce: 112 employeesExport quota: 10%www.aguasdemondariz.com

accommodates Chinese tastes whileremaining faithful to its essentialSpanish tapas theme. “Both our chefand our head of operations in Chinaare Spaniards who already had someexperience in China under their beltsbefore starting on this project,”explains Joan Manel Gili, ComessGroup’s marketing director. “As far aswe were concerned, that wasabsolutely essential to our goal ofbalancing the realities of this marketwith the traditional Spanish food thatwe supply.” Lizarran’s Suzhou menutherefore avoids foods of littlerelevance to Chinese eating habits(such as bread and dairy products),while presenting a choice of over 100pinchos and tapas with theirtraditional flavors very much intact:they include Serrano cured ham,Spanish omelet, Russian salad,chistorra (thin Navarre sausageflavored with pimentón, a type ofpaprika from Spain) and boquerones(anchovies) in vinegar. The aim of theexercise is to ascertain which dishesand pinchos go down best with thelocal clientele while serving food thatis 100% Spanish.Date of foundation: 1988Activity: Pinchos and tapasrestaurantsNumber of establishments: 190Turnover for 2008: 105 million euroswww.grupolizarran.com


Conde de Valdemar takesoff with American AirlinesThe export market has been one ofBodegas Valdemar’s prime targets sinceit was founded in 1983: it began itsinternational career that same yearwith sales to the UK. Today its winesare sold in nearly 60 countries, with aparticularly strong presence inGermany, the US, the UK, Sweden andSwitzerland. The firm aims to expandstill further and, with that in mind, ishoning its reputation for “innovationand quality in the hospitality industryand specialist markets, both of whichare sectors that offer better continuityin the medium and long term,”according to marketing director AnaMartínez Bujanda.This approach has paid dividends.One of its wines has become a highflyer–33,000 ft high, to be precise.Since last summer, bottles of cask-fermented Conde de Valdemar whitewine have been available to passengerstraveling First and Business Class onAmerican Airlines flights. At Valdemar,they are “proud that such a prestigiousairline contacted us with a view tosampling our product, and that itswine consultant, Ken Chase, selectedour wine for its menus. Of course, italso serves as an ideal showcase for us,giving people of many nationalities thechance to discover our wines.”

Meanwhile, this Rioja Alavesa wineryhas other plans up its sleeve, includingmarketing its Inspiración Valdemarcollection, “a range of highly originalwines, all with very differentpersonalities,” to quote MartínezBujanda. The collection has provided aspecial niche to native and minorityvarieties since it was launched in 2007,and is part of Bodegas Valdemar’sonward and upward strategy, aimedprimarily at extending theirdistribution network and consolidatingtheir brand’s reputation for qualitywithin the Rioja Qualified Designationof Origin category.Date of foundation: 1983Workforce: 46Export quota: 55%www.valdemar.es

Aguas de Mondarizfor IrelandFitz Crystal Mineral Water Company isto be the exclusive distributor of Aguasde Mondariz’s products in Ireland. Thecontract covers the two big mineralwater market areas (the food andhospitality sectors), and gives theGalician company full coverage of thedistribution map of the British Isles (ithas been represented in the UK byTaylor Sales & Distribution since April2008).The agreement is the latest in a series

that, in the first half of this year, hasenabled Aguas de Mondariz, a VichyCatalan Group company, to export itswater to Cyprus, Gambia and Malta.Aguas de Mondariz products arecurrently sold in 27 countries, afigure that is set to rise further in thenear future as it enters new markets


TEXTSANTIAGO SÁNCHEZ SEGURA/@ICEX


ILLUSTRATIONAVI

On the Move

Lizarran launches in ChinaSince June of this year, the TimesSquare shopping mall in the city ofSuzhou, 80 km (49 mi) fromShanghai, has had its own Lizarrantapas bar, the first in China. Thetaberna’s opening is the first result ofan agreement between Comess Group,Lizarran’s parent company, and a groupof Chinese businessmen residing inSpain, entitling them to use theSpanish brand under license in Chinafor the next 20 years via the MundiverEuropa company. Suzhou is just thestart: plans to develop the franchise inChina are focused next on Shanghai asthe prime target, with the cities ofHangzhou, Wenzhou and Qingtian (allin the eastern part of the country)lined up as possible candidates for thevery near future.Lizarran has designed an introductorymenu for this new market that

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From the minute he enters the room tobegin our interview, I notice that thereis something out-of-the-ordinary aboutCarlos Cervantes; he is certainly notyour average businessman. Much ofthis special quality resides in anastonishing and sincere passion for hisjob. “I grew up in a household wherethe air filled with a beery smell whenmy father got home from work in thebrewery, and I feel fortunate to havebeen part of the company for the past35 years, like many generations of myfamily before me,” he declares withpatent sincerity. His business carddescribes him as a member of thecompany’s external relations team, buta brief tour of the Damm factory onthe outskirts of Barcelona with him asguide makes it clear that he is a lotmore than just that.I am swept along by his eloquententhusiasm as we make our wayround the plant. Always alert andentertaining (as members of hisFacebook fan club will confirm),Carlos displays a prodigiouscommand of facts and figures:“Within these 120,000 sq m (129,166sq ft) we produce 3 million bottles,1 million cans and 15 thousandbarrels every day.” He goes into hisbeer’s organoleptic properties: “Thehops we use in our classic recipe,originally from Leon province(Castile-Leon, in the northern half ofthe Peninsula), distinguish us frombeers that use different, stronger ones

because they give Estrella freshness

and make it a less bitter, more

‘quaffable’ long drink.” He also

explains the finer points of brewing:

“We still source our yeast

stocks–which are what gives all

brands of beer their added

value–from the German bank from

which the company’s founder, August

Kuentzmann Damm, obtained the

originals when he set up the business

in Barcelona.” (Like many thousands

of Alsatians, Damm emigrated after

his native region came under the

dominion of the Second Reich in the

wake of the Franco-Prussian War in

1871). He also tells me how some of

the factory’s cutting-edge technology

works: “This new machine can fill 90thousand cans an hour”; and he stillfinds time to take a proud interest inhis employees’ careers: “Two of ourmaster brewers have come out at thetop of their year on specialist brewingcourses at Madrid PolytechnicUniversity and at the Versuchs-undLehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin.”Carlos’s own professional career, hismemory and even his house (he is anavid collector of all things beer-related)are steeped in Damm’s 133-yearhistory. It is the only brewery in Spainto remain active for so long, and thewealth of experience that this longpedigree implies has stood it in goodstead as it tackles a decisive facet of itspresent phase: its internationalstrategy.

From local to globalThe city of Barcelona, its people andtheir Mediterranean lifestyle areattributes that give Damm anadvantageous edge in a field as closelyassociated with free time and leisureactivities as the alcoholic beveragesector. “It’s quite common practice forbeers to base their image on theirplace of origin, and it’s a stroke ofluck for us that Barcelona and Spainin general are associated verypositively with gastronomy andquality of life,” declares GuillemCastellà, the group’s export director.The company heads had this very

TEXTSANTIAGO SÁNCHEZ

SEGURA/©ICEX


PHOTOSGRUPO DAMM

MediterraneanEdge

DAMMGROUP

When the Damm Group,

founded in Barcelona in

1876, launched its new

international strategy, it

looked to the Catalan

capital for the keystone of

the campaign. Millions of

foreign visitors to the city

who have enjoyed Estrella

Damm, the company’s

classic beer in situ will now

be able to do so back

home, along with two

new products: Inedit, a

beer created under the

guidance of Ferran Adrià

expressly for drinking with

posh food, and Daura, a

gluten-free beer suitable

for celiac sufferers.



moreish, yet doesn’t muscle in on whatone’s eating when it’s served withfood.” And that is an important point:Adrià has declared on severaloccasions that Inedit was designed“because there was a need for a beerthat complemented the eatingexperience”, and has gone so far as topredict that “...there’ll be more beerslike it in the next five years, becausethe big brewers will want to have anequivalent of their own.” “It’s a beerdesigned to fit into the gastronomicenvironment and accentuate theflavors of food,” Cervantes agrees.“Adrià’s involvement has given it thatindividual touch. He and his teamcame up with an intriguingcombination of bitterness and acidity,fine-tuned by interesting nuances–ahint of coriander, orange peel aromas,a liquorice aftertaste–that even make ita beer that can accompany dessert.” Allin all, Inedit offers a convincingalternative to wine, particularly fordrinking with foods for which it ishard to find a good wine match forreasons of texture (salmon, asparagus),acidity (vinegar-dressed salads, citrusfruits) or bitterness of flavor(artichokes, rocket). To enjoy itsculinary attributes to the fullest, Ineditshould be kept in an ice bucket duringthe meal and served in white wineglasses, pouring just under half aglassful at a time.Starting with its chic bottles andpackaging, Damm has aimed Inedit ata gastronomically-aware public, whoseem to have responded favorablyduring its first few months on themarket. To take, as an example, the USmarket (where its official launch lastMay was attended by Adrià himself),

much in mind when they decided ona complete reorientation of theirexport policy three years ago. “We’dalways taken a reactive rather than aproactive approach to exports,fulfilling orders that came in fromabroad but no more than that. Then,in 2006, we started thinking aboutdesigning and implementing aspecific export strategy.”Castellà sums up the plan’s threeessential elements. Firstly, the firm’sexport activity is limited to just threeproducts–Estrella Damm, Inedit andDaura–as opposed to the wider rangeit sells in Spain, where it marketsmany more beers, including somebought from various local breweries(Keler and Victoria, for example), andwhere it has diversified its activities inthe last ten years, buying up twobrands of mineral water and setting upa company called Alfil Logistics.Secondly, the US and the UK havebeen pinpointed as priority markets,though the group has also succeededin striking significant deals incontinental Europe and kept optionsopen as regards other countries.Finally, the group has chosen to workwith importers and distributors thatoffer marketing capacity as well aslogistical services: these associatesinclude companies with an impressivetrack record: Anheuser-Busch in theUK, United States Beverage in the USand Radeberger Gruppe in Germany.As for the promotional aspects of thestrategy, the image-enhancingBarcelona connection is highlighted inexplicit advertising slogans, such as“The Beer of Barcelona” and “EstrellaExports the Flavor of Barcelona AllOver the World”, and by adapting

bottles, cans and packs heading abroadto feature the word “Barcelona” ontheir labels. Damm also has a longrecord of visibly supporting majorBarcelona events, starting with theUniversal Exposition held there wayback in 1929. More recently, EstrellaDamm sponsored the Spanish WorldCup in 1982, the Olympic Games in1992 and the Barcelona World Race in2007 (a yachting event), and it alsosponsors some of the city’s big annualmusical functions, like PrimaveraSound Festival and the InternationalFestival of Advanced Music andMultimedia Art of Barcelona (Sónar).The group has also established linkswith internationally-known Catalangroups and celebrities, ranging fromBarcelona Football Club (of which it isan official sponsor) to fashion designerCusto Dalmau (who designed thebottles for a limited edition of Estrella)to top chef Ferran Adrià (who played akey role in the creation of EstrellaDamm Inedit).

A beer for foodiesFerran Adrià, Juli Soler and elBulli’steam of sommeliers worked closelywith Damm’s master brewers on theInedit project for the best part of twoyears before the designer beer waslaunched in March 2007. “As soon aswe started thinking seriously about theproject, we knew that we wanted Adriàto direct it. He was the ideal person: aCatalan chef with star status in Spainand well beyond,” explains Castellàwhen asked how the relationshipbetween his company and the 5-timenominee for best cook in the worldfirst came about.The end result of the collaboration is abeer which, in his role as taster, CarlosCervantes describes as possessing abroad spectrum of subtle aromasdespite not being a highly fermentedbeer: “You don’t often find so muchflavor in a beer with low alcoholcontent (4.8°). There is a mildness to itthat puts it into the long drinkcategory, it is thirst quenching and


DAMM GROUP

BUSINESSWATCH

DAMM GROUP

BUSINESSWATCH



per million, while the guidelinesissued by the Codex Alimentarius (thefood standards commission set up bythe WHO and the FAO) set themaximum limit for gluten in foods forceliac sufferers at 20 parts per million.In exemplary export manager fashion,Castellà quotes a specific marketamong whose celiac population theproduct has been well-received: “Withits traditional pizza- and pasta-richdiet, celiac disease is a condition ofwhich there is a particular awarenessin Italy, so the fact that distribution ofDaura there almost matches Spain’s isquite significant.”To cater for these new market trendsand challenges, the Damm Group iscarrying out an ambitious expansionscheme at its Barcelona factory, thecompany’s base, to whose existingpremises six more production andbottling plants for beer, water and softdrinks are being added, while its ownmalthouse is also currently undergoingrenovation. Construction at the El Pratfactory, whose enormous EstrellaDamm logo greets passengers as theyland at Barcelona Airport nearby, areexpected to cost 241 million euros and,when finished, will have increased theplant’s production capacity from 2.5 to5 million hectoliters (2.1 to 4.2 millionbarrels). The remodeling projectrepresents a commitment to innovationas a way of guaranteeing that thecompany develops sustainably, in linewith one of its basic principles: respectfor the environment. In real terms, thistranslates into the factory having its

own electrical co-generator, while theoverall renovation scheme includesinstalling solar panels, reducing waterand electricity consumption, reducingsteam emissions produced by theboiling process, using natural gas-fuelled fork lift trucks and harnessingbiogas for industrial use via a watertreatment system.While El Prat represents the modernface of Damm, its La Bohemia factoryright in the heart of Barcelona is whereits long pedigree shows. The site whereDamm first started brewing in 1905now serves as the group headquartersand is a repository of company history.In several of its component units, thebrewing technology of nearly 90 yearsago can still be seen; indeed, one ofthem has been turned into a museum(open to professional visitors only, andby prior appointment) housing a vastand fascinating collection of objects,photographs and advertising materialtracing the evolution of a companythat has become a Barcelonainstitution. Suitably, I round off myvisit with a glass of Estrella Damm,drunk within sight of anothercherished local landmark–La SagradaFamilia, Antoni Gaudí’s Modernistcathedral–just a ten minute walk away.

Santiago Sánchez Segura has workedas a trainee journalist forRadiotelevisión del Principado deAsturias and in the Economic andCommercial Office of the SpanishEmbassy in Miami. He is currently on aplacement at Spain Gourmetour.


Inedit can now be found on the

shelves of Whole Foods, one of the

leading organic product and

delicatessen chains in the US, and on

the menu since last year at restaurants

such as Eleven Madison Park and Casa

Mono, in New York; Amanda, Spanish

chef José Garcés’s restaurant in

Philadelphia; and The Bazaar by José

Andrés, the cook’s west coast showcase

for his cuisine.

Present, futureand pastWhile Inedit represents the linkbetween Damm and avant-gardecuisine, the third label in the Catalancompany’s foreign market strategy,Daura, has turned out to be somethingof a trailblazing beer for celiacsufferers. “Special beers of this type aregenerally made from cereals like maizeor fermented rice, whereas the raw

material in Daura is barley. We’ve been

able to do this because we’ve

discovered how to break down its

gluten protein. That’s why we believe it

to be the first genuine beer suitable for

people with celiac disease: the fact that

it is made with barley malt helps keep

the traditional beer taste,” explains

Castellà. Its suitability has been tested

by the CSIC (Spain’s leading state

research institution), which certified

that its gluten levels are below 6 parts

DAMM GROUP

BUSINESSWATCH

Year of foundation: 1876Activity: Manufacturing, bottlingand canning beveragesTurnover for 2008:755 million eurosMain export markets: Australia,France, Germany, Italy, NewZealand, Norway, Switzerland, theUnited Kingdom and the UnitedStates.Sectors and brands: Beers (A.K.Damm, BockDamm, Damm Lemon,Daura, Estrella del Sur, EstrellaDamm, Estrella Levante, FreeDamm, Inedit, Keler, Saaz, Skol,Victoria, Voll-Damm and Xibeca)and mineral waters (Fuente Livianaand Veri).Workforce: 2,223 employeesHead office: Calle Rosselló 51508025 BarcelonaTel. +34 932 90 92 11Fax +34 932 90 93 37www.damm.es

D A M M G R O U P


12 ULTIMA PARADA AF.qxd 16/7/09 05:58 Página 114


GAME,Still Life with

Vegetablesand Fruit

Juan Sánchez Cotán was born in 1560in Orgaz, Toledo (central Spain) andstudied in the province of Toledo withone of the precursors of Spanish stilllife painters, Blas de Ledesma. Afterentering the Carthusian monastery ElPaular (Madrid) in 1603 and thenmoving to Granada in 1612, hefocused on religious subjects butwithout making any particularimpact. He is known above all for hisprevious still lifes, being consideredthe most important Spanish still lifeartist of the Baroque period andexerting an influence on many otherspecialists who followed in his wake.Here we can see one of his mostoutstanding works in which the

cardoon plays a major role, given itsprominence in the composition.Sánchez Cotán produced austereworks, generally featuring humble,everyday objects. In this case, thereare also some pheasants but, by hisskilled use of light and shadow, thepainter gives pride of place to thecardoon, the simple vegetablesaround the base and the hanging fruitat the top. The composition is almostgeometrical, a hallmark of his stilllifes. Another is the importance givento the simple cardoon, a subject thatreappears in several of his works. Thispainting was produced by SánchezCotán just one year before hewithdrew from secular life.

Still Life with Game, Vegetables and Fruit / 1602Oil on canvas, 68 x 89 cm

© Prado National Museum, Spain

Photo © Prado National Museum, SpainTranslation: Jenny McDonald/©ICEX

ARTIST’S PALATE

COLOPHON

Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560-1627)

12 ULTIMA PARADA IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:06 Página 114 (INGLES plancha)

The following list includes aselection of exporters. It isnot intended as acomprehensive guide and forreasons of space, we cannotlist all the companies devotedto export of the featuredproducts. The informationincluded is supplied by theindividual sources.

FoodProductsSausagesConsejo Regulador IGPBotillo del BierzoTel.: (+34) 987 411 973Fax: (+34) 987 414 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPCecina de LeónTel.: (+34) 987 615 275Fax: (+34) 987 617 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChorizo de CantimpalosTel.: (+34) 921 432 001Fax: (+34) 921 440 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPSobrasada de MallorcaTel.: (+34) 971 256 184Fax: (+34) 971 256 [email protected]

TomatoesConsejo ReguladorDenominación EspecíficaTomate La Cañada-NíjarTel.: (+34) 950 280 380Fax: (+34) 950 281 [email protected]

FEPEXTel.: (+34) 913 191 050Fax: (+34) 913 103 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChorizo RiojanoTel.: (+34) 941 512 571Fax: (+34) 941 512 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChosco de TineoTel.: (+34) 985 800 174Fax: (+34) 985 800 674www.asturex.org/agro/pdf/choscodetineo.pdf

Consejo Regulador IGPEmbutido de RequenaTel.: (+34) 962 302 550Fax: (+34) 962 302 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPSalchichón de VicTel.: (+34) 932 682 631Fax: (+34) 932 680 [email protected]

EXPORTERS

16 EXPORTADORES IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:31 Página 126 (INGLES plancha)

Sin título 2 1 29/7/09 10:48:28 PCRDONAVARRA indd 1 29/7/09 09:52:34

12 ULTIMA PARADA AF.qxd 16/7/09 05:58 Página 114


GAME,Still Life with

Vegetablesand Fruit

Juan Sánchez Cotán was born in 1560in Orgaz, Toledo (central Spain) andstudied in the province of Toledo withone of the precursors of Spanish stilllife painters, Blas de Ledesma. Afterentering the Carthusian monastery ElPaular (Madrid) in 1603 and thenmoving to Granada in 1612, hefocused on religious subjects butwithout making any particularimpact. He is known above all for hisprevious still lifes, being consideredthe most important Spanish still lifeartist of the Baroque period andexerting an influence on many otherspecialists who followed in his wake.Here we can see one of his mostoutstanding works in which the

cardoon plays a major role, given itsprominence in the composition.Sánchez Cotán produced austereworks, generally featuring humble,everyday objects. In this case, thereare also some pheasants but, by hisskilled use of light and shadow, thepainter gives pride of place to thecardoon, the simple vegetablesaround the base and the hanging fruitat the top. The composition is almostgeometrical, a hallmark of his stilllifes. Another is the importance givento the simple cardoon, a subject thatreappears in several of his works. Thispainting was produced by SánchezCotán just one year before hewithdrew from secular life.

Still Life with Game, Vegetables and Fruit / 1602Oil on canvas, 68 x 89 cm

© Prado National Museum, Spain

Photo © Prado National Museum, SpainTranslation: Jenny McDonald/©ICEX

ARTIST’S PALATE

COLOPHON

Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560-1627)

12 ULTIMA PARADA IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:06 Página 114 (INGLES plancha)

Aceites Borges Pont, S.A.Tel: (34) 973 501 212Fax: (34) 973 314 [email protected]: Back cover

Aragón Food – Food andAgriculture Department –Government of AragónTel: (34) 976 302 268Fax: (34) 976 214 240www.sirasa.netPage: 13

Bodegas Franco EspañolasTel: (34) 941 251 300Fax: (34) 941 262 948francoespanolas@francoespanolas.comwww.francoespanolas.comPage: 4

Bodegas ProtosTel: (34) 983 878 011Fax: (34) 983 878 015www.bodegasprotos.comPage: 125

Consorcio del Jamón SerranoEspañolTel: (34) 917 356 085Fax: (34) 917 350 [email protected]: 120

C.R.D.O. ValdepeñasTel: (34) 926 322 788Fax: (34) 926 321 [email protected]: 6

Extenda-Agencia Andaluzade Promoción ExteriorTel: (34) 902 508 525Fax: (34) 902 508 [email protected]: 10

Junta de ExtremaduraTel: (34) 924 010 858Fax: (34) 924 010 870www.comercioextremadura.orgPage: 119

Proaliment – Jesús Navarro,S.A.Tel: (34) 965 600 150Fax: (34) 965 603 [email protected]: 5

Rafael Salgado, S.A.Tel: (34) 916 667 875Fax: (34) 916 [email protected]: 9

Sánchez Romate Hnos., S.A.Tel: (34) 956 182 212Fax: (34) 956 185 [email protected]: Inside front cover

Sánchez Romero CarvajalJabujo, S.A. (5 Jotas)Tel: (34) 917 283 880Fax: (34) 917 283 [email protected]: 11

Vinos D.O. NavarraTel: (34) 948 741 812Fax: (34) 948 741 [email protected]: 127

Wines From Spainwww.winesfromspain.esPage: 8

F.J. Sánchez Sucesores, S.A.Tel: (34) 950 364 038Fax: (34) 950 364 [email protected]: Inside back cover

Federico Paternina, S.A.Tel: (34) 941 310 550Fax: (34) 941 312 [email protected]: 121

González Byass, S.A.(Tio Pepe)Tel: (34) 956 357 004Fax: (34) 956 357 [email protected]: 12

Grupo GourmetsTel: (34) 915 489 651Fax: (34) 915 487 [email protected]: 7

Ifema – Feria de Madrid(HOREQ)Tel: (34) 917 225 176Fax: (34) 917 225 [email protected]@ifema.esPage: 123

Industrial QueseraCuquerellaTel: (34) 926 266 410Fax: (34) 926 266 [email protected]: 124

IPEX – Instituto dePromoción Exterior deCastilla La ManchaTel: (34) 925 286 650Fax: (34) 925 286 [email protected]: 126

ADINDEX

15 ANUNCIANTES IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:28 Página 124 (INGLES plancha)

PD

FD

EC

LIE

NTE

CH

EQ

UE

AD

OP

OR

PREMIUM QUALITY SPANISH CHEESE-THE GRANDEE OF SPAIN-

Award winning 12 month maturedManchego D.O. from La Mancha October 2008

Awarded first prize Manchego cheese at the annualManchego cheesemakers guild contest.

TARTESANA, S.L“Tarquessia de La Mancha”

Ctra. de Toledo, s/n13420 Malagón (C.Real) Spain

Tel: +(34) 926 266 410Fax: +(34) 926 266 413

[email protected]

I. QUESERA CUQUERELLA, S.L. - QUESOS ROCINANTEMalagón (C. Real) - Spain - Tel.: +34 926 266 410 - Fax: +34 926 266 413

[email protected] - www.rocinante.es

“The Original Spanish Cheesecake”

INGLÉS 28/7/09 09:37 Página 1

PPROTOS_ingles.indd 1 29/7/09 11:08:01


El aceite de oliva, almadel Mediterráneo (OliveOil, Soul of theMediterranean) byFrancisco Javier BarbanchoCisneros and José MataixVerdú. Spanish. This in-depth encyclopedia-likebook traces the fascinatingjourney of olives and oliveoil throughout civilizations,from Ancient Greece totoday.The authors maintain thatthe tree and its fruit are theMediterranean’s mostdistinguishing features, themost important source oflipids since timeimmemorial, a vitaleconomic resource, acrucial ingredient incountless dishes, symbolicin sacred texts and religiousrituals, present in art, thefocus of literature,referenced in history, amiracle therapeuticointment, an essential partof a healthy diet, and wellon their way to becomingpart of our culturalheritage. (Instituto deEstudios Giennenes,Diputación Provincial de Jaén,www.dipujaen.com)

Joan Roca. Diez menúspara un concierto. Lacocina de la música(Joan Roca. Ten Menus for aConcert. Musical Cuisine)by Jaume Cabré, SalvadorGarcia-Arbós and JordiMaluquer. Spanish.Gastronomy meets music inthis book by Joan Roca (ElCeller de Can Roca, Gerona,2 Michelin stars). Here heoffers ten menus (40 recipesin total) inspired by musicalselections from composersincluding Puccini, Toldràand Verdi.Mozart’s Don Giovanni(1787) is served withsmoked baby octopus andpheasant cannelloni, whileSymphony No. 6 in F MajorOp. 68 (1808) byBeethoven readies the tastebuds for rice, black sausageand sea urchin and codbrandade crisp.The text comes with a 70-minute CD in which pianistAntoni Besses improvises10 pieces based on Roca’sdishes. Music to the ears,and the stomach. (Galerada,Serveis d’Edició I Traducció,www.galerada.cat)

El Jabugo. V CongresoMundial del Jamón(Jabugo Ham. 5th WorldCongress of Dry-CuredHam). Spanish. This book,which celebrates Ibéricoham, was published as partof the 5th World Congress ofDry-Cured Ham, held inHuelva, and attended byleading industryrepresentatives, renownedscientists, academics andinternational researchcenters. The product’sunique characteristics havepeaked the interest ofexperts in many fields,ranging from veterinaryscience to nutrition to R&D.Huelva is in the spotlightbecause of the key role hamhas played in its history anddevelopment, and this textoffers insight into topicsincluding pigs and theirnatural habitat, differenttypes of Ibérico pigs,traditional industrialproduction of Ibérico ham,the various cuts, nutritionalproperties and PDO Jamónde Huelva. A 240-pagehomage to the region, andits star. (Junta de Andalucía,Consejería de Agricultura yPesca,www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca)

A Day at elBulli: AnInsight into the Ideas,Methods and Creativity ofFerran Adrià by AlbertAdrià, Ferran Adrià and JuliSoler. English, Spanish.Which restaurant receives2,000,000 requests forreservations per year foronly 8,000 places? Wherehas the eating experiencebeen described as“magical”? Where is thefood art? At only one placein the world: elBulli. Andthe wizard behind it all?Ferran Adrià.This book offers a peekbehind the curtain, anexclusive look at what goeson behind the scenes: themenu at elBulli, thekitchens, Adrià’s early years,the reservation system, theelectronic wine list, therestaurant’s history, andshopping in Roses. Readabout the passion andcommitment of the teamand their devotion tocreativity. The restaurant iscompared to a workshop,the aim being “to createdishes that engage guests’sensory, emotional andintellectual faculties to thefull, surprising them.”Through over 1,000 colorphotographs, the book

shows a detailed picturestory of how the dayevolves, from dawn ‘tildusk, how each ingredientis treated and each dishprepared, the manytechniques and the ongoingbreaking of barriers, thekitchen at full throttle andthe dining room packed.Unsurprisingly, theselection of recipes areahead of their time:monkfish liver fondue withponzu and white sesame-flavored kumquat, freshliquorice infusion jellylasagna, and carrot-LYOfoam with hazelnut foam-air and Córdoba spices arebut a few.Perhaps the Times reviewput it best when it said: “Todescribe elBulli as ‘arestaurant’ is like describingShakespeare as ‘a writer’”.(Phaidon, www.phaidon.com)

Espanjan Viinit (SpanishWines) by Eva and HeikkiRemes. Finnish. It comes asno surprise to hear thatfever for Spanish wines hasspread across the globe, andScandinavia is certainly noexception. Well-knownFinnish authors Eva andHeikki Remes are Spanishgastronomy enthusiasts,and their book offers anextensive selection oftraditional Finnish recipes,complete with suggestionson the perfectaccompaniment: Spanishwines, all of which areavailable at Finland’s Alko,the national alcoholicbeverage retailingmonopoly.The project was funded inpart by ICEX and its Winesfrom Spain program. This isa top-notch guide for thoseinterested in gastronomyand with a penchant forgood food and great wine, asegment in Finland that’sgrowing in leaps andbounds. (Multikustannus;www.multikustannus.fi)

New Tapas: Today’s BestBar Food from Spain byFiona Dunlop. English,Spanish. Tapas, a Spanishhallmark, are changing withthe times. This bookhighlights some of thecountry’s most creativecooks and a selection oftheir old school recipes,side-by-side with singularsuggestions. Some fuseSpanish and internationalinfluences into works of art,others are moretraditional–but they allcelebrate exciting texturesand flavors.Sections are organized byregion and include thechef’s profile andbar/restaurant, photos and aselection of simple recipes.Try the lamb meatballs withmint or the tuna belly confitwith ginger cream rice.Complete with a restaurantguide and a glossary, ifyou’re looking for the 411on the new tapas scene,here’s your book. (Blume,www.blume.net)

LASTINGIMPRESSIONS

TextSamara Kamenecka/©ICEX

13 LIBROS IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:40 Página 116


El aceite de oliva, almadel Mediterráneo (OliveOil, Soul of theMediterranean) byFrancisco Javier BarbanchoCisneros and José MataixVerdú. Spanish. This in-depth encyclopedia-likebook traces the fascinatingjourney of olives and oliveoil throughout civilizations,from Ancient Greece totoday.The authors maintain thatthe tree and its fruit are theMediterranean’s mostdistinguishing features, themost important source oflipids since timeimmemorial, a vitaleconomic resource, acrucial ingredient incountless dishes, symbolicin sacred texts and religiousrituals, present in art, thefocus of literature,referenced in history, amiracle therapeuticointment, an essential partof a healthy diet, and wellon their way to becomingpart of our culturalheritage. (Instituto deEstudios Giennenes,Diputación Provincial de Jaén,www.dipujaen.com)

Joan Roca. Diez menúspara un concierto. Lacocina de la música(Joan Roca. Ten Menus for aConcert. Musical Cuisine)by Jaume Cabré, SalvadorGarcia-Arbós and JordiMaluquer. Spanish.Gastronomy meets music inthis book by Joan Roca (ElCeller de Can Roca, Gerona,2 Michelin stars). Here heoffers ten menus (40 recipesin total) inspired by musicalselections from composersincluding Puccini, Toldràand Verdi.Mozart’s Don Giovanni(1787) is served withsmoked baby octopus andpheasant cannelloni, whileSymphony No. 6 in F MajorOp. 68 (1808) byBeethoven readies the tastebuds for rice, black sausageand sea urchin and codbrandade crisp.The text comes with a 70-minute CD in which pianistAntoni Besses improvises10 pieces based on Roca’sdishes. Music to the ears,and the stomach. (Galerada,Serveis d’Edició I Traducció,www.galerada.cat)

El Jabugo. V CongresoMundial del Jamón(Jabugo Ham. 5th WorldCongress of Dry-CuredHam). Spanish. This book,which celebrates Ibéricoham, was published as partof the 5th World Congress ofDry-Cured Ham, held inHuelva, and attended byleading industryrepresentatives, renownedscientists, academics andinternational researchcenters. The product’sunique characteristics havepeaked the interest ofexperts in many fields,ranging from veterinaryscience to nutrition to R&D.Huelva is in the spotlightbecause of the key role hamhas played in its history anddevelopment, and this textoffers insight into topicsincluding pigs and theirnatural habitat, differenttypes of Ibérico pigs,traditional industrialproduction of Ibérico ham,the various cuts, nutritionalproperties and PDO Jamónde Huelva. A 240-pagehomage to the region, andits star. (Junta de Andalucía,Consejería de Agricultura yPesca,www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca)

A Day at elBulli: AnInsight into the Ideas,Methods and Creativity ofFerran Adrià by AlbertAdrià, Ferran Adrià and JuliSoler. English, Spanish.Which restaurant receives2,000,000 requests forreservations per year foronly 8,000 places? Wherehas the eating experiencebeen described as“magical”? Where is thefood art? At only one placein the world: elBulli. Andthe wizard behind it all?Ferran Adrià.This book offers a peekbehind the curtain, anexclusive look at what goeson behind the scenes: themenu at elBulli, thekitchens, Adrià’s early years,the reservation system, theelectronic wine list, therestaurant’s history, andshopping in Roses. Readabout the passion andcommitment of the teamand their devotion tocreativity. The restaurant iscompared to a workshop,the aim being “to createdishes that engage guests’sensory, emotional andintellectual faculties to thefull, surprising them.”Through over 1,000 colorphotographs, the book

shows a detailed picturestory of how the dayevolves, from dawn ‘tildusk, how each ingredientis treated and each dishprepared, the manytechniques and the ongoingbreaking of barriers, thekitchen at full throttle andthe dining room packed.Unsurprisingly, theselection of recipes areahead of their time:monkfish liver fondue withponzu and white sesame-flavored kumquat, freshliquorice infusion jellylasagna, and carrot-LYOfoam with hazelnut foam-air and Córdoba spices arebut a few.Perhaps the Times reviewput it best when it said: “Todescribe elBulli as ‘arestaurant’ is like describingShakespeare as ‘a writer’”.(Phaidon, www.phaidon.com)

Espanjan Viinit (SpanishWines) by Eva and HeikkiRemes. Finnish. It comes asno surprise to hear thatfever for Spanish wines hasspread across the globe, andScandinavia is certainly noexception. Well-knownFinnish authors Eva andHeikki Remes are Spanishgastronomy enthusiasts,and their book offers anextensive selection oftraditional Finnish recipes,complete with suggestionson the perfectaccompaniment: Spanishwines, all of which areavailable at Finland’s Alko,the national alcoholicbeverage retailingmonopoly.The project was funded inpart by ICEX and its Winesfrom Spain program. This isa top-notch guide for thoseinterested in gastronomyand with a penchant forgood food and great wine, asegment in Finland that’sgrowing in leaps andbounds. (Multikustannus;www.multikustannus.fi)

New Tapas: Today’s BestBar Food from Spain byFiona Dunlop. English,Spanish. Tapas, a Spanishhallmark, are changing withthe times. This bookhighlights some of thecountry’s most creativecooks and a selection oftheir old school recipes,side-by-side with singularsuggestions. Some fuseSpanish and internationalinfluences into works of art,others are moretraditional–but they allcelebrate exciting texturesand flavors.Sections are organized byregion and include thechef’s profile andbar/restaurant, photos and aselection of simple recipes.Try the lamb meatballs withmint or the tuna belly confitwith ginger cream rice.Complete with a restaurantguide and a glossary, ifyou’re looking for the 411on the new tapas scene,here’s your book. (Blume,www.blume.net)

LASTINGIMPRESSIONS

TextSamara Kamenecka/©ICEX



Mastering the Fine Art ofSlicing Spanish Ham byPilar Esteban Ordorica,translation by Janet Mendel.English, Spanish. Cuttingham was once the job of thebutcher, the waiter or thechef in the restaurant; now,however, it is a profession,and one that requires talent,extensive knowledge,practice and a steady hand.This text discusses differenttypes of ham (Ibérico andSerrano, among others) andoffers information onslicing, safety, aesthetics,preparation, utensils andimportant vocabulary.On today’s gastronomicscene, skilled slicing isconsidered an art form; itcan often determine aroma,texture and taste. If you’relooking to learn the ins andouts of the trade, this bookis without a doubt a cutabove the rest.(www.spanishhamnews.com)

Firo Vázquez y la Cocinade El Olivar de Moratalla.(Firo Vázquez and Cuisinefrom El Olivar inMoratalla). Chema Barroso,Firo Martínez Vázquez deParga, Luis de Pazos, MatíasPérez Llera. Spanish.Vázquez’s restaurant, ElOlivar de Moratalla, innortheastern Murcia, boastscountless local andinternational distinctions;one look at this book andyou’ll understand why. Inaddition to details on theregion’s leading rawmaterials, from oil to wine,the genius chef includessets of recipes for eachseason based on the fourclassical elements: air,water, fire and land,together with a fifthelement. Lamb curry withsaffron couscous and mintsorbet; rabbit terrine withpine nuts, thistlemushrooms and chestnuts;and Moratalla marzipanwith cold pistachio soup arejust a few of his ideas. Thephotos are magnificent andthe instructions as detailedas they come.(Aceites de Moratalla, S.L.+34 968 72 40 54)

Cocina tradicional: PaísVasco (Traditional Cuisine:the Basque Country) byGarbiñe Badiola and JesúsLlona Larrauri. Spanish.Cocina tradicional:Cataluña (TraditionalCuisine: Catalonia) by AnaMaría Calera. Spanish. Hereare two cookbooks in aseries that takes readers ona gastronomic journeyaround Spain’s regions todiscover their many mouth-watering emblematicdishes. Each text mergestime-honored and cutting-edge suggestions, organizedalphabetically and completewith beautiful photos anddetailed information oningredients. Learn step-by-step how to prepare Basquefavorites such asintxaursalsa (a nut-baseddessert), marmitako (a fishstew) and turbot in txacoli(a white Basque wine).Journey to Catalonia byfeasting on Catalan-styletripe, grilled cuttlefish orpartridge with prunes.Travel Spain, region byregion, and savor itsinnumerable rich flavorsfrom the comfort of yourown kitchen. (EditorialEverest, www.everest.es)

Tradiciones, alimentos yrecetas de la cocinaextremeña (Tradition, Foodand Recipes fromExtremadura) by María InésChamorro Fernández.Spanish. If ever there was aplace where the intersectionof cultures left its mark,Extremadura, in southwestSpain, is it. Romans, Arabsand Jews, together withCantabrian and Asturianinfluences, among others,have all played a role inbuilding Extremadura’sculinary backbone. Thisbook looks at their impacton the region’s cuisine andthe implications in terms ofculture, history andethnology.The author also providesmore than 200 recipes indetail that go beyondpreparation to includeliterary, musical and lexicalreferences. Lizard inalmond sauce and neroliwater are just two of thefantastic dishes, all of whichwill provide you with anauthentic taste ofExtremadura. (EdicionesTrea, www.trea.es)


A Sure ValueRioja From The Heart


JAPANDaini Toranomon Denki Bldg.6F-3-1-10 ToranomonMinato Ku, Tokyo 105-0001Tels: (3) 34 32 61 41/42Fax: (3) 34 32 61 [email protected]

NETHERLANDSLaan van Meerdervoot, 8 A2517 The HagueTel: (70) 346 59 00Fax: (70) 364 98 [email protected]

NORWAYKronprinsensgate, 30251 OsloTel: (47) 22 83 76 76Fax: (47) 22 83 76 [email protected]

RUSSIAUl.Tverskaya – 16/2Business Center “GaleríaAktor”, 6th FloorMoscow 125009Tel: (495) 935 83 99Fax: (495) 935 83 [email protected]

SINGAPORE541 Orchard Road # 09-04Liat Tower238881 SingaporeTel: 67 37 30 08Fax: 67 37 31 [email protected]

SWEDENStureplan, 6114 35 StockholmTel: (8) 611 19 92Fax: (8) 611 44 [email protected]

ITALYVia del Vecchio Politecnico, 3 16º20121 MilanTel: (02) 78 14 00Fax: (02) 78 14 [email protected]

JAPAN3Fl, 1-3-29. RoppongiMinato-KuTokyo 106-0032Tel: (3) 55 75 04 31Fax: (3) 55 75 64 [email protected]

MALAYSIA20th Floor. Menara Boustead69, Jalan Raja Chulan50200 Kuala LumpurP.O. Box 1185650760 Kuala LumpurTel: (3) 2148 73 00Fax: (3) 2141 50 [email protected]

NETHERLANDSBurg. Patijnlaan, 672585 The HagueTels: (70) 364 31 66/345 13 13Fax: (70) 360 82 [email protected]

NORWAYKarl Johansgate, 18 C0159 OsloTel: (23) 31 06 80Fax: (23) 31 06 [email protected]

RUSSIAUl. Vozdvizhenka, 4/7(enter via Mokhovaya 7,Business Centre Mokhovaya,3rd Floor)125009 MoscowTels: (495) 783 9281/82/83/84/85Fax: (495) 783 92 [email protected]

SINGAPORE7 Temasek Boulevard,#19-03 Suntec Tower One038987 SingaporeTel: 67 32 97 88Fax: 67 32 97 [email protected]

SWEDENSergels Torg, 12, 13 tr.SE-111-57 StockholmTel: (8) 24 66 10Fax: (8) 20 88 [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM66 Chiltern StreetW1U 4LS LondonTel: (20) 7467 23 30Fax: (20) 7487 55 86/7224 64 [email protected]

UNITED STATES405 Lexington Av. Floor 4410174 4497 New York, NYTels: (212) 661 49 59/60Fax: (212) 972 24 [email protected]

For tourist information,contact your nearest TOURISTOFFICE OF SPAIN

CANADA2 Bloor Street WestSuite 3402Toronto, Ontario M4W 3E2Tels: (416) 961 31 31/40 79Fax: (416) 961 19 [email protected]

CHINATayuan Office Building 2-12-2Liangmahe Nanlu 14100600 BeijingTels: (10) 65 32 93 06/07Fax: (10) 65 32 93 [email protected]

DENMARKFrederiksgade, 11, 2DK-1265 Copenhagen KTel: 33 18 66 30Fax: 33 15 83 [email protected]

ITALYVia Broletto, 3020121 MilanTel: (02) 72 00 46 17Fax: (02) 72 00 43 [email protected]

Via del Mortaro, 19Interno 500187 RomeTel: (06) 678 31 06Fax: (06) 679 82 [email protected]

If you would like to knowmore about any subject dealtwith in this magazine, exceptfor tourist information, pleasewrite to the ECONOMIC ANDCOMMERCIAL OFFICES ATTHE EMBASSIES OF SPAIN,marking the envelope REF:SPAIN GOURMETOUR.

AUSTRALIAEdgecliff Centre, Suite 408203 New South Head RoadEdgecliff NSW 2027 SydneyTels: (2) 93 62 42 12/3/4Fax: (2) 93 62 40 [email protected]

CANADA2 Bloor St. East, Suite 1506Toronto Ontario, M4W 1A8Tel: (416) 967 04 88 / 28 62Fax: (416) 968 95 [email protected]

CHINASpain Bldg., 5th-6th FloorGongtinanlu A1-b, ChaoyangDistrict100020 BeijingTel: (10) 58 799 733Fax: (10) 58 799 [email protected]

25th Floor, Westgate Mall1038 Nanjing Xi Road200041 ShanghaiTel: (21) 62 17 26 20Fax: (21) 62 67 77 [email protected]

DENMARKVesterbrogade 10, 3º1620 Copenhagen VTel: (33) 31 22 10Fax: (33) 21 33 [email protected]

HONG KONG2004 Tower One, Lippo Centre89 Queensway AdmiraltyHong KongTels: 25 21 74 33/25 22 75 12Fax: 28 45 34 [email protected]

IRELAND35, Molesworth StreetDublin 2Tel: (1) 661 63 13Fax: (1) 661 01 [email protected]

SPAINOVERSEAS

UNITED KINGDOM79 New Cavendish Street,2nd FloorLondon W1W 6XBTel: (20) 7317 20 10Fax: (20) 7317 20 [email protected]

UNITED STATESWater Tower PlaceSuite 915 East845 North Michigan AvenueChicago, IL 60611Tel: (312) 642 19 92Fax: (312) 642 98 [email protected]

8383 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 960Beverly Hills, CA 90211Tel: (323) 658 71 95Fax: (323) 658 10 [email protected]

1395 Brickell AvenueSuite 1130Miami, FL 33131Tel: (305) 358 19 92Fax: (305) 358 82 [email protected]

666 Fifth Avenue, 35th floorNew York, NY 10103Tel: (212) 265 88 22Fax: (212) 265 88 [email protected]

PARADOR CENTRALBOOKING OFFICERequena, 328013 MADRIDTel: (+34) 915 166 700Fax: (+34) 915 166 663/4/[email protected]

14-ESPAÑA EN EL MUNDO.qxd 29/7/09 14:22 Página 122

coincidiendo conheld together with

LINEA IFEMA / IFEMA CALL CENTRE

FAX (34) 91722 58 04

LLAMADAS INTERNACIONALES (34) 91722 3000INTERNATIONAL CALLS

[email protected]

EXPOSITORES / EXHIBITORS 902 22 16 16

LLAMADAS DESDE ESPAÑA / CALLS FROM SPAININFOIFEMA 902 22 15 15

ORGANIZA / ORGANISED BY

18-20NOVIEMBRENOVEMBER

2009

www.horeq.ifema.es

Sin título-3 1 29/7/09 10:52:04

Aceites Borges Pont, S.A.Tel: (34) 973 501 212Fax: (34) 973 314 [email protected]: Back cover

Aragón Food – Food andAgriculture Department –Government of AragónTel: (34) 976 302 268Fax: (34) 976 214 240www.sirasa.netPage: 13

Bodegas Franco EspañolasTel: (34) 941 251 300Fax: (34) 941 262 948francoespanolas@francoespanolas.comwww.francoespanolas.comPage: 4

Bodegas ProtosTel: (34) 983 878 011Fax: (34) 983 878 015www.bodegasprotos.comPage: 125

Consorcio del Jamón SerranoEspañolTel: (34) 917 356 085Fax: (34) 917 350 [email protected]: 120

C.R.D.O. ValdepeñasTel: (34) 926 322 788Fax: (34) 926 321 [email protected]: 6

Extenda-Agencia Andaluzade Promoción ExteriorTel: (34) 902 508 525Fax: (34) 902 508 [email protected]: 10

Junta de ExtremaduraTel: (34) 924 010 858Fax: (34) 924 010 870www.comercioextremadura.orgPage: 119

Proaliment – Jesús Navarro,S.A.Tel: (34) 965 600 150Fax: (34) 965 603 [email protected]: 5

Rafael Salgado, S.A.Tel: (34) 916 667 875Fax: (34) 916 [email protected]: 9

Sánchez Romate Hnos., S.A.Tel: (34) 956 182 212Fax: (34) 956 185 [email protected]: Inside front cover

Sánchez Romero CarvajalJabujo, S.A. (5 Jotas)Tel: (34) 917 283 880Fax: (34) 917 283 [email protected]: 11

Vinos D.O. NavarraTel: (34) 948 741 812Fax: (34) 948 741 [email protected]: 127

Wines From Spainwww.winesfromspain.esPage: 8

F.J. Sánchez Sucesores, S.A.Tel: (34) 950 364 038Fax: (34) 950 364 [email protected]: Inside back cover

Federico Paternina, S.A.Tel: (34) 941 310 550Fax: (34) 941 312 [email protected]: 121

González Byass, S.A.(Tio Pepe)Tel: (34) 956 357 004Fax: (34) 956 357 [email protected]: 12

Grupo GourmetsTel: (34) 915 489 651Fax: (34) 915 487 [email protected]: 7

Ifema – Feria de Madrid(HOREQ)Tel: (34) 917 225 176Fax: (34) 917 225 [email protected]@ifema.esPage: 123

Industrial QueseraCuquerellaTel: (34) 926 266 410Fax: (34) 926 266 [email protected]: 124

IPEX – Instituto dePromoción Exterior deCastilla La ManchaTel: (34) 925 286 650Fax: (34) 925 286 [email protected]: 126

ADINDEX

15 ANUNCIANTES IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:28 Página 124 (INGLES plancha)

PD

FD

EC

LIE

NTE

CH

EQ

UE

AD

OP

OR

PREMIUM QUALITY SPANISH CHEESE-THE GRANDEE OF SPAIN-

Award winning 12 month maturedManchego D.O. from La Mancha October 2008

Awarded first prize Manchego cheese at the annualManchego cheesemakers guild contest.

TARTESANA, S.L“Tarquessia de La Mancha”

Ctra. de Toledo, s/n13420 Malagón (C.Real) Spain

Tel: +(34) 926 266 410Fax: +(34) 926 266 413

[email protected]

I. QUESERA CUQUERELLA, S.L. - QUESOS ROCINANTEMalagón (C. Real) - Spain - Tel.: +34 926 266 410 - Fax: +34 926 266 413

[email protected] - www.rocinante.es

“The Original Spanish Cheesecake”

INGLÉS 28/7/09 09:37 Página 1

PPROTOS_ingles.indd 1 29/7/09 11:08:01

The following list includes aselection of exporters. It isnot intended as acomprehensive guide and forreasons of space, we cannotlist all the companies devotedto export of the featuredproducts. The informationincluded is supplied by theindividual sources.

FoodProductsSausagesConsejo Regulador IGPBotillo del BierzoTel.: (+34) 987 411 973Fax: (+34) 987 414 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPCecina de LeónTel.: (+34) 987 615 275Fax: (+34) 987 617 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChorizo de CantimpalosTel.: (+34) 921 432 001Fax: (+34) 921 440 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPSobrasada de MallorcaTel.: (+34) 971 256 184Fax: (+34) 971 256 [email protected]

TomatoesConsejo ReguladorDenominación EspecíficaTomate La Cañada-NíjarTel.: (+34) 950 280 380Fax: (+34) 950 281 [email protected]

FEPEXTel.: (+34) 913 191 050Fax: (+34) 913 103 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChorizo RiojanoTel.: (+34) 941 512 571Fax: (+34) 941 512 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPChosco de TineoTel.: (+34) 985 800 174Fax: (+34) 985 800 674www.asturex.org/agro/pdf/choscodetineo.pdf

Consejo Regulador IGPEmbutido de RequenaTel.: (+34) 962 302 550Fax: (+34) 962 302 [email protected]

Consejo Regulador IGPSalchichón de VicTel.: (+34) 932 682 631Fax: (+34) 932 680 [email protected]

EXPORTERS

16 EXPORTADORES IN.qxd 29/7/09 14:31 Página 126 (INGLES plancha)

Sin título 2 1 29/7/09 10:48:28 PCRDONAVARRA indd 1 29/7/09 09:52:34


p. 48 Illustration: Javier Olivaresp. 49 Pablo Neustadt/©ICEXp. 50 Descendientes de J. Palaciospp. 51-53 Pablo Neustadt/©ICEX

Menu of the Dayp. 54 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEXpp. 55-56 Illustration: Alfredop. 57 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEXp. 58 Tomás Zarza/©ICEXpp. 59-60 Illustration: Alfredopp. 61-62 FernandoMadariaga/©ICEXp. 63 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX;Tomás Zarza/©ICEX; Illustration:Alfredop. 64 Illustration: Alfredop. 65 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX

World Heritage Sitesp. 66 Sarcophagus, Pretorium(Foro Provincial de Tarragona).Consejería del Patrimonio Históricodel Ayuntamientopp. 67-71 FernandoMadariaga/©ICEXp. 72 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX;Amador Toril/©ICEXp. 73 Map: Javier Belloso.Fernando Madariaga/©ICEXp. 74 Tarragona NationalArchaeological Museump. 75 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX;Gothic arches in the Medievalquarter, Tarragona, Consejería delPatrimonio Histórico delAyuntamientop. 76 Local Forum, Tarragona,Consejería del Patrimonio Históricodel Ayuntamiento; FernandoMadariaga/©ICEX

CoverMiguel S. Moñita and Lucía M.Diz/©ICEX

Contentsp. 2 Juan Manuel Sanz/©ICEXp. 3 From top to bottom: PatriciaR. Soto/©ICEX; Alfredo; Miguel S.Moñita and Lucía M. Diz/©ICEX;Toya Legido/©ICEX

Tomatoespp. 14-18 Miguel S. Moñita andLucía M. Diz/©ICEXp. 19 Restaurante Dos Cielospp. 20-24 Miguel S. Moñita andLucía M. Diz/©ICEXp. 25 Kumato, Raf and Montserrat:Miguel S. Moñita and Lucía M.Diz/©ICEX; Aracena: JavierGonzález; Muchamiel: EscuelaPolitécnica Superior de Orihuela.ASAJA Alicante; Barbastro: RevistaOrigenpp. 26-27 Miguel S. Moñita andLucía M. Diz/©ICEX; Map: JavierBelloso

Bobalpp. 28-38 Patricia R. Soto/©ICEXp. 39 Left: Patricia R. Soto/©ICEX;right: Juan Manuel Sanz/©ICEXp. 40 Map: Javier Belloso. Photo:Patricia R. Soto/©ICEXp. 41 Patricia R. Soto/©ICEX

Biodynamicspp. 42-43 Illustration: JavierOlivarespp. 44-47 Pablo Neustadt/©ICEX

CREDITSp. 77 Amphitheater, Tarragona,Consejería del Patrimonio Históricodel Ayuntamientop. 78 Map: Javier Belloso; photo:Fernando Madariaga/©ICEXp. 79 Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX;Roman Circus, Tarragona,Consejería del Patrimonio Históricode Tarragona

Sausagespp. 80-82 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 83 COVAP/©ICEX; JuanManuel Sanz/©ICEXp. 84 Antonio de Benito; JuanManuel Sanz/©ICEXpp. 85-86 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 87 ©ICEXp. 88 Carlos Roca/©ICEXpp. 89-91 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 92 Juan Manuel Sanz/©ICEX;©ICEXp. 93 Juan Manuel Sanz/©ICEX

Recipesp. 94-95 Tomás Zarza/©ICEXpp. 96-105 Recipes: ToyaLegido/©ICEX; Restaurant photos:Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

On the Movepp. 106-107 Illustrations: AVI

Damm Grouppp. 108-113 Damm Group

Artist’s Palatep. 115 © Museo Nacional delPrado de Madrid - Spain

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Spain Gourmetour 77 (2009)

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