Spain Gourmetour 83 (2011)

Food, Wine & Travel Magazine

September-December2011. 6

83

83

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Dec

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11

SpanishPickledVegetables,a Wayof Life

DessertWines Oldand New

Dehesa.Heartof Oak

Apple.The Oldestof Fruits

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Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Publication CoordinatorsAlmudena Martín RuedaAlmudena Muyo

Photographic ArchiveMabel Manso

Editorial SecretaryÁngela Castilla

Design and Art DirectionManuel Estrada Design

MapsJavier Belloso

Color SeparationsEspacio y Punto

Printed in SpainArtes Gráficas Palermo

[email protected]

D.L.: M.51647-2002

ISSN: 0214-2937

NIPO: 705-11-023-2

CoverAmador Toril/©ICEX

Information and PublisherICEXState Secretary for Trade andTourism, Ministry of Industry,Tourism and Trade.

www.icex.es

Subscription:Spain Gourmetour is apublication of the SpanishInstitute for Foreign Trade (ICEX)of the State Secretary forTrade and Tourism, Ministry ofIndustry, Tourism and Trade.The magazine is issued threetimes a year in English,French, German and Spanish,and is distributed free of chargeto trade professionals.If you want to subscribe to SpainGourmetour, please contact theEconomic and CommercialOffices at the Embassies of Spain(see list on pages 96-97).

EDIT

The opinions expressed bythe authors of the articles arenot necessarily shared bythe Spanish Institute for ForeignTrade (ICEX), which cannotbe held responsible for anyomissions or errors in the text.

2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food MediaAwards. Best Food Magazine

Many of our readers will be surprised to learn that Spain is a producer of mineral water. Yetit is found here in abundance in underground aquifers—a resource of which the Romans and,later, the Moors were well aware and of which they took full advantage. Subsequently, a longperiod of disuse was brought to an end in the 19th century, when “taking the waters” at healthspas created around thermal springs became all the rage. Now, in the 21st century, water’scurative properties are making waves again.Dessert wines from Spain sound far more familiar, as well they might, since they receivehonorable mention in the works of Shakespeare. In this issue we bring you up to speedon today’s approach to this pedigree product and on another traditional Spanish favorite,vegetables pickled in vinegar, which is currently acquiring fans abroad.Apples, surely among the most universal of fruits, are grown in Spain and exported to therest of Europe, North Africa, the Persian Gulf states and South America.Our photographer has been out and about on your behalf exploring the areas of woodedpastureland known as dehesa that constitute an intrinsic element of the Spanish landscape,of which it accounts for 3.6 million ha (8.9 million acres). The dehesa is the natural habitatof Ibérico pigs, fighting bulls and various other animals from which we obtain incomparabledelicacies. This ecosystem, created gradually over the centuries by human intervention,is now under threat from that very same source, this time in the form of climate change.Top-flight Ibérico ham producer and exporter Joselito has responded by launching aconservation scheme which has just earned it FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.And finally, with London, Tokyo, San Francisco, New York and Buenos Aires already underour belt, our worldwide tapas trawl stops off this time in Melbourne, Australia.

Cathy [email protected]

AwardsGold Ladle in the Best FoodMagazine category, at the 2010Le Cordon Bleu World FoodMedia Awards.

Communications Award“Best Journalistic Work”from Alimentos de España,2006, Ministry of the Environmentand Rural and Marine Affairs.

Marqués de Busianos Awardfrom the Royal Spanish Academyof Gastronomy.

“La Gula y Bachiller en Fogones1998” Award from El Nuevo Lunes,a Spanish weekly economic publication.

Design Award from the SpanishAssociation of DesignProfessionals (AEDP),1995.

Spanish Food Journalism Award,1990, Ministry of the Environmentand Rural and Marine Affairs.

Special Gastronomy Awardfrom the Fine Cuisine Associationand the Royal Spanish Academyof Gastronomy,1988.

Printed on PEFC-certifiedpaper to promote theresponsible managementof our forests.

01_AF_EDITORIAL.qxd 19/7/11 17:45 Página 1

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 32 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

CONT

ENTS

Culinary FareDehesa. Heart of Oak........50

Food BasicsApple. Spain’s NewLove Affair withthe Oldest of Fruits...........66Recipes .............................76

Close-upPaco Pérez ........................82

Business WatchJoselito.A Question of Prestige ......90

ColophonHave a Spanish Break!Richard Cornishfrom Melbourne................94

Regular FeaturesSpain Overseas .................96Ad Index ........................102Lasting Impressions ........104Exporters........................106Credits............................108

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

ColorsPickled Vegetables,a Way of Life ......................8Recipes .............................22

Wines & WaterDessert Wines Oldand New...........................26

Spanish Mineral Waters.Crystal Clear Flavor ..........38

SPAIN GOURMETOURSeptember-December 2011 No. 83

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Olives on the Loose !

No liquidResealable zipper

Seasoned with olive oil

[email protected] www.acamacho.com

With Fragata Snack' n Olive you will be able to enjoy exciting olive

flavours any time any place, thanks to the innovative, light weight

retail olive packaging that is perfectly in tune with today' s lifestyle.

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PCONSORCIOJAMON.indd 1 13/7/11 17:11:44

LIFEA Way of

The first time I tried pickled garlic over a decade ago, I admit to somereticence, though I consider myself a true aficionado of all things pickled.After all, I was new in Spain back then, and worried about putting off the fewfriends I had with garlic breath. But no one could have prepared me for thepleasure that morsel created in my mouth. It was crunchy, salty, spicy anddelicate, with a slight hint of cloves. Imagine my delight when I discoveredthat it was only the tip of a Spanish pickle iceberg.

Spanish Pickled Vegetables

03_AF_COLORS ENCURTIDOS.qxd 8/7/11 00:02 Página 8

antimicrobial propertiesand enhance the flavor andaroma of the food.In Spain, pickled gherkins, pearlonions, garlic cloves and otherpickled vegetables are known asencurtidos, and they are officiallydefined in the Royal SpanishDictionary by the presence and

aroma of vinegar in theirpreparation. Although all olivesmight meet the English definitionof pickles, in Spain only olives thathave been seasoned with vinegardressings—a common practicein some areas—are considered truepickles. Whatever the vegetable,these sour, salty, sweet and crunchy

pickled foods are everywhere youlook: in shops, bars, restaurantsand people’s homes. They arepresent in every social situationand are widely consumed as tapas,in traditional recipes, and even insome of the country’s most avant-garde cuisine. Their regional varietyreflects Spain’s diverse agricultural

10 11

COLORS

PICKLED VEGETABLES

TEXTADRIENNE SMITH/©ICEX

PHOTOSAMADOR TORIL/©ICEX

Pickling vegetables has been used

for their preservation all over

the world for millennia, and

the custom probably invaded the

Iberian Peninsula with the Romans,

whose use of this practice was

documented by such chroniclers as

Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD; Roman

naturalist). In pickling, also known

as brining, vegetables are placed

in very salty water (brine), which

triggers a lactic acid fermentation

of their sugars. The new pickles

are then typically stored in vinegar

or another substance (acetic acid)

with a pH of less than 4.6, which is

acidic enough to kill harmful

bacteria. Non-fermented pickles

can also be made by placing foods

directly in the vinegar solution.

In both cases, it’s common practice

to add herbs and spices such

as mustard seed, cloves,

cinnamon and garlic, which have


antimicrobial propertiesand enhance the flavor andaroma of the food.In Spain, pickled gherkins, pearlonions, garlic cloves and otherpickled vegetables are known asencurtidos, and they are officiallydefined in the Royal SpanishDictionary by the presence and

aroma of vinegar in theirpreparation. Although all olivesmight meet the English definitionof pickles, in Spain only olives thathave been seasoned with vinegardressings—a common practicein some areas—are considered truepickles. Whatever the vegetable,these sour, salty, sweet and crunchy

pickled foods are everywhere youlook: in shops, bars, restaurantsand people’s homes. They arepresent in every social situationand are widely consumed as tapas,in traditional recipes, and even insome of the country’s most avant-garde cuisine. Their regional varietyreflects Spain’s diverse agricultural

10 11

COLORSPICKLED VEGETABLES

TEXTADRIENNE SMITH/©ICEX

PHOTOSAMADOR TORIL/©ICEX

Pickling vegetables has been used

for their preservation all over

the world for millennia, and

the custom probably invaded the

Iberian Peninsula with the Romans,

whose use of this practice was

documented by such chroniclers as

Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD; Roman

naturalist). In pickling, also known

as brining, vegetables are placed

in very salty water (brine), which

triggers a lactic acid fermentation

of their sugars. The new pickles

are then typically stored in vinegar

or another substance (acetic acid)

with a pH of less than 4.6, which is

acidic enough to kill harmful

bacteria. Non-fermented pickles

can also be made by placing foods

directly in the vinegar solution.

In both cases, it’s common practice

to add herbs and spices such

as mustard seed, cloves,

cinnamon and garlic, which have


13

and sitting down at the table to eat.Whether at home or in a restaurant,people typically begin by having adrink and a tapa that includes someassortment of pickled vegetables.

Pickled all overOf course depending on where andwhat you are eating, the selectionof pickled vegetables can varydramatically, or hardly at all.According to Carlota González,director of Grupo Rafael González,“The world of pickled vegetablesincludes a wide range of productsfrom distinct regions that haveadapted to the cultivation of certainproducts according to theconditions of their area.” However,technological advances and anexpanding marketplace have meantthat, for some products, theseregional definitions are no longer astrue as they once were. On the onehand, pickled vegetables such asgherkin pickles (pepinillos), pearlonions (cebollitas) and garlic cloves(ajitos) are now being producedall over Spain. But on the other,some pickled products, such as

berenjenas de Almagro (eggplants),guindillas de Ibarra (chili peppers)and alcaparras de Ballobar (capers)are specialties, made fromvegetables that can be cultivatedand prepared only in specificgeographical areas.The pickled snacks known asbanderillas and kimbos liesomewhere between these twoextremes. Both names describedifferent combinations of pickledvegetables. Kimbos are typicallypitted olives, especially the varietycalled gordal, stuffed with agherkin pickle, although they areknown by different names indifferent parts of Spain. Banderillaspresent another wide range ofpossibilities. Named after a dart-like stick used in bullfighting andalso called toreras, banderillas cancome in an endless variety ofcombinations. In Madrid, the mostclassic version has a pickle, onionand olive. However, the mostunmistakable banderilla in Spain isperhaps the Gilda, which is madewith a green hot pepper, olive,gherkin and anchovy. It will forever

be associated with the city of SanSebastián, where it was invented in1946 and named after the famouscharacter brought to life by RitaHayworth in Charles Vidor’s moviethat same year. The story goes that,like the character, the banderillawas both salty and a little spicy.Regional traditions have an impacton the huge variety of olives thatare grown and seasoned in differentparts of Spain. The aliños ordressings that are used to seasonpickled olives (Spain GourmetourNo. 70) are often indicative of theirgeographic provenance and havebeen passed down throughgenerations. In the town of Aljarafein Seville province, for example,the local gordal olives are soaked inbrine for two to three months andthen seasoned with red and greenpeppers, bay leaves, thyme,oregano, vinegar and salt.The Spanish pickled vegetablemarket thrives off of all of theseproducts and their numerousvariations. According to theaforementioned study of 2008MAT, pickle sales (excluding olives)

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12

wealth and rich local gastronomy,while their ubiquity in Spainreflects a way of life and traditionsthat are wonderfully shared by all.Additionally, the export successof these products has made themtrue symbols of what seemsauthentically Spanish to the restof the world. According to dataprovided by the Spanish Institutefor Foreign Trade (ICEX), 2010exports of these products reacheda value of nearly 71 million euros,a 30% increase from the previousyear. They are exported to over 100countries, with a particularemphasis on the United States,France, Italy, the United Kingdom,Mexico, Canada and Australia.An ideal place to get a glimpseof the variety of pickled vegetablesin Spain is on Sunday morningsat Madrid’s bustling flea market,the Rastro. This is also a good placeto see them in action, so to speak.Halfway down Ribera de Curtidoresstreet, the market’s sloping mainartery, a long line snakes aroundthe corner from a narrow storethat’s packed so full of people that,

if it weren’t for the sign outsidereading Aceitunas Jiménez (OlivesJiménez), you might never knowwhat it was selling. At the front ofthe line you finally catch a glimpseof dozens of mismatched bowls,heaped with tiny sweet and sourgherkins, capers and thumb-sizedcaper berries, tender pearl onions,crunchy garlic cloves, slender greenchili peppers, and a huge varietyof seasoned olives from everycorner of the country. Fermented,vinegared, stuffed and speared,the food is arranged in an endlessvariety of combinations, someof it stuck on toothpicks and givenevocative names like banderillas,toreras and Gildas. A big bowl ofglistening pickled eggplants sits bythe door, just begging to be gnawedon like drumsticks. Outside, peopleare doing just that, while othersare happily munching from papercups filled with this staggeringarray of pickled vegetables from allover Spain, their juices drippingdown many a contented chin.This element of social interaction iswhat Spanish pickled vegetables are

all about, and it provides the keyto understanding what makes themunique. Pickled vegetables areessential to social events, andSpanish people of all ages loveto eat them anytime, anywhere. Formany people, pickled vegetablesare often their first savory foodof the day. Thought to “open theappetite”, they are frequentaccompaniments to a before-lunchaperitif of beer, wine, sherryor vermouth. Pickled vegetablesare often the first thing placedon a table or bar at the beginningof a meal and the last thing to beremoved. In addition, they areconsumed just as often insideas outside of the home. In fact,according to 2008 Moving AnnualTotals (MAT) statistics on tableolives, compiled by Symphony IRIConsultancy Group, three quartersof all olive consumption takes placein people’s homes. It’s difficult tounderstand the significance of thesefoods until you understand the waypeople interact socially in Spain.Joining friends or family for a mealinvolves more than just arriving

PICKLED VEGETABLES


14

totaled at almost 60 million euros,with gherkin pickles, banderillasand chili peppers accounting forthe highest sales and productionvolumes, respectively. Grupo RafaelGonzález is an excellent example ofthis diversification. Located in thefertile region of La Rioja, this familybusiness has specialized in makinggherkin pickles and other pickled

PICKLED VEGETABLES

15

growing. Every day we’re moreaware of eating a balanced diet.Pickled vegetables are a healthyproduct that is very easy to useand combine with other things,and very adaptable to currenttrends.” In addition to their lowfat content and other nutritionalqualities, lactic-acid fermentedvegetables have been proven to

contain probiotic microbes thatpromote the growth of healthyintestinal flora and aid in digestion.As such, they are recommendedfor macrobiotic diets.On an international level, thecompany’s most popular productis its gherkin pickles, which aremainly exported to North Americaand Europe. While other European

COLORS

countries like France and Germanyhave a large stake in this market,González believes that the wayto make these Spanish productsstand out is through demonstratingtheir quality and tradition. Anothercompany, Amanida (Zaragoza),is planning to introduce newproducts to international markets.They consider themselves pioneers

González, it’s important to respecttraditional products and recipes,and at the same time be awarethat people’s palates changeand the market must adapt.González also attributes theincreasing popularity of differenttypes of pickled products to theirnutritional qualities. “The futureof this sector is very bright and

vegetables for over 50 years. Whiletheir dedication to these traditionalproducts has remained unchanged,the company has broadened theirproduct line to include othervegetables like carrots, beets,celery, cauliflower and sprouts.This expansion is symptomaticof the growth that this market isexperiencing. According to Carlota



CONT

ENTS

Culinary FareDehesa. Heart of Oak........50

Food BasicsApple. Spain’s NewLove Affair withthe Oldest of Fruits...........66Recipes .............................76

Close-upPaco Pérez ........................82

Business WatchJoselito.A Question of Prestige ......90

ColophonHave a Spanish Break!Richard Cornishfrom Melbourne................94

Regular FeaturesSpain Overseas .................96Ad Index ........................102Lasting Impressions ........104Exporters........................106Credits............................108

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

ColorsPickled Vegetables,a Way of Life ......................8Recipes .............................22

Wines & WaterDessert Wines Oldand New...........................26

Spanish Mineral Waters.Crystal Clear Flavor ..........38

SPAIN GOURMETOURSeptember-December 2011 No. 83

02_AF_SUMARIO.qxd 19/7/11 17:55 Página 2

14

totaled at almost 60 million euros,with gherkin pickles, banderillasand chili peppers accounting forthe highest sales and productionvolumes, respectively. Grupo RafaelGonzález is an excellent example ofthis diversification. Located in thefertile region of La Rioja, this familybusiness has specialized in makinggherkin pickles and other pickled

PICKLED VEGETABLES

15

growing. Every day we’re moreaware of eating a balanced diet.Pickled vegetables are a healthyproduct that is very easy to useand combine with other things,and very adaptable to currenttrends.” In addition to their lowfat content and other nutritionalqualities, lactic-acid fermentedvegetables have been proven to

contain probiotic microbes thatpromote the growth of healthyintestinal flora and aid in digestion.As such, they are recommendedfor macrobiotic diets.On an international level, thecompany’s most popular productis its gherkin pickles, which aremainly exported to North Americaand Europe. While other European

COLORS

countries like France and Germanyhave a large stake in this market,González believes that the wayto make these Spanish productsstand out is through demonstratingtheir quality and tradition. Anothercompany, Amanida (Zaragoza),is planning to introduce newproducts to international markets.They consider themselves pioneers

González, it’s important to respecttraditional products and recipes,and at the same time be awarethat people’s palates changeand the market must adapt.González also attributes theincreasing popularity of differenttypes of pickled products to theirnutritional qualities. “The futureof this sector is very bright and

vegetables for over 50 years. Whiletheir dedication to these traditionalproducts has remained unchanged,the company has broadened theirproduct line to include othervegetables like carrots, beets,celery, cauliflower and sprouts.This expansion is symptomaticof the growth that this market isexperiencing. According to Carlota


Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Publication CoordinatorsAlmudena Martín RuedaAlmudena Muyo

Photographic ArchiveMabel Manso

Editorial SecretaryÁngela Castilla

Design and Art DirectionManuel Estrada Design

MapsJavier Belloso

Color SeparationsEspacio y Punto

Printed in SpainArtes Gráficas Palermo

[email protected]

D.L.: M.51647-2002

ISSN: 0214-2937

NIPO: 705-11-023-2


Information and PublisherICEXState Secretary for Trade andTourism, Ministry of Industry,Tourism and Trade.

www.icex.es

Subscription:Spain Gourmetour is apublication of the SpanishInstitute for Foreign Trade (ICEX)of the State Secretary forTrade and Tourism, Ministry ofIndustry, Tourism and Trade.The magazine is issued threetimes a year in English,French, German and Spanish,and is distributed free of chargeto trade professionals.If you want to subscribe to SpainGourmetour, please contact theEconomic and CommercialOffices at the Embassies of Spain(see list on pages 96-97).

EDIT

The opinions expressed bythe authors of the articles arenot necessarily shared bythe Spanish Institute for ForeignTrade (ICEX), which cannotbe held responsible for anyomissions or errors in the text.

2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food MediaAwards. Best Food Magazine

Many of our readers will be surprised to learn that Spain is a producer of mineral water. Yetit is found here in abundance in underground aquifers—a resource of which the Romans and,later, the Moors were well aware and of which they took full advantage. Subsequently, a longperiod of disuse was brought to an end in the 19th century, when “taking the waters” at healthspas created around thermal springs became all the rage. Now, in the 21st century, water’scurative properties are making waves again.Dessert wines from Spain sound far more familiar, as well they might, since they receivehonorable mention in the works of Shakespeare. In this issue we bring you up to speedon today’s approach to this pedigree product and on another traditional Spanish favorite,vegetables pickled in vinegar, which is currently acquiring fans abroad.Apples, surely among the most universal of fruits, are grown in Spain and exported to therest of Europe, North Africa, the Persian Gulf states and South America.Our photographer has been out and about on your behalf exploring the areas of woodedpastureland known as dehesa that constitute an intrinsic element of the Spanish landscape,of which it accounts for 3.6 million ha (8.9 million acres). The dehesa is the natural habitatof Ibérico pigs, fighting bulls and various other animals from which we obtain incomparabledelicacies. This ecosystem, created gradually over the centuries by human intervention,is now under threat from that very same source, this time in the form of climate change.Top-flight Ibérico ham producer and exporter Joselito has responded by launching aconservation scheme which has just earned it FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.And finally, with London, Tokyo, San Francisco, New York and Buenos Aires already underour belt, our worldwide tapas trawl stops off this time in Melbourne, Australia.

Cathy [email protected]

AwardsGold Ladle in the Best FoodMagazine category, at the 2010Le Cordon Bleu World FoodMedia Awards.

Communications Award“Best Journalistic Work”from Alimentos de España,2006, Ministry of the Environmentand Rural and Marine Affairs.

Marqués de Busianos Awardfrom the Royal Spanish Academyof Gastronomy.

“La Gula y Bachiller en Fogones1998” Award from El Nuevo Lunes,a Spanish weekly economic publication.

Design Award from the SpanishAssociation of DesignProfessionals (AEDP),1995.

Spanish Food Journalism Award,1990, Ministry of the Environmentand Rural and Marine Affairs.

Special Gastronomy Awardfrom the Fine Cuisine Associationand the Royal Spanish Academyof Gastronomy,1988.

Printed on PEFC-certifiedpaper to promote theresponsible managementof our forests.

01_AF_EDITORIAL.qxd 19/7/11 17:45 Página 1

17

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in the commercialization of Spanishpickled garlic, which they currentlyexport to 21 countries. Their bestclient is the United States, to whichthey export 150,000 kg (330,693lb) of garlic a year. Accordingto Amanida’s director, José LuisSimón, “People in the US arestarting to associate this productwith Spain in general.” Apartfrom its more traditional pickledvegetables, the company hasrecently launched a line ofinnovative products such as gherkinpickles with green tea marinadeand pesto-flavored pearl onions.

Baby eggplantsAt the other end of the spectrumare Spanish pickled vegetablesso specialized that they can beproduced only in certain areasin accordance with centuries-oldtraditions. As previouslymentioned, these famed productsinclude Almagro eggplants, Ibarrachili peppers and Ballobar capers.It’s important to point out that theiruniqueness is not only geographicin nature, but also relates to their

impact on an area’s culture andgastronomy. In addition to theirstrong presence in the culinarytraditions of the past, theseproducts are so respected that theyare also being incorporated intothe recipes of many of Spain’s mostrenowned chefs.The most recognizable of theseproducts is without a doubtAlmagro eggplants, a fooddesignated with a ProtectedGeographic Indication (PGI).This genetically singular species(Solanum melongena) is cultivatedin six towns of Campo de Calatrava,an area located in the center of theprovince of Ciudad Real (Castile-LaMancha, center of Spain), which isromantically named for the Orderof Calatrava knights who defendedit in the 12th century. The Moorsintroduced the plant in the 10th

century, as well as the recipe that isstill used today. A quasi-wild plant,it’s mostly grown on small, familyfarms of only 1 to 2 ha (2.5 to 5acres). According to VicenteMalagón, whose father founded thefirst commercial business (Vicente

Malagón S.A.) for this product, theplant’s high yield makes the harvesta social event that typically involvesentire local families. Vicente stressesthe importance of this tradition,which contributes to preservingthe natural and traditionalcharacteristics of this product.Eggplants are harvested from latesummer to early fall while stillyoung (about the size of arosebud). They are characterizedby their small size, thin stems anddark green fruit, which can betinged on the outside with purpleand black tones. According toa study carried out by thePolytechnic University of Valencia,these eggplants also have anextremely high concentrationof polyphenoles—antioxidants thatmay help to prevent certain typesof cancer, reduce signs of aging,and lower cholesterol.Unlike other raw pickledvegetables, the eggplants arecooked, fermented and thenseasoned. This process is stillcarried out in homes throughoutthe region. The classic berenjenas

aliñadas (seasoned eggplants)are dressed with the recipe ofsunflower oil, wine vinegar,locally-grown purple garlic (PGIAjo Morado de Las Pedroñeras),cumin, rock salt and paprika(Protected Designation of Origin,PDO Pimentón de la Vera). Theberenjenas embuchadas (stuffedeggplants) are stuffed with a redpepper and skewered with a stickof locally grown wild fennel.Their texture varies, ranging fromchewier leaves on the outside,to the smooth and yielding fleshof the eggplant itself. Although theflavor is characterized by the aromaof vinegar and cumin, the taste isdelicate and unlike anything elseyou’ve ever tried. Usually eatenwhole, but sometimes cut intosmaller cubes, it’s no wonder thatbars along the Plaza Mayor of thehistoric town of Almagro (CiudadReal) go through dish after dishof these pickled treats.The quality and originality of thislocal product has also led to its usein innovative dishes created bysome of the region’s best chefs.

Every few years the RegulatoryCouncil for PGI Berenjenas deAlmagro hosts a gastronomiccompetition in which areaprofessionals are challengedto create original tapas using thisingredient. Past competitions haveseen this pickled vegetable deep-fried, caramelized, made intomousse, stuffed with meat, turnedinto foam, infused into breadand laminated like carpaccio,among other things.

Cool peppersHeading north about 965 km (600mi), pickled Ibarra chili peppers arealso being lauded for their culinaryapplications. I should note thatpickled green peppers have beenused all over Spain for generationsas traditional accompaniments forclassic Spanish stews and legumes.One of the most traditional dishesfrom Madrid, cocido madrileño(a stew made with chickpeas,vegetables and meat), wouldn’tbe the same if served without theaccompanying plate of pickled

16

PICKLED VEGETABLES

While not all Spanish olives areconsidered true pickles, there is nodoubting the reality of their successin the national and global marketplace(Spain Gourmetour No. 70). Spainis, in fact, the world’s top producer,exporter and consumer of tableolives. In the words of Antonio deMora, Director of the Association ofExporters and Manufacturers of TableOlives (ASEMESA), “In Spain, the oliveforms a part of our culture andidiosyncrasy. It has been andcontinues to be a source of wealthfor our country, with regards to itscultivation, transformation and export,in which we are world leaders. And ofcourse, it’s ever-present on our table,whether in the form of a typical tapaor ingredient in our gastronomy.”

According to data provided bythe Olive Oil Agency (AAO) for the2010/2011 season, Spain produces30% of the world’s table olives, withan average annual production of526,000 tons. This puts Spain wellabove its nearest competitors: Egypt(13%), Turkey (10%) and Syria (8%).The same is true for olive exports,for which Spain also dominates theworld market at 30%, with averageannual exports of 272,000 tons.

Although Spanish olives are enjoyedin 120 countries around the world,40% of all production is consumedon a national level. This is notsurprising, given their important rolein Spanish culture as not just tapas oringredients, but also as elements ofsocial interaction and tradition thathave come to symbolize that which is“typically Spanish”. In short, Spanisholives are as indispensable as it gets!

Spanish Olives,A Categoryof Their Own


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16

PICKLED VEGETABLES






19

green peppers, the town of Ibarrais historically known as a sourceof vegetable seeds and seedlings.People come from all cornersof Spain to buy tomatoes, lettuceand the very same pepper seeds thatare planted here. The differenceis that, cultivated in other places,the resulting vegetables are spicierand have a stronger flavor. José

Antonio says that this distinctioncomes from the area’s microclimateof mild temperatures, sparse sunand plenty of humidity. IñakiLabaien of Agiña Piperrak S.L. alsoattributes the difference to the area’ssoft soils and the fact that there’s notmuch difference between nighttimeand daytime temperatures. Bothproducers stress that vegetables are

typically planted, harvested,sorted and pickled by hand usingtraditional recipes that have beenused in people’s homes for centuries.At Iñaki Labaien’s suggestion, I gotin touch with renowned chef PedroSubijana of famed AkelarreRestaurant in nearby San Sebastián.Pedro often uses Ibarra greenpeppers on his menu, and valuesthem both for what they signify ona traditional level and because they“have a perfect texture, an exacttouch of vinegar, and aren’t spicy.”He stresses that, “We use them inendless preparations... They adaptperfectly to haute cuisine, and theflavors of these (traditional foods)are permanently registered on ourpalates. We’ve used them ina number of formats, includingspherification, caramelization,and injected and stuffed.”

Hot capersDespite being geographicallyunique products, both Almagroeggplants and Ibarra green peppershave been esteemed throughoutSpain for generations. In the caseof the pickled capers and caperberries of Ballobar, this singularand traditional product fromthe Monegros Desert in Huesca(Aragón, northeast Spain) is juststarting to regain its former renown.In general, Spanish capers arean extremely well-known productin the rest of the world and areexported with great success.Indigenous to the Mediterraneanand arid areas of the IberianPeninsula, capers (alcaparras)

COLORS

18

green peppers. The vinegarprovides a crisp contrast to boththe creaminess of beans and the fatfound in sausages like chorizo(a type of cured red sausage), oftenused for flavoring. In Ibarra, thelocal specialty legumes, alubiasde Tolosa (black beans from Tolosa,Guipúzcoa), are also served witha generous helping of piparras

(as they are often called in theBasque Country), on the side.Despite similar applicationsand appearances, it’s importantto differentiate these slender greenchilies from the pickled variety thatis traditionally found in other partsof Spain. The true Ibarra peppersare only cultivated in specific areasin the northern province of

Guipúzcoa. Other characteristicsof these peppers include their thinskins, meaty flesh, greenish-yellowhues, and soft flavor. But for mostpeople the greatest distinction of allis that, unlike peppers from otherareas, the Ibarras are not spicy.According to José Antonio Urrozolaof Ibarraco Langostinoak, one of sixcompanies that produces Ibarra

PICKLED VEGETABLES

While there can be no doubt aboutthe wisdom of combining pickledvegetables with a traditional aperitifof beer or vermouth, pairing them withwine can be a little trickier. The acidityfound in most wines can often clashwith the vinegared notes of pickledvegetables. However, there are certainproperties found in the aged fortifiedwines (sherries) of Jerez that makesthem ideal for pairing with the sour,salty and even sweet flavors of pickledvegetables. In Andalusia, where thesefamed wines are made, there is a long-standing tradition of just that.Just ask José García of the TabernaLa Manzanilla, a Cádiz institutionwhere his family has been servinghundred-year-old sherries since 1942:“The aging of wines like Amontillado,Palo Cortado and Oloroso in woodcasks gives them the bodyand dryness needed to stand upto the strong flavors of vinegar.”

Miguel Llanos, the sommelier of theJerez winery, Bodegas Tradición,agrees. He explains that sherries thatbegin their aging process under theindigenous flor (a combination of yeastsresponsible for the biological ageing offino wines) are structured and dry, andtherefore soften and harmonize with

Pickled Vegetables and SherryPairing Two of Spain’s Great Traditions

the vinegar’s pungent notes.Additionally, both this type of agingand the vinegar and salt of the pickledvegetables cause the palate to producemore saliva, which also helpsto maximize flavors and aromas.

Founded in 1650, Bodegas Tradiciónmakes three dry sherries: Amontillado,Oloroso, and Palo Cortado, all of whichare aged for a minimum of 20-50 years.Stored in traditional stacked barrels,known as soleras, these wines are slowlyaged and gently oxidized, favoring thedevelopment of deep, complex flavors.I arranged to meet Miguel and LorenzoGarcía-Iglesias, the head of the winery,at El Yantar de Ayer, the incomparablepickled vegetable stand in Madrid’sMercado San Miguel. We paired thesethree wines with a selection of pickledvegetables ranging from olives to pickles,caper berries, red peppers, garlic cloves,and finally, eggplant from Almagro.Without a doubt, the wines that pairedthe best with the vinegar notes werethe subtly salty, nutty, and slightly bitterorange peel, almond and hazelnut tonesof the Amontillado and Palo Cortado,which had both partially aged underflor.Once again we confirmed the excellentunion of these two vitally importantSpanish gastronomic traditions!


20

and caper berries (alcaparrones)have been harvested for food herefor centuries. The more commonlyeaten capers are actually the closedbuds of these wild plants (Capparisspinosa), which are collected inearly summer. Left to bloom intodelicate purple and white threadedblossoms, the plant later producesits fruit, the caper berry.Historically, capers have beenproduced in large quantitiesin Almería, Murcia and partsof Córdoba. They are also a veryimportant agricultural andgastronomic product in the BalearicIslands, where they are calledtàperes. The 2008 MAT study ratedcapers the fourth most importantpickled vegetable in Spain in termsof volume, with sales exceeding3.2 million euros.Within this larger context, Ballobarcapers, a Slow Food flagship food(Spain Gourmetour No. 82), areunique for a number of reasons.Thought to have been introducedby the Moors or Greeks, legend hasit that they were so prized in the14th century that they were tradedto the Tsar’s court for golden caviar.These wild plants are adapted tothe extreme heat of the MonegrosDesert, where their roots typicallygrow 30 m (98.4 ft) long in searchof water. Temperatures here canreach 50ºC (122ºF) in summer.This makes the manual harvestingof the spiny caper bushes doublyhard, not to mention that it takesaround 6,000 buds to constituteonly 1 kg (2.2 lb) of capers. Theseextreme conditions have led to thenear disappearance of this product

for several years, but thanks to theefforts of local people like MiguelÁngel Salas, this traditional pickledvegetable is making a comeback.Miguel Ángel and his partners arenow harvesting around 600 kg(1,322 lb) of capers a year.The process is carried out manually,and once harvested the capersare pickled by two sisters at a localfactory—all under the watchfuleye of town matriarchs who havelent their wisdom to the endeavor.The pickled vegetables are prizedlocally, and their very productiondepends on a community effort.In any case, everyone who triesthese organically-prepared capersagrees that they are unlike anyother capers on the market.According to Miguel Ángel, theyhave a delicate aroma reminiscentof olives. British company Brindisa,which imports these and otherSpanish foods, describes themas less bitter than typical capersand with a more tender skin.

A stronger endorsement comesfrom Chef Josean Martínez Alija,of the world-famous GuggenheimRestaurant in Bilbao. He toldme that, among other things,he appreciates the purity of theirflavor: “This caper has an intenseand pleasant taste, a slightly crunchytexture and a special perfumedaroma. The quality and method oftheir preparation makes them specialand their flavor doesn’t saturatedishes but, rather, presents a balancewith an aroma that I haven’texperienced with other (capers).”Josean often uses this product in avariety of dishes. Past creations haveincluded Steamed rey (a local fish)with broth made from wild garlic,Ballobar capers, and lemongrass, andIdiazabal cheese cream with sautéedBallobar capers, tender herb shootsand crunchy crostini.Spanish pickled vegetables are notonly holding their traditional ground,but are also prospering at new levelsin export and modern gastronomicapplications. In the end it comesdown to the fact that Spaniardsthemselves relish these traditionalfoods that are so interwoven withthe country’s cultural and socialtraditions. Since my first bite ofpickled garlic years ago, I canabsolutely see why!

Adrienne Smith is a sommelier, chefand freelance writer. She has spentthe last decade eating and drinkingher way through Spain.

We would like to thank Mercadode San Miguel for contributingto this photo report.

PICKLED VEGETABLES


Wines chosen byToni Gata, sommelierat Restaurante Miramar.

TranslationJenny McDonald/©ICEX

PhotosToya Legidoand Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

Paco Pérez*

23

COLORS

I love rice, so I devised this simplerice dish with eggplant and Ibéricopork, preferably the smoked porkmade by my friend Julio de Casalba.

SERVES 4100 g / 3 1/2 oz smoked Ibérico pork

(preferably the secreto cut); 4 Almagro

pickled eggplants.

For the Ibérico pork consommé:

500 g / 1 lb 2 oz Ibérico pork; 100 g / 3 1/2

oz spring onion; 50 g / 2 oz celery; 100 g /

3 1/2 oz carrot; fresh ginger; 1 bay leaf; 2 l /

8 1/2 cup mineral water.

For the eggplant juice: 4 eggplants.

For the onion base: 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz spring

onion; 1 garlic shoot; 100 g / 3 1/2 oz tomato

sauce; 50 g / 2 oz white wine.

For the rice: 200 g / 7 oz rice; 100 g /

3 1/2 oz onion base; 100 g / 3 1/2 oz

eggplant juice; extra virgin olive oil; 1 l /

4 1/4 cup Ibérico pork consommé.

Thinly slice the smoked Ibéricopork and the pickled eggplantsand set aside.

Ibérico pork consomméRoast the Ibérico pork and removeany excess fat. Meanwhile sautéthe vegetables. Place the roast pork,vegetables, ginger and bay leaf inthe water and cook until reducedto 1 l / 4 1/4 cup.

Eggplant juiceRoast the eggplants over charcoal.Peel then liquidize.

Onion baseGently fry the onion withthe garlic shoot. Add the tomatosauce and wine. Simmer untilthe tomato is reduced andthe wine has evaporated.

RiceAdd the rice to the onion baseand stir for 1 minute over the heat.Gradually pour in the Ibérico porkconsommé, and cook. Whencooked, add the eggplant juiceto give a creamy texture.

To serveServe the rice and top with thinslices of Almagro pickled eggplantand smoked Ibérico pork. Adda touch of extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation time2 hours

Recommended wineTo bring out the very best of thisdish, we suggest the outstandingEx Ex 7 (DO Empordà) fromthe Castillo de Perelada winery.This 100% Monastrell wine has abright cherry color and a powerfularoma and gives the balance weneed for this very original rice dish.

(Arroz con berenjenas de Almagro y secreto Ibérico)

ALMAGRO PICKLEDEGGPLANT and Ibérico

pork

Rice with

*For a more in-depth lookat the chef, see Close-up


25

COLORS

Ibarra chilies and anchoviesare two great ingredients. Whencombined in this interpretationof the classic Gilda tapa they makea very special aperitif, one that isreminiscent of the bars in the oldquarter of San Sebastián.

SERVES 44 whole Ibarra chili peppers; 4 fresh

anchovies.

For the cream of chili: 80 g / 3 oz Ibarra chili

pepper (preserve); 80 g / 3 oz extra virgin olive

oil; 20 g / 1 oz chili pepper water; 10 g /

1/3 oz white wine; 0.2 g / 0.007 xanthan.

For the anchovies in brine: 4 anchovies

in brine; extra virgin olive oil.

For the tomato water: 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz

whole tomatoes.

For the tomato granita: 200 g / 7 oz tomato

water; half a sheet of gelatin; pepper.

Cream of chiliPlace the chilies, extra virgin oliveoil, chili pepper water, white wineand xanthan in a blender. Blendto a purée. Strain and set aside.

Anchovies in brineWash under cold running waterand remove the bones.Pat dry with paper towels.

Tomato waterFreeze the tomatoes for 24 hours.Cut into pieces and place in astrainer to drain overnight at roomtemperature. Collect the water.

Tomato granitaHeat one quarter of the tomatowater (about 50 g / 2 oz). Soakthe gelatin in cold water anddissolve in the tomato water.Add the rest of the water andseason with pepper. Freeze. Forserving, scrape to form the granita.

To serveOpen up the fresh anchoviesand insert a chili pepper. Closeand serve. Decorate the dish withthe cream of chili, the tomatogranita and a few dice of anchoviesin brine with a touch of extravirgin olive oil.

Preparation time1 hour

Recommended wineIn our search for a powerful winethat could stand up to these strongflavors, we came to Laguardia inLa Rioja Alavesa. And, yet again,we chose Artadi Pagos Viejos 2004

(DOCa Rioja) by the Artadiwinery. This is a wine that makesits presence felt with its aromasof graphite, blackberries andcranberries with floral notes.And it offers layers of flavor,as well as pleasant tannin wellintegrated with the wood.The ideal companion for a Gilda.

(Guindillas de Ibarra y dos anchoas)

IBARRACHILI PEPPERS with two

anchovies



OLD&NEWDessert WinesAll countries with a great winemaking tradition boast a few historic dessertwines, some of which have a mythical resonance, and Spain is no exception.But the tremendous transformation of the Spanish wine world over the last 25years has included a low-key but truly exciting revolution on the sweet front.

04_AF_VINOS DULCES.qxd 8/7/11 00:34 Página 26

28 29

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ATER

DESSERT WINES

Spain’s dessert wines have a glorioushistory. There were the “mountainwines” from Málaga, the Alicantewine said to have brightened the lastfew days of the Roi Soleil (Louis XIVof France, 1638-1715), the sherriesand Canary Sack extolled byShakespeare (1564-1616), theMalvasía wine from Sitges (SpainGourmetour No. 82) and that ofBanyalbufar in Majorca, theRibadavia tostadillo... Most of thesewines, probably fortified with grapespirit so that they could withstandsea travel, together with Port andMadeira, were traded throughoutEurope by English merchantsbetween the 16th and 18th centuries.Although it is almost impossible todraw a straight line between thesefamous products of the past andthose being made today, interestin the sweet side of Spanishviniculture is increasing. Manygrowers are taking a new look atthe wines of the past and renewingstyles to make them moreappealing to today’s consumers.

Sweet means moreIn the world of wine, sweet issynonymous with concentrationand with grapes that have a highersugar content than is needed tomake dry whites or reds. In ancienttimes, sweet wines were consideredthe most noble. They were moreintense, more flavorsome, and theytraveled and lasted well. The firstdescription of a raisin wine appearsin Words and Days by Hesiod,written in the 8th century before

Christ. In fact, deliberatedehydration of the grapes untilthey become raisins was the firstformula used by man toconcentrate not only the sugars butall the elements inside the grapes.Later on, it was discovered thata similar effect could be achievedby cold temperatures (eiswein—ice wine—is basically made fromfrozen grapes) or by the Botrytiscinerea fungus (which leadsto outstanding sweet wines suchas the French Sauternes andthe Hungarian Tokaji wines). Butthese two variables are associatedwith cold climates, whereas Spainis a sunny land in which grapesoften become overripe. Throughoutthe Mediterranean Basin excellentgrapes for dessert wines such asMoscatel and Malvasía grow well,and in Spain production techniquesand raisin wines have a historydating back to the Phoenicianpresence around 1100 BC.

ConcentratedsugarsThe most extreme exampleof a raisin wine is probably PX,a pasty, concentrated andtremendously sweet wine that maycontain as much as half a kilo (1.1lb) of sugar per liter (4.2 cups).The name comes from the PedroXiménez grapes grown in variousDesignations of Origin in Andalusia(southern Spain)—Málaga, Jerez(Cádiz) and, especially, Montilla-Moriles (Córdoba). The latteris also allowed to supply the othertwo. In fact, it has to provide Jerezas the Pedro Ximénez varietyis practically non-existent there,although there are a few notableexceptions such as Ximénez-Spínola, which is made onlyfrom grapes grown withinthe Sherry Triangle.PX is a sweet wine that has beenfortified by adding pure grapespirit to the must. Fortificationis necessary because the hugeamounts of sugar obtained by air-drying the grapes prevent the yeastsfrom working naturally. The secretsbehind this wine lie in the sunshinereceived by the grapes before thelate summer rains, very laboriouspressing to extract the “soul” fromthe raisins and the solera agingsystem used. Aging helps enhanceflavor concentration and acidity andreduces the alcohol content. Thelonger it lasts, the better. The resultis a sublime experience: densitywith complexity (aromas of toffee,

TEXTAMAYA CERVERA/©ICEX

PHOTOSJUAN MANUEL SANZ/©ICEX

TRANSLATIONJENNY MCDONALD/©ICEX


28 29

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ATERDESSERT WINES

Spain’s dessert wines have a glorioushistory. There were the “mountainwines” from Málaga, the Alicantewine said to have brightened the lastfew days of the Roi Soleil (Louis XIVof France, 1638-1715), the sherriesand Canary Sack extolled byShakespeare (1564-1616), theMalvasía wine from Sitges (SpainGourmetour No. 82) and that ofBanyalbufar in Majorca, theRibadavia tostadillo... Most of thesewines, probably fortified with grapespirit so that they could withstandsea travel, together with Port andMadeira, were traded throughoutEurope by English merchantsbetween the 16th and 18th centuries.Although it is almost impossible todraw a straight line between thesefamous products of the past andthose being made today, interestin the sweet side of Spanishviniculture is increasing. Manygrowers are taking a new look atthe wines of the past and renewingstyles to make them moreappealing to today’s consumers.

Sweet means moreIn the world of wine, sweet issynonymous with concentrationand with grapes that have a highersugar content than is needed tomake dry whites or reds. In ancienttimes, sweet wines were consideredthe most noble. They were moreintense, more flavorsome, and theytraveled and lasted well. The firstdescription of a raisin wine appearsin Words and Days by Hesiod,written in the 8th century before

Christ. In fact, deliberatedehydration of the grapes untilthey become raisins was the firstformula used by man toconcentrate not only the sugars butall the elements inside the grapes.Later on, it was discovered thata similar effect could be achievedby cold temperatures (eiswein—ice wine—is basically made fromfrozen grapes) or by the Botrytiscinerea fungus (which leadsto outstanding sweet wines suchas the French Sauternes andthe Hungarian Tokaji wines). Butthese two variables are associatedwith cold climates, whereas Spainis a sunny land in which grapesoften become overripe. Throughoutthe Mediterranean Basin excellentgrapes for dessert wines such asMoscatel and Malvasía grow well,and in Spain production techniquesand raisin wines have a historydating back to the Phoenicianpresence around 1100 BC.

ConcentratedsugarsThe most extreme exampleof a raisin wine is probably PX,a pasty, concentrated andtremendously sweet wine that maycontain as much as half a kilo (1.1lb) of sugar per liter (4.2 cups).The name comes from the PedroXiménez grapes grown in variousDesignations of Origin in Andalusia(southern Spain)—Málaga, Jerez(Cádiz) and, especially, Montilla-Moriles (Córdoba). The latteris also allowed to supply the othertwo. In fact, it has to provide Jerezas the Pedro Ximénez varietyis practically non-existent there,although there are a few notableexceptions such as Ximénez-Spínola, which is made onlyfrom grapes grown withinthe Sherry Triangle.PX is a sweet wine that has beenfortified by adding pure grapespirit to the must. Fortificationis necessary because the hugeamounts of sugar obtained by air-drying the grapes prevent the yeastsfrom working naturally. The secretsbehind this wine lie in the sunshinereceived by the grapes before thelate summer rains, very laboriouspressing to extract the “soul” fromthe raisins and the solera agingsystem used. Aging helps enhanceflavor concentration and acidity andreduces the alcohol content. Thelonger it lasts, the better. The resultis a sublime experience: densitywith complexity (aromas of toffee,

TEXTAMAYA CERVERA/©ICEX


TRANSLATIONJENNY MCDONALD/©ICEX


31

The “Málaga sacks” (the termcomes from saca, the Spanish verbfor “take out” because these wineswere “taken out” of their growingarea, or exported) and themountain wines from the steepslopes of the Axarquía districtwere much appreciated in Europein the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.Today Málaga has a huge numberof traditional types and enoughproduction methods and blendsto keep a doctoral student busyfor several years. Didier Bricout,general manager of the hundred-year-old firm Bodegas MálagaVirgen, confesses that consumersare generally unaware of the varietyof Málaga wines. This winerycombines high-production winessuch as Málaga Virgen, a blend ofup to four types of sweet wine, withtwo excellent trasañejos (blends ofwines aged for about 30 years using

the solera system), and modern,naturally sweet Moscatels in whichall the sugar and alcohol come fromthe grapes. A fresh and fragrantexample is the firm’s Tres Leones.According to Bricout, “The dryingprocess is key for modern,naturally sweet wines.” The grapesundergo what the locals call asoleocorto, a short drying process,to achieve just the rightconcentration of sugar.In traditional, concentrated dessertwines, the process is asoleo largo,long drying, so the starting pointis much drier grapes.The larger the amount of sugar,the more difficult fermentationbecomes, so alcohol is addedand the wines are then classifiedas fortified, or liqueur wines.The renewed popularity of MálagaMoscatel wine has come withMoscatel de Alejandría in

combination with modernproduction methods that bring outthe grapes’ full potential. Naturallysweet wine has made a definitecomeback. This is the sort that wecan assume was made locally beforethe 17th century, when the need totravel made it necessary to addalcohol. There have been two mainprotagonists in this story. The firstis Telmo Rodríguez, who has beenfocusing on forgotten Spanishvarieties and terrains and was keento recover the old mountain winesfrom the Axarquía district. Afterwhat may well have been his most

WINES

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ATER

nuts, coffee, raisins, caramel, etc.)and an infinite, velvety persistence.The oldest soleras at Alvear, PérezBarquero and Toro Albalá atMontilla-Moriles, the trasañejomade by Bodegas Málaga Virgenin Málaga and the greatest PX fromJerez (Gran Orden by Garvey, ViejoRare by Osborne, Venerable byDomecq, Noé by González Byassand others) are expensive, rarejewels that deserve a place amongstthe world’s great dessert wines.But PX is also synonymous withpleasure at a good price. The top-selling Montilla wine, Gran

Barquero (by Bodegas PérezBarquero), is aged for 4-6 yearsand costs under 12 euros onthe Spanish market. This wineryexports 43% of its productionto 45 countries all over the world.The best connoisseurs of PX winesare said to be found in the UnitedKingdom, Holland, Italy, France,the United States and Japan.And PX wines have been keepingup with the times. Today, severalMontilla wineries produce a youngversion of some of their dessertwines. These wines are not aged,are orangey-amber in color,

offer immediate aromas of raisinand caramel and can be drunkvery cold. And Alvear, anotherimportant exporter, is makingvintage PX wines that are agedstatically for about six years inthe barrel and two in the bottle.These are wines that canbe tasted vertically, comparingthe different vintages.

Málaga, sweetestof allThis is the only Spanish designationthat makes only dessert wines.

DESSERT WINES

Except for the radical differencesbetween wines in which the alcoholcontent and sweetness comeexclusively from the grape and thoseto which alcohol or other sweeteningagents from grapes may be added(the so-called liqueur wines or fortifiedwines), many of the characteristicsthat figure in the table (page 35) arenot necessarily exclusive. Borderlinestend to be hazy in the world of sweetwines. Within a single growing areaand for a single variety, differentharvesting, production and agingmethods may be adopted. Alsoimportant, as explained in this article,is that tradition and history are beingnewly interpreted by today’sproducers and, in many cases, styleshave been modernized. Today, forexample, it is possible to find youngor vintage PX as well as the traditionalsolera-aged PX.

Dessert wines:a complex worldwaiting to bediscovered


19

green peppers, the town of Ibarrais historically known as a sourceof vegetable seeds and seedlings.People come from all cornersof Spain to buy tomatoes, lettuceand the very same pepper seeds thatare planted here. The differenceis that, cultivated in other places,the resulting vegetables are spicierand have a stronger flavor. José

Antonio says that this distinctioncomes from the area’s microclimateof mild temperatures, sparse sunand plenty of humidity. IñakiLabaien of Agiña Piperrak S.L. alsoattributes the difference to the area’ssoft soils and the fact that there’s notmuch difference between nighttimeand daytime temperatures. Bothproducers stress that vegetables are

typically planted, harvested,sorted and pickled by hand usingtraditional recipes that have beenused in people’s homes for centuries.At Iñaki Labaien’s suggestion, I gotin touch with renowned chef PedroSubijana of famed AkelarreRestaurant in nearby San Sebastián.Pedro often uses Ibarra greenpeppers on his menu, and valuesthem both for what they signify ona traditional level and because they“have a perfect texture, an exacttouch of vinegar, and aren’t spicy.”He stresses that, “We use them inendless preparations... They adaptperfectly to haute cuisine, and theflavors of these (traditional foods)are permanently registered on ourpalates. We’ve used them ina number of formats, includingspherification, caramelization,and injected and stuffed.”

Hot capersDespite being geographicallyunique products, both Almagroeggplants and Ibarra green peppershave been esteemed throughoutSpain for generations. In the caseof the pickled capers and caperberries of Ballobar, this singularand traditional product fromthe Monegros Desert in Huesca(Aragón, northeast Spain) is juststarting to regain its former renown.In general, Spanish capers arean extremely well-known productin the rest of the world and areexported with great success.Indigenous to the Mediterraneanand arid areas of the IberianPeninsula, capers (alcaparras)

COLORS

18

green peppers. The vinegarprovides a crisp contrast to boththe creaminess of beans and the fatfound in sausages like chorizo(a type of cured red sausage), oftenused for flavoring. In Ibarra, thelocal specialty legumes, alubiasde Tolosa (black beans from Tolosa,Guipúzcoa), are also served witha generous helping of piparras

(as they are often called in theBasque Country), on the side.Despite similar applicationsand appearances, it’s importantto differentiate these slender greenchilies from the pickled variety thatis traditionally found in other partsof Spain. The true Ibarra peppersare only cultivated in specific areasin the northern province of

Guipúzcoa. Other characteristicsof these peppers include their thinskins, meaty flesh, greenish-yellowhues, and soft flavor. But for mostpeople the greatest distinction of allis that, unlike peppers from otherareas, the Ibarras are not spicy.According to José Antonio Urrozolaof Ibarraco Langostinoak, one of sixcompanies that produces Ibarra

PICKLED VEGETABLES

While there can be no doubt aboutthe wisdom of combining pickledvegetables with a traditional aperitifof beer or vermouth, pairing them withwine can be a little trickier. The acidityfound in most wines can often clashwith the vinegared notes of pickledvegetables. However, there are certainproperties found in the aged fortifiedwines (sherries) of Jerez that makesthem ideal for pairing with the sour,salty and even sweet flavors of pickledvegetables. In Andalusia, where thesefamed wines are made, there is a long-standing tradition of just that.Just ask José García of the TabernaLa Manzanilla, a Cádiz institutionwhere his family has been servinghundred-year-old sherries since 1942:“The aging of wines like Amontillado,Palo Cortado and Oloroso in woodcasks gives them the bodyand dryness needed to stand upto the strong flavors of vinegar.”

Miguel Llanos, the sommelier of theJerez winery, Bodegas Tradición,agrees. He explains that sherries thatbegin their aging process under theindigenous flor (a combination of yeastsresponsible for the biological ageing offino wines) are structured and dry, andtherefore soften and harmonize with

Pickled Vegetables and SherryPairing Two of Spain’s Great Traditions

the vinegar’s pungent notes.Additionally, both this type of agingand the vinegar and salt of the pickledvegetables cause the palate to producemore saliva, which also helpsto maximize flavors and aromas.

Founded in 1650, Bodegas Tradiciónmakes three dry sherries: Amontillado,Oloroso, and Palo Cortado, all of whichare aged for a minimum of 20-50 years.Stored in traditional stacked barrels,known as soleras, these wines are slowlyaged and gently oxidized, favoring thedevelopment of deep, complex flavors.I arranged to meet Miguel and LorenzoGarcía-Iglesias, the head of the winery,at El Yantar de Ayer, the incomparablepickled vegetable stand in Madrid’sMercado San Miguel. We paired thesethree wines with a selection of pickledvegetables ranging from olives to pickles,caper berries, red peppers, garlic cloves,and finally, eggplant from Almagro.Without a doubt, the wines that pairedthe best with the vinegar notes werethe subtly salty, nutty, and slightly bitterorange peel, almond and hazelnut tonesof the Amontillado and Palo Cortado,which had both partially aged underflor.Once again we confirmed the excellentunion of these two vitally importantSpanish gastronomic traditions!


31

The “Málaga sacks” (the termcomes from saca, the Spanish verbfor “take out” because these wineswere “taken out” of their growingarea, or exported) and themountain wines from the steepslopes of the Axarquía districtwere much appreciated in Europein the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.Today Málaga has a huge numberof traditional types and enoughproduction methods and blendsto keep a doctoral student busyfor several years. Didier Bricout,general manager of the hundred-year-old firm Bodegas MálagaVirgen, confesses that consumersare generally unaware of the varietyof Málaga wines. This winerycombines high-production winessuch as Málaga Virgen, a blend ofup to four types of sweet wine, withtwo excellent trasañejos (blends ofwines aged for about 30 years using

the solera system), and modern,naturally sweet Moscatels in whichall the sugar and alcohol come fromthe grapes. A fresh and fragrantexample is the firm’s Tres Leones.According to Bricout, “The dryingprocess is key for modern,naturally sweet wines.” The grapesundergo what the locals call asoleocorto, a short drying process,to achieve just the rightconcentration of sugar.In traditional, concentrated dessertwines, the process is asoleo largo,long drying, so the starting pointis much drier grapes.The larger the amount of sugar,the more difficult fermentationbecomes, so alcohol is addedand the wines are then classifiedas fortified, or liqueur wines.The renewed popularity of MálagaMoscatel wine has come withMoscatel de Alejandría in

combination with modernproduction methods that bring outthe grapes’ full potential. Naturallysweet wine has made a definitecomeback. This is the sort that wecan assume was made locally beforethe 17th century, when the need totravel made it necessary to addalcohol. There have been two mainprotagonists in this story. The firstis Telmo Rodríguez, who has beenfocusing on forgotten Spanishvarieties and terrains and was keento recover the old mountain winesfrom the Axarquía district. Afterwhat may well have been his most

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nuts, coffee, raisins, caramel, etc.)and an infinite, velvety persistence.The oldest soleras at Alvear, PérezBarquero and Toro Albalá atMontilla-Moriles, the trasañejomade by Bodegas Málaga Virgenin Málaga and the greatest PX fromJerez (Gran Orden by Garvey, ViejoRare by Osborne, Venerable byDomecq, Noé by González Byassand others) are expensive, rarejewels that deserve a place amongstthe world’s great dessert wines.But PX is also synonymous withpleasure at a good price. The top-selling Montilla wine, Gran

Barquero (by Bodegas PérezBarquero), is aged for 4-6 yearsand costs under 12 euros onthe Spanish market. This wineryexports 43% of its productionto 45 countries all over the world.The best connoisseurs of PX winesare said to be found in the UnitedKingdom, Holland, Italy, France,the United States and Japan.And PX wines have been keepingup with the times. Today, severalMontilla wineries produce a youngversion of some of their dessertwines. These wines are not aged,are orangey-amber in color,

offer immediate aromas of raisinand caramel and can be drunkvery cold. And Alvear, anotherimportant exporter, is makingvintage PX wines that are agedstatically for about six years inthe barrel and two in the bottle.These are wines that canbe tasted vertically, comparingthe different vintages.

Málaga, sweetestof allThis is the only Spanish designationthat makes only dessert wines.

DESSERT WINES

Except for the radical differencesbetween wines in which the alcoholcontent and sweetness comeexclusively from the grape and thoseto which alcohol or other sweeteningagents from grapes may be added(the so-called liqueur wines or fortifiedwines), many of the characteristicsthat figure in the table (page 35) arenot necessarily exclusive. Borderlinestend to be hazy in the world of sweetwines. Within a single growing areaand for a single variety, differentharvesting, production and agingmethods may be adopted. Alsoimportant, as explained in this article,is that tradition and history are beingnewly interpreted by today’sproducers and, in many cases, styleshave been modernized. Today, forexample, it is possible to find youngor vintage PX as well as the traditionalsolera-aged PX.

Dessert wines:a complex worldwaiting to bediscovered


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of sweet wines. For stoppingfermentation, she always prefers toadd alcohol rather than sulfur.This opinion is shared by PepeMendoza at his family-run wineryin Alfaz del Pi, Enrique Mendoza.His firm, the first to producequality red wines in the DOAlicante, has two Moscatels on themarket for which the traditionalmethod in this region is adopted,that of stopping fermentation withalcohol, but the former oxidativeprocesses are avoided. Its Moscatelde la Marina is made from grapes

harvested at a potential baumé (theestimated alcohol content based onsugar concentration in the grapes)of 12.5º and offers a newfoundvarietal freshness, whereas theMoscatel de Mendoza, which comesfrom more mature grapes, ismacerated with the skins and aged inthe barrel, making it more complexand giving it greater weight in themouth. For Pepe Mendoza, who hasmanaged to place his dessert labelson markets in the United Kingdom,Germany, Switzerland, Mexico andthe United States, “in Mediterranean

culture, all meals must end withsomething sweet.”

Monastrelland FondillónThe Alicante sweet wine of greatestfame, however, is Fondillón. It ismade from overripe Monastrellgrapes that almost turn to raisins onthe plant. This is a naturally sweetwine, so the alcohol comesexclusively from the fermentationprocess. The DO Alicante RegulatoryCouncil requires the use of native

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exciting project, he is nowproducing Moscatels from grapesgrown on hot, slaty mountainterrains and air-dried. His MolinoReal (Spain Gourmetour No. 81),which made its first appearancewith the 1998 vintage, is an iconamong the new Spanish dessertwines. With a production of justover 6,000 bottles, aged for 20months in French oak, the bestvintages combine the characteristicsweetness of the variety withdelicate, fresh, primary aromas andherbal touches. And this is a winethat develops well in the bottle.The second is the US importer ofSpanish wines Jorge Ordóñez, whohas Malagan blood in his veins.Unlike other initiatives of his inSpain for which he works inpartnership with other producers,this is a personal project and theonly one to bear his name (BodegasJorge Ordóñez & Co.). With thetechnical expertise of the AustrianKracher family, which specializes insweet wines, he now produces fourlabels with increasing levels ofconcentration—from the youngest,fermented in stainless steel, No. 1Special Selection and No. 2 Victoria,to No. 3 Viejas Viñas which fermentsand is aged for 18 months in Frenchoak, and the original Esencia, aunique product in this area madefrom drier Moscatel raisins. This isa dense, deep wine, not unlike theHungarian Tokaji Essencia wines,with over half a kilo (1.1 lb) ofresidual sugar and an alcoholcontent of barely 4º.

The other SpanishMoscatelsBut the pioneer of modern,naturally sweet wines in Spain wasa Navarran Moscatel, Ochoa,launched in 1994. It is producedby Javier Ochoa, who back thenwas heading Navarre’s Winemakingand Enological Station (EVENA),the leading research center withinthe DO Navarra. This new wineachieved a dual objective:to represent the new generationof Moscatels from Navarre whichuntil then had been conceived asoxidized liqueur wines, and torestore the almost extinct small-grain Moscatel grape based oncareful selection of wood from oldvineyards. The result was a clean,fragrant, fresh and fruity winethat captured the crispness anddelicious flavor of the grapes.Harvesting is carried out late,fermentation is stopped using coldstabilization, and the alcoholcontent is about 12.5% by volume.The residual sugar content variesfrom year to year. This is one of themost important of the dessert winelabels and one that comes ata very good price.This style has gained manyfollowers and, although productionis very limited (just 0.2% of theDO’s production in 2010), it is nowconsidered one of the outstandingcategories of Navarran wine(Spain Gourmetour No. 81).Fernando Chivite went a stepfurther by introducing barrels,

taking his inspiration from theclassic European dessert winesand by also adding Botrytis,unusual for Spain. His ChiviteColección 125 Vendimia Tardíais made from overripe Moscatelgrapes harvested in very smallbatches from mid-October to earlyDecember. This is a complex, veryconcentrated dessert wine. It hasa good acidity level and developsexceptionally well in the bottle. Tomy mind, it is one of Spain’s best.The other main area for SpanishMoscatel grapes, Alicante(southeast Spain), has alsoundergone its own revolution.The most outstanding of the winescome from the La Marina region,close to the sea, where the Moscatelde Alejandría has always flourished.The leading pioneer here is FelipeGutiérrez de la Vega, an opera-loverwho has built up a following withhis Casta Diva wines. These havereaped huge success in the US. Therange is extremely varied, from thefresh Casta Diva Furtiva Lágrima,fermented in stainless steel, to hisstar wine Casta Diva Cosecha Miel,which combines raisins and veryripe grapes, fermented in steeltanks and aged for 12 months inFrench oak. Next comes the moreconcentrated Casta Diva La Diva,a naturally sweet wine made fromsun-dried grapes and aged in wood.Now in charge of production isVioleta Gutiérrez de la Vega, whowas trained in Sauternes (France).She admits that frontiers aredifficult to draw in the world

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DESSERT WINES


Its sweet red Monastrell, which isnow being exported successfully toEurope, the United States and Asia,is fermented until it has an alcoholcontent of 3-4º, the aim being tobring out the fermentation aromasthat are missing from Mistela wines.Cold maceration then extracts thearomas and, unlike the Olivaresmethod, this wine spends a periodof 8-10 months in the barrel.Predominant in this MurcianMonastrell are flavors of very ripe,black grapes, figs and the balsamtouches of Mediterranean scrub.

Other sweetwinesIn Catalonia (northeast Spain),it is Garnacha (both red and white)along with Moscatel that serveto produce the traditional dessertwines—Mistela, rancio (winesthat are aged oxidatively in glassdemijohns), and naturally sweet

Spain) have given way to sweetreds that retain more of the grape’scharacter. This focus on varietalidentity has also been taken up bythe fruity, dry reds that are nowcoming from these DOs in Murcia.It all started out with BodegaOlivares, in DO Jumilla, whichdecided to give up barrels in orderto preserve maximum fruityexpression. Using old, ungraftedvines, they allow the grapes tobecome overripe on the plant untillate October or early November.Fermentation is stopped usingalcohol, but the wine macerateswith the skins for over 30 days.It is bottled in June and storedfor two years before being sold.In 2003, the DO Jumilla changedits regulations to cover this typeof fortified or liqueur wine, soOlivares is now able to sell itwith the DO’s back label.In the DO Yecla, Bodegas Castañois working along similar lines.

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yeasts and a minimum 10 yearsaging, which may be static, that is,in the same barrel, or may adoptthe solera system, in which case theyoungest wine may not be less thanfour years old. It has set up a specificmonitoring committee just for thisdessert wine, which is only made ata dozen wineries in the area.Although there is littledocumentary evidence establishinga clear link between today’sFondillón wines and those of thepast, what is clear is that the veryMediterranean Monastrell grape(Spain Gourmetour No. 75) hasall it takes to reach high levels ofmaturity and concentration. Theclear oxidative component of themost traditional Fondillón wineshas been updated by the Gutiérrezde la Vega winery, which took itsinspiration from the Huerta deAlicante wines, sweeter and thickerthan those from Monóvar. This firmhas brought out two small-scale,artisan versions aged for 10 and15 years and fermented in openbarrels. The resulting wine is closerin concentration and fruityexpression to a vintage Port thanto the mellow, drier flavors madeby other producers in the DO.The Mendoza family adopts a freerapproach with its Dolç deMendoza, a modern Monastrellwine. This too is made from grapesthat dry on the plant. After aging inFrench oak for 3-4 years, as is to beexpected, the end result is bothdense and fruity.Similarly, the former Mistela wines(grape must to which a smallamount of grape spirit is added)made from Monastrell in Yecla andJumilla (in Murcia, southeast

Characteristics Wines

Harvesting Late harvests and grapes that are overripenedto different degrees

· Most sweet wines start out from grapes with a highsugar content

Grapes overripe or sun-dried on the plant · Fondillón· Malvasías and other sweet wines from the Canaries· Many Catalonian liqueur wines

Grapes air-dried off the plant · PX (Málaga, Montilla, Jerez)· Moscatel from Málaga· Some Malvasías and sweet wines from the Canaries

Production Naturally sweet wines, with sugarand alcohol from the grapes

· Fondillón and other sweet Monastrells· Malvasías from the Canaries· New Navarran Moscatels· Some sweet wines from Málaga, especially Moscatels· Sweet rancio wines from Priorat and modern-style sweetwines from Priorat and from Catalonia in general

Liqueur wines with added alcohol and/orconcentrated must and other sweeteningsubstances from the grapes

· Málaga· Traditional Catalonian wines: Empordà, Montsant, Priorat,Tarragona, Terra Alta

· Some sweet Moscatels· Jerez (Moscatels and fortified liqueur wines)· PX (Montilla, Jerez, Málaga)· Traditional Moscatels from Alicante, Navarre, Aragón,

Catalonia, Canaries…· Canary· Mistelas· Malvasía from Sitges

Aging No aging in wood · Young Moscatels and Malvasías· Young PX· Some Mistelas

Sun and aging in glass demijohns · Sweet rancio wines, especially from Catalonia

Solera method · PX from Jerez and Montilla and some from Málaga· Other sweet sherries· Many Garnachas from Empordà and some Catalonianliqueur and rancio wines

· Malvasías from the Canaries· Fondillón

Static aging in wood · Some rare examples of vintage PX aged in casks· Fondillón· Most of the Málaga sweet wines· Most of the Catalonian sweet wines, includingthe Sitges Malvasía

· Most Moscatels and modern-style sweet wines


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The MalvasíarouteAlongside Moscatel is Malvasía, theother great variety with a naturalvocation for dessert wines. Venetianmerchants took their wines aroundthe Mediterranean, and this variety,which feels most at home by thesea, has had an especially strongpresence in Italy and Spain. In thelatter, plenty of vines are calledMalvasía, but only those grown inSitges (Catalonia) and the Canariesare the real thing, with itscharacteristic aromas andsimilarities with Moscatel. DNAtesting has shown that the Sitgesgrapes are the same as those inLipari (Italy), Sardinia and Croatia,and as those in most of the CanaryDOs (Spain Gourmetour No. 80),with the exception of Lanzarote.What has recently been named“volcanic Malvasía” (in reference tothis latter volcanic island’s strikinglunar landscape where vines aregrown in pits) actually comes froma marriage between the SitgesMalvasía and a local grape,probably Marmajuelo.Lanzarote is considered home to thelargest Malvasía growing area inEurope today, although dessert winesaccount for only 8% of total wineproduction in the DO Lanzarote and,of them, only 4% are Malvasía. Thisvariety is mostly used for naturallysweet wines. The style ranges fromyoung, fruity wines like El Grifo toothers that are aged using the solerasystem, as at the Bermejos andStratvs wineries (the latter uses six

large oak vats instead of barrels).The grapes are usually air-dried toconcentrate the sugars so they endup with clear raisin notes. The“Canary” wines are Malvasías madelike liqueur wines and taking theirinspiration from the famous winesthat were much in favor in Englandin the 16th and 17th centuries. At theEl Grifo winery, Juan José Otamendiexplains that these old-styleMalvasías were wines that leftthe Canaries while young to besubsequently fortified with alcoholupon arrival in England. His Canaryis a liqueur wine made fromMalvasía grapes that are air-driedoff the plant to keep in all thearomas. It starts out with old winesfrom the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘90s thathave been kept in barrels and agedunder the solera system, thusgaining outstanding complexityand persistence.The world of dessert wines is anintricate combination of lateharvests and prolonged, sometimesextremely long maturation aimingto obtain the best possible balancebetween alcohol, sugar and acidity.Considering all the complications,there must be a good reason why somany Spanish winemakers continueto explore the sweet potential oftheir vineyards. Sitges, a beauty spoton the Tarragona coast, is betterknown today as a tourist attractionthan as the home of the once-famous Malvasía, which now growson only a handful of estates.The wine has survived thanksto diplomat Manuel Llopis, whobequeathed his Aiguadolç vineyard

to the Sant Joan Baptista Hospitalin Sitges on the condition thatit continued to produce sweetMalvasía. In Majorca, the Malvasíade Banyalbufar cooperativeis returning to this varietyand is already bringing out a light,aromatic and medium-sweet wine.In northern Spain, the first late-harvest txakoli wines have appearedwhose secret stems from the coolnorthern climate. A few years ago,the Ribeiro cooperative in Orense(Galicia, northwest Spain) restoredthe tradition of the Ribadaviatostadillo wines, made from grapesthat are air-dried for several months.Dinastía Vivanco, a Rioja winerynow famed for its fantastic WineMuseum in the town of Briones, isrestoring the supurado tradition, thatis, wine made from raisins pressedaround Christmas and slowlyfermented for months. The wineryis working on an updated version,with grapes harvested in Januaryonce they have fallen prey to the“noble rot” brought by morningmists over the Ebro Valley. Clearly,the dessert wine revolution in Spainis by no means over.

Amaya Cervera is a wine writerspecializing in Spanish wines.She was editor-in-chief of Sibaritasjournal and formed part of thetasting committee for Guía Peñín.She has also written for theRobbReport. She is currentlyin charge of content for Todovinoand is a member of the GuíaTodovino tasting committee.

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wines. The DO Empordà inGirona, and the DOs Terra Alta,Montsant, Priorat and Tarragonain the province of Tarragona havebeen especially active on thedessert wine front, although todaythese represent just a tinyproportion of total production(4% in Empordà, 2.5% inTarragona and less than 1%in Terra Alta).With the exception of somesweet rancio wines such as thosefrom Priorat, the normal workingmethod is to take fully ripe grapesand fortify the must with alcohol.This means that most of Catalonia’ssweet wines are classified as liqueurwines. The main bastion for classicmethods is the hundred-year-oldfirm De Muller in Reus, whichmakes 200,000 to 300,000 bottlesof dessert wine a year and exportsall over the world, except forAustralasia. One of its jewels isPajarete, from a 150-liter barrelthat dates from the year the winerywas founded (1851), with only100 bottles being produced a year(and sold on the Spanish marketat the very affordable price,considering their history, of 75euros). The barrel is filled withonly the winery’s best wines.Its soleras (1926 Tarragona fromwhite Garnacha, 1918 PrioratDom Berenguer from red Garnachaand Moscatel Solera 1926Tarragona) are all priced at 50-60euros a bottle. This aging systemof transferring the wine fromone barrel to another is notapplied as strictly here as it

is in the sherry region and isusually used in Catalonia for ranciowines and most of the EmpordàGarnacha wines.Modernization in Catalonia hascome either with technology(Gramona, in the Penedès, with itsRiesling and Gewürztraminer icewines made by cryoextraction orartificial freezing of the grapes afterharvesting), by updating traditionalstyles (as with the excellent VinsPiñol Mistelas from the DO TerraAlta, which reach the consumer inseductive bottles and with greaterfruitiness and vivacity than is usualin such wines) or by personalselection in the vineyard. Anemblematic example is Dolçde l’Obac, which Carles Pastrana,one of the DO Priorat pioneers,has been making since 1991 athis winery in Gratallops. Pastranarealized that when Garnacha

grapes are exposed to the northwind they become overripewithout problems or rotting.This leads to grapes with asufficiently high alcohol potentialfor making a dessert wine in which,as he puts it, “the alcohol, acidityand sugar all come from the grape,and that’s all you need.”Fermentation is stopped by coldstabilization and the result is“a red wine with high residualsugar” of about 70 g (2.5 oz)per liter and 16% alcohol.From the technical viewpoint,naturally sweet wines are alwaysmore complicated, but theyexpress the fermentation betterand offer more aromas thanfortified wines. They are certainlya challenge for producers who haveto work exclusively with whatthe grapes have to offer, withoutany help from outside.

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CLEARCRYSTAL

Flavor

Water, many of us were taught in school, is a colorless, odorless,flavorless liquid also known as the “universal solvent”. In those terms,drinking bottled water probably seems a little extravagant, andone brand of water should be very much the same as thenext. Anyone who has visited a city other than their own andput a glass of water to his or her lips, however, knows thisnot to be true. Who hasn’t thought, at some point, howdifferent the water tasted from the one back home? SaulAparicio dives in to find out why that is and why it matters.

Spanish Mineral Waters

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that learning how to identify whatelements distinguish waters in ablind tasting takes a lot of training.“After all,” she says, “we are talkingabout micrograms of substances inthe composition of one glassof water.” The slightest outsideinfluence can overpower anddrown out the subtleties in a glassof the clear liquid. “WheneverI have people over for a tasting,”she points out, “I insist that theynot wear any perfume or creams,which can completely obscurethe subtleties in the water.”The persistence of the tasteof water in the mouth, for instance,is extremely short: a couple ofseconds at best. A wine’s taste, incontrast, can last several minutes.Another aspect to look out for, sheexplains, is the texture of the water:the “feeling” it leaves on the palate.Waters with high amounts ofcalcium, for instance, are oftenreferred to as “hard”, due to thesensation they leave on the palate.Some may identify it as roughness,others as a light dryness andpuckering of the mouth that isreminiscent of astringency in wines.Though the subtleties of differentcomponents can be difficult toget a handle on, some are easilyidentifiable. Certain mineral watershave a salty tanginess to them.If this is the case, it is a safe bet tosay that the sodium content is high.A hint of sweetness can indicate thepresence of fluoride, and iron cantransmit a metallic tint. Othernaturally and commonly foundsubstances in mineral waters are

magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca),potassium (K), sulfate (SO4),bicarbonate (HCO3), silica (SiO2)and trace elements such as iron(Fe), iodine (I), copper (Cu),fluoride (F-) and zinc (Zn). Eachof these has its own properties andtastes, which become noticeableat certain concentrations.This means that, if used wisely,one can use waters to compensateor balance a meal, much like agood sommelier does with wine.If having a dish of anchovies, forinstance, one would be wise notto choose a water with a substantialsodium content, since the watertaken to relieve the saltiness wouldbe salty itself.Another example is sparklingwaters. Naturally sparkling mineralwaters tend to come from deepersources located at places wherethey are subject to considerable heat.This means that, through the years,they tend to accumulate higherconcentrations of minerals and havea stronger taste. So, texture andfeeling aside, their more flavorfulnature make them more interestingto accompany strong-tasting foods,helping to wash away flavors in

between bites. If we add to this therefreshing effect that the carbonicgas has, one can see why they areideally suited to dishes such as redmeat or hearty stews. However,a more delicate food—such as filletof sole or a meringue—will be ill-served by these powerfully flavoredwaters, and combine better witha slightly acidic water with medium-to-low mineral content.

The taste of SpainIf mineral water has the taste ofthe earth it came from, one canimagine that the more diversethe terrains and soils in a region,the higher the likelihood of bigvariations in flavor from onenatural mineral water to another.Spain is, in this respect,a privileged country. Most ofit is quite mountainous andsparsely populated, and thereforeideal when it comes to findingrelatively isolated areas in whichwater can spend its long journeydown and then back up the soillayers undisturbed. But, moreimportantly, Spain exhibitstremendous climatologicaland geological contrasts, fromsnow-topped mountains to barrendeserts, with everything fromgrass-covered hillocks toMediterranean forests in between.The calcareous aquifers in Asturiasand Cantabria (north coast ofSpain), for instance, producewaters that are rich in calciumbicarbonate, whereas waters thatfilter through the granite-rich soilsof Catalonia (northeast Spain) and

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Drinking water is not merely twoatoms of hydrogen bound to oneof oxygen. A number of substances,naturally present or addedartificially, contribute a wide rangeof flavors. If we can agree on thisstatement, then the first questionthat probably comes to mind is:how do these flavors andcomponents become a part ofthe water? In the case of tap waterthe answer is fairly obvious:drinking water is treated withchemical compounds, such aschlorine or fluoride, to eliminatehealth hazards or producebeneficial effects (such as thehardening of teeth enamel).

Different namesfor different watersThe case of bottled waters canbe different. Although the legaldefinitions of different waters canvary from country to country, thereare three main types of water thatwe can find in a bottle. The firstis treated water, by which we meanwaters that have been manipulatedin some manner before being madeavailable to the public. This watermay come from a variety of sources,but all of it has been treated to alterits composition. This would bethe case of brands that “purify”water, removing chlorineand other elements from tap waterand re-selling it bottled.Another category is spring water.This refers to water that comesfrom a natural undergroundsource—whether it springs

spontaneously or is drawn bymechanical means—and is fitfor consumption virtually untreated(filtering of particles such as excesssulfur and iron is allowed). In orderto sport the spring water label,it must be bottled at the source.Finally, we have natural mineralwaters: these waters are richin minerals, which accumulate inthe water as it seeps down fromthe surface through earth and rocksfor periods that range from decadesto centuries. Sometimes, thesewaters filter down into anunderwater reservoir, where theyremain protected from externalpollutants. Water such as thisis not only immediately fit forhuman consumption, but alsohas a constant amount of mineralsand other compounds in itscomposition, which remainsunaltered despite being drawn.Again, this product must be bottledat the very source in order to beable to bear the words “mineralwater” on the label.Since the flavor and characterof a water depends on the landthrough which it travels down intoa reservoir, it would be fair to say

that each natural mineral waterhas its own distinct terroir. In fact,given that distilled water isflavorless and that—as sommelierand water tasting pioneer ManuelaRomeralo explains—“in orderto be called mineral water, a water’scomposition cannot be altered afterleaving the source”, a naturalmineral water tastes exclusivelyof the place it comes from. It iswater molded into the image of theearth from which it springs.

Water tasterA sommelier by trade, Romeralo’slife journey to an unconventionalplace—water tasting expert—is marked by a number ofunconventional turns. Though shetrained to be psychologist, she tooksuch an interest in cocktails thatshe ended up working in the sectorprofessionally. She was thenentrusted with the care of the winecellar at Valencia restaurantLa Sucursal, where, after yearsspending her tip money on winebooks (which she read avidly),she became a respected sommelier.Her inquisitiveness led her to takean interest in waters and to becomeone of the first people in Spainto provide guided tastings. Today,she is a pivotal part of the teamat Vuelve Carolina restaurant, thebrainchild of chef Quique Dacosta,internationally renowned for his twoMichelin-starred eatery El Poblet.Her transition to water expertrequired considerable time andeffort. Romeralo herself confesses

TEXTSAUL APARICIO HILL/©ICEX

PHOTOSFERNANDO MADARIAGA/©ICEX


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Galicia (northwest) tend to berich in silica. The difference incomposition, flavor and textureis therefore substantial.If we add to this a sizeable amountof natural spas and thermal springs(of volcanic origin) in Spain (whichcan result in the extremely rarewonder that is naturally carbonatedwater), this means that the rangeof tastes in Spanish natural mineralwaters is extraordinary.

The dry landof many watersWhen one thinks of a land withplentiful water, however, Spainprobably isn’t the first countryto come to mind. And, indeed,it is not a place with an abundanceof surface waters. Despite a numberof major rivers, most of Spain(excluding the green pastures of thenorth), tends to be dry, verging onarid. Then how is it that colonizingRomans and Arabs came to writeof a land of abundance and craftedit into their empire’s granary?Part of the answer is the astoundingwealth of underground watersources. According to ANEABE,Spain’s most representative bottledwater association, there are over1,000 natural springs in Spain,yielding the pure water that resultsfrom decades or centuries ofdroplets filtering through earthand rock, leaving behind anyimpurities or microorganisms.There, confined by impermeablerock (normally clay or shale), theyremained untouched, unpollutedand isolated from contact withthe outside world. Until oneday a crack in the earth—natural

or man-made—splits the groundto release its bounty.This precious undergroundresource was harnessed to greatpotential by Romans and Muslimsboth: they had a healthy obsessionwith cleanliness, and the perceivedpurity of underground water wascanalized for its inhabitants to drinkand to bathe in. The perceivedhealing properties of pure waterthat came untouched from thebowels of the earth saw the Spanishlandscape become littered withRoman thermae and Arab hammams.Although many of these places,judged to have “special” water,came to be in disuse in the LateMiddle and Modern Ages, theinterest in the medicinal propertiesof mineral water was revived in thelate 18th and 19th centuries, thegolden age of spas. Many of thesewere built in the late 1800s inSpain, and act as signposts of thesources of some of Spain’s mostfamed bottled waters.

Be still, waterTake, for instance, the springsof Peñaclara (La Rioja, northernSpain). The first written referenceto this source, found deep in theCameros Mountain range, datesback to 1029 AD, though it is morethan likely that it had been in useas far back as the Pre-Roman Celticperiod. In 1861, this water sourcewas declared of public utility,and one of the first spas of the wineregion of La Rioja was foundedon the site. Built to explore thecurative properties of a 550-m(1,804-ft) deep artesian well (anartesian aquifer is an undergroundbody of water subjected to positivepressure so that, not unlike an oilwell, water rises to the surfacenaturally), the spa wasunfortunately abandoned inthe mid-20th century. The water,however, remains unchanged:the same richly mineralized liquidcontinues to surge upwards ata constant temperature of 22ºC(71.6ºF), rain or shine, winteror summer, day or night.The composition of the waterhas remained unchanged andcontinues to feature a fairly highconcentration of calcium sulfate,appreciable amounts ofbicarbonate, magnesiumand calcium, and significantconcentrations of trace elementssuch as fluoride and strontium.The only real difference, then,is that the same water that filledthe pools of the spa is now directedto a state-of-the-art bottling plant.Although it is, by definition,a medium-mineralized water,the presence of flavorful minerals


45

makes it a distinct and recognizablewater: refreshing, full of characterand palate cleansing. Peñaclara,in fact, is a staple of the restaurantsof La Rioja, the Basque Country,Cantabria, northern Castile-Leonand Navarre, regions where it isone of the market leaders. Thecompany, however, has recentlybegun to look outwards andshowcase its premium water, aptlycalled 22, abroad. And with somesuccess, as General ManagerIgnacio Evangelio explained whencontacted by this publication.“We just heard that we havereceived a 3-star superior tasteaward from the iTQi (InternationalTaste & Quality Institute). It is anaward granted by an internationalpanel of chefs, sommeliers andculinary associations, so youunderstand that we are absolutelythrilled to have received it just aswe’re beginning to focus more onexports. We already have somepresence in the UK, Belgium,Luxembourg and France, especiallyin restaurants, and we are going tobe making a big effort to make itinto the Netherlands this year.”

Famed retreatAnother of the waters to havereceived a 3-star superior tasteaward this year has a very similarstory to Peñaclara. Mondariz water(Spain Gourmetour No. 81), fromthe municipality of Mondariz in theprovince of Pontevedra (Galicia),began to be bottled and sold in1877. Once again, written recordsof the spring are much older andsome references in Roman texts arethought to refer to the Mondariz

spring. Noting that manyof the locals used the water to curesuperficial wounds, local Galicianbusinessman Enrique PeinadorVela built a spa, which rapidlybecame one of Spain’s most famedand popular. During the late19th and early 20th centuries,Mondariz was one of the favoredretreats of the royal family andthe Spanish upper classes, andMondariz water was transportedto Madrid in large amounts andsold for medicinal purposes.

Later analyses have revealed thatthe water at Mondariz, which flowsout at a steady temperature of16.5ºC (61.7ºF), spends anywherebetween 60 and 150 yearsunderground, resting in granitereservoirs, before reaching thesurface; this accounts for its variedcomposition. That said, it is whatis called a “weakly mineralizedwater”, meaning it has a lowconcentration of minerals, whichmakes it especially advisable forpeople with kidney stones or a

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46 47

tendency to get them. The mostdistinct character trait of Mondariz,though, is a substantial (comparedto the rest of the elements in it)amount of iron, which gives itan absolutely unique taste.As one of the older players inthe bottled water game, Mondarizexports to 29 countries and isone of the most commonly drunkmineral waters in Spain.

Royal favorAnother of the most commonlydrunk waters in Spain is Solánde Cabras, which hails from theprovince of Cuenca, southeastof Madrid. The area was oftenfrequented by the Spanish royalsin the 17th century, for huntingtrips. A friend of King Charles III(1716-1788), in fact, claimed tohave been cured of his ailments bythe water, which led the king tohave a boarding area and baths in1775. In 1790, the king’s successor,Charles IV (1748-1819) was soenchanted by the place and its

waters that he declared it a royalsite and had water brought to himin Madrid on a daily basis. By the1900s, Solán de Cabras water couldbe found in many pharmacies inMadrid and other Spanish cities.The first known analysis of thewater was commissioned byCharles III in 1786, and it is safeto say that the composition, sincethen, has remained unaltered.This is because unlike othermineral waters, produced fromrainfall seeping through the earth,Solán’s water is the result of flowingunderground currents rushingthrough permeable limestone layersuntil they reach a natural depositwhose only exit is the Solán spring.If we were to highlight one aspectof this weakly mineralized water,it would probably have to bethe high proportion of magnesium,which is rare in waters with lowcalcium levels. Again, the tasteis exceedingly clean and balanced,with a hint of fluoride-relatedsweetness offset by the sharpnessof its minerality.

Other notable still mineral waterbrands in Spain include Bezoya(in Segovia, in the center of thecountry), Solares (Cantabria,on the north coast) and Font Vella(Catalonia, in the northeast), whichtend to be in the medium-to-lowrange for mineral content. For moreintense mineral taste, both in Spainand most of the world, one normallyhas to turn to sparkling waters.

SparklingpersonalityNaturally carbonated water is therarest occurrence in the worldof bottled waters. A very uniquecombination of geological factors—normally found in areas withvolcanic activity—needs to occurfor water to have sufficient amountsof CO2 to produce a “fizz”. It seemsunsurprising, therefore, thatsprings and sources that producedcarbonated water becameincredibly famous in the heydayof spas, back in the 19th century.As we mentioned above, many of

the places that were home to“medicinal waters” (as they werethen called), became home to spasin which people could bathe anddrink until their troubles were“washed away”. Eventually, thoseresorts began to sell their waterfor guests to take home and lateron bottling it to offer theirgoodness in lands further away.Two of the world’s most renownedbottled waters, Perrier (France)

and San Pellegrino (Italy),cemented their fame on naturalcarbonation of their water. In Spain,so did Vichy Catalan, the country’smost renowned mineral water.

The absoluteclassicThe bountiful land around Caldesde Malavella (from the Catalancaldera, meaning cauldron), inCatalonia, has been continuouslyinhabited since the Paleolithic Age,probably due, in no small measure,to the water in the region. Rainfall,which is fairly constant outside thesummer, filters down granite togreat depth, where volcanic activityheats it up, allowing it to acceptlarge quantities of minerals andcarbon dioxide. The heat andpressure make the water shoot upat great speed, until it spouts out ofthree sources in three adjoiningmountains at a temperature of 58to 60ºC (136.4 to 140ºF).Girona-based doctor Modest FurestRoca knew of the springs due to the

house calls he made in the regionand bought the properties of thesprings in 1880. In only eightyears, the healthful properties ofthe waters and the success of thespa and bottling plant he built weresuch that Vichy Catalan wasallowed to participate in the 1888Universal Expo, receiving a goldmedal. Further accolades followedin the 1889 Universal Expo inParis, leading to it being authorizedfor medical use by the Argentineangovernment in 1890, making it thefirst Spanish water to be exported.Then, as now, reports underscoredthe rarity of a water with highlevels of bicarbonates and sodiumand low levels of calcium,properties that were deemedto aid with heavy digestion.Today, Vichy Catalan water canbe found all over the world and iscommonly recognized as one of themost unique natural mineral watersavailable, due to the high amountof carbonic gas and mineralconcentration. Its flavor andcharacter have made it a sought-afteringredient by renowned Spanishchefs, who have included it inrecipes and cocktails. Culinary titanssuch as Ferran Adrià, Joan Roca,Carme Ruscalleda, the recentlydeparted Santi Santamaría, Juan Mari

WINES

&WATER

Sodium (Na): waters with a highsodium content have a distinctsaltiness to them.

Magnesium (Mg): magnesium-richwaters tend to have a bittercomponent to them.

Fluoride (F-): naturally fluoridatedwaters, in contrast to magnesium-richwaters, tend to have a hint ofsweetness.

Calcium (Ca): excess or artificiallyadded calcium can taste chalky,but reasonable or naturally occurringamounts can be very tasty, leaningtowards bitterness.

Iron (Fe): the presence of iron canproduce waters with a steely tastewhich can feel very clean.

Sodium bicarbonate: sodiumbicarbonate can intensify other tastesin water and lower acidity, apart fromadding a tanginess itself.

Ph (acidity or alkalinity): naturallyacidic waters (ph lower than 7) havea certain sharpness that can be extrarefreshing. Basic or alkaline waters(ph higher than 7) in contrast, tendto be more rounded and sweeter.

What’sthat taste?Some commontastes in mineralwaters


Its sweet red Monastrell, which isnow being exported successfully toEurope, the United States and Asia,is fermented until it has an alcoholcontent of 3-4º, the aim being tobring out the fermentation aromasthat are missing from Mistela wines.Cold maceration then extracts thearomas and, unlike the Olivaresmethod, this wine spends a periodof 8-10 months in the barrel.Predominant in this MurcianMonastrell are flavors of very ripe,black grapes, figs and the balsamtouches of Mediterranean scrub.

Other sweetwinesIn Catalonia (northeast Spain),it is Garnacha (both red and white)along with Moscatel that serveto produce the traditional dessertwines—Mistela, rancio (winesthat are aged oxidatively in glassdemijohns), and naturally sweet

Spain) have given way to sweetreds that retain more of the grape’scharacter. This focus on varietalidentity has also been taken up bythe fruity, dry reds that are nowcoming from these DOs in Murcia.It all started out with BodegaOlivares, in DO Jumilla, whichdecided to give up barrels in orderto preserve maximum fruityexpression. Using old, ungraftedvines, they allow the grapes tobecome overripe on the plant untillate October or early November.Fermentation is stopped usingalcohol, but the wine macerateswith the skins for over 30 days.It is bottled in June and storedfor two years before being sold.In 2003, the DO Jumilla changedits regulations to cover this typeof fortified or liqueur wine, soOlivares is now able to sell itwith the DO’s back label.In the DO Yecla, Bodegas Castañois working along similar lines.

34 35

DESSERT WINES

yeasts and a minimum 10 yearsaging, which may be static, that is,in the same barrel, or may adoptthe solera system, in which case theyoungest wine may not be less thanfour years old. It has set up a specificmonitoring committee just for thisdessert wine, which is only made ata dozen wineries in the area.Although there is littledocumentary evidence establishinga clear link between today’sFondillón wines and those of thepast, what is clear is that the veryMediterranean Monastrell grape(Spain Gourmetour No. 75) hasall it takes to reach high levels ofmaturity and concentration. Theclear oxidative component of themost traditional Fondillón wineshas been updated by the Gutiérrezde la Vega winery, which took itsinspiration from the Huerta deAlicante wines, sweeter and thickerthan those from Monóvar. This firmhas brought out two small-scale,artisan versions aged for 10 and15 years and fermented in openbarrels. The resulting wine is closerin concentration and fruityexpression to a vintage Port thanto the mellow, drier flavors madeby other producers in the DO.The Mendoza family adopts a freerapproach with its Dolç deMendoza, a modern Monastrellwine. This too is made from grapesthat dry on the plant. After aging inFrench oak for 3-4 years, as is to beexpected, the end result is bothdense and fruity.Similarly, the former Mistela wines(grape must to which a smallamount of grape spirit is added)made from Monastrell in Yecla andJumilla (in Murcia, southeast

Characteristics Wines

Harvesting Late harvests and grapes that are overripenedto different degrees

· Most sweet wines start out from grapes with a highsugar content

Grapes overripe or sun-dried on the plant · Fondillón· Malvasías and other sweet wines from the Canaries· Many Catalonian liqueur wines

Grapes air-dried off the plant · PX (Málaga, Montilla, Jerez)· Moscatel from Málaga· Some Malvasías and sweet wines from the Canaries

Production Naturally sweet wines, with sugarand alcohol from the grapes

· Fondillón and other sweet Monastrells· Malvasías from the Canaries· New Navarran Moscatels· Some sweet wines from Málaga, especially Moscatels· Sweet rancio wines from Priorat and modern-style sweetwines from Priorat and from Catalonia in general

Liqueur wines with added alcohol and/orconcentrated must and other sweeteningsubstances from the grapes

· Málaga· Traditional Catalonian wines: Empordà, Montsant, Priorat,Tarragona, Terra Alta

· Some sweet Moscatels· Jerez (Moscatels and fortified liqueur wines)· PX (Montilla, Jerez, Málaga)· Traditional Moscatels from Alicante, Navarre, Aragón,

Catalonia, Canaries…· Canary· Mistelas· Malvasía from Sitges

Aging No aging in wood · Young Moscatels and Malvasías· Young PX· Some Mistelas

Sun and aging in glass demijohns · Sweet rancio wines, especially from Catalonia

Solera method · PX from Jerez and Montilla and some from Málaga· Other sweet sherries· Many Garnachas from Empordà and some Catalonianliqueur and rancio wines

· Malvasías from the Canaries· Fondillón

Static aging in wood · Some rare examples of vintage PX aged in casks· Fondillón· Most of the Málaga sweet wines· Most of the Catalonian sweet wines, includingthe Sitges Malvasía

· Most Moscatels and modern-style sweet wines


46 47

tendency to get them. The mostdistinct character trait of Mondariz,though, is a substantial (comparedto the rest of the elements in it)amount of iron, which gives itan absolutely unique taste.As one of the older players inthe bottled water game, Mondarizexports to 29 countries and isone of the most commonly drunkmineral waters in Spain.

Royal favorAnother of the most commonlydrunk waters in Spain is Solánde Cabras, which hails from theprovince of Cuenca, southeastof Madrid. The area was oftenfrequented by the Spanish royalsin the 17th century, for huntingtrips. A friend of King Charles III(1716-1788), in fact, claimed tohave been cured of his ailments bythe water, which led the king tohave a boarding area and baths in1775. In 1790, the king’s successor,Charles IV (1748-1819) was soenchanted by the place and its

waters that he declared it a royalsite and had water brought to himin Madrid on a daily basis. By the1900s, Solán de Cabras water couldbe found in many pharmacies inMadrid and other Spanish cities.The first known analysis of thewater was commissioned byCharles III in 1786, and it is safeto say that the composition, sincethen, has remained unaltered.This is because unlike othermineral waters, produced fromrainfall seeping through the earth,Solán’s water is the result of flowingunderground currents rushingthrough permeable limestone layersuntil they reach a natural depositwhose only exit is the Solán spring.If we were to highlight one aspectof this weakly mineralized water,it would probably have to bethe high proportion of magnesium,which is rare in waters with lowcalcium levels. Again, the tasteis exceedingly clean and balanced,with a hint of fluoride-relatedsweetness offset by the sharpnessof its minerality.

Other notable still mineral waterbrands in Spain include Bezoya(in Segovia, in the center of thecountry), Solares (Cantabria,on the north coast) and Font Vella(Catalonia, in the northeast), whichtend to be in the medium-to-lowrange for mineral content. For moreintense mineral taste, both in Spainand most of the world, one normallyhas to turn to sparkling waters.

SparklingpersonalityNaturally carbonated water is therarest occurrence in the worldof bottled waters. A very uniquecombination of geological factors—normally found in areas withvolcanic activity—needs to occurfor water to have sufficient amountsof CO2 to produce a “fizz”. It seemsunsurprising, therefore, thatsprings and sources that producedcarbonated water becameincredibly famous in the heydayof spas, back in the 19th century.As we mentioned above, many of

the places that were home to“medicinal waters” (as they werethen called), became home to spasin which people could bathe anddrink until their troubles were“washed away”. Eventually, thoseresorts began to sell their waterfor guests to take home and lateron bottling it to offer theirgoodness in lands further away.Two of the world’s most renownedbottled waters, Perrier (France)

and San Pellegrino (Italy),cemented their fame on naturalcarbonation of their water. In Spain,so did Vichy Catalan, the country’smost renowned mineral water.

The absoluteclassicThe bountiful land around Caldesde Malavella (from the Catalancaldera, meaning cauldron), inCatalonia, has been continuouslyinhabited since the Paleolithic Age,probably due, in no small measure,to the water in the region. Rainfall,which is fairly constant outside thesummer, filters down granite togreat depth, where volcanic activityheats it up, allowing it to acceptlarge quantities of minerals andcarbon dioxide. The heat andpressure make the water shoot upat great speed, until it spouts out ofthree sources in three adjoiningmountains at a temperature of 58to 60ºC (136.4 to 140ºF).Girona-based doctor Modest FurestRoca knew of the springs due to the

house calls he made in the regionand bought the properties of thesprings in 1880. In only eightyears, the healthful properties ofthe waters and the success of thespa and bottling plant he built weresuch that Vichy Catalan wasallowed to participate in the 1888Universal Expo, receiving a goldmedal. Further accolades followedin the 1889 Universal Expo inParis, leading to it being authorizedfor medical use by the Argentineangovernment in 1890, making it thefirst Spanish water to be exported.Then, as now, reports underscoredthe rarity of a water with highlevels of bicarbonates and sodiumand low levels of calcium,properties that were deemedto aid with heavy digestion.Today, Vichy Catalan water canbe found all over the world and iscommonly recognized as one of themost unique natural mineral watersavailable, due to the high amountof carbonic gas and mineralconcentration. Its flavor andcharacter have made it a sought-afteringredient by renowned Spanishchefs, who have included it inrecipes and cocktails. Culinary titanssuch as Ferran Adrià, Joan Roca,Carme Ruscalleda, the recentlydeparted Santi Santamaría, Juan Mari

WINES

&WATER

Sodium (Na): waters with a highsodium content have a distinctsaltiness to them.

Magnesium (Mg): magnesium-richwaters tend to have a bittercomponent to them.

Fluoride (F-): naturally fluoridatedwaters, in contrast to magnesium-richwaters, tend to have a hint ofsweetness.

Calcium (Ca): excess or artificiallyadded calcium can taste chalky,but reasonable or naturally occurringamounts can be very tasty, leaningtowards bitterness.

Iron (Fe): the presence of iron canproduce waters with a steely tastewhich can feel very clean.

Sodium bicarbonate: sodiumbicarbonate can intensify other tastesin water and lower acidity, apart fromadding a tanginess itself.

Ph (acidity or alkalinity): naturallyacidic waters (ph lower than 7) havea certain sharpness that can be extrarefreshing. Basic or alkaline waters(ph higher than 7) in contrast, tendto be more rounded and sweeter.

What’sthat taste?Some commontastes in mineralwaters






WINES

&W

ATER

32




DESSERT WINES


49

Arzak and Pedro Subijana have allincluded this bubbly, transparentwater in their creations.

Volcano-infusedContrasting with the centuries-oldtradition of Vichy Catalan, Magmais a slightly carbonated water byGalician bottling firm Cabreiroáwhich has only just been madeavailable. The firm follows a similarpath to one of the othersmentioned above: local traditionspoke of healing waters which,when tested (undertaken, in thecase of Cabreiroá, by Nobel prize-winner in medicine SantiagoRamón y Cajal in the early 20th

century), proved to be exceedinglyclean of impurities and with aninteresting mineral content. Theowners of the property rapidlyprotected the source and set upa fountain, beginning to sell thewater to local visitors and buildinga bottling plant in 1906 and a spain 1907. The coming of the CivilWar in 1936 saw the spa closedown, but the bottling of waterprospered until it became one ofSpain’s most recognizable brands,under the name Cabreiroá.In November of 2010, however,the company launched a ratherspecial water, taking advantageof its peculiar spring. The rainfallin the region seeps down toapproximately 3,000 m (9,842 ft)underground, along the volcanicfault of Regua-Verín. There, attemperatures of 100ºC (212ºF)and higher, the water comes intocontact with volcanic magmafumes, which infuse the waterwith a slight carbonation before

generating great pressure thatshoots it up into a naturalunderground reservoir. In thisreservoir, completely protectedfrom the outside at 150 m (492 ft)deep, the water retains some of itsslight, but natural, carbonation.Instead of drawing it out throughthe topmost fountain, making itlose its gas, Magma is extractedat that depth and bottled in black,opaque aluminum bottles. Whyblack? The underwater reservoir is,of course, pitch dark. By drawingand bottling at depth, the peopleat Magma ensure that the first timetheir water sees the light is whenthe customer opens the bottle.Magma, too, has made a splashamong chefs, and cooperates witha number of renowned Spanishnames, such as the Michelin-starredPepe Solla and Xosé Torres, whohave come to think of the wateras a good complement to theirGalician seafood-based cooking,“thanks to its combination of veryfine bubbles and bicarbonate,

which stimulates the taste buds.”Given the fact that so many elementsare present in water, that it can beacidic or alkaline, salty or sweet,sparkling or still, it is hardlysurprising that chefs care what onedrinks with their creations. But, asthey say, the proof is in the pudding:next time you find yourself at agourmet shop, why not try to tastetwo mineral waters side by side andlet your taste buds tell you why?

Saul Aparicio Hill is a Madrid-based freelance journalist whose workas a writer and broadcaster hasappeared in media in Spain, the UK,Ireland, India, Australia and theUSA, among other countries.

WINES

&WATER

Websites

www.aneabe.esSpanish Association of BottledWater Companies, ANEABE. Closeto 100 members which account for98% of bottled water production inSpain. Spanish.

www.penaclara.esSpanish.

www.aguasdemondariz.comEnglish, Galician, Spanish.

www.grupovichycatalan.esCatalan, English, French, Spanish.

www.cabreiroa.es

Spanish.


49







WINES

&WATER

Websites





www.cabreiroa.es

Spanish.


HEARTOAK

Covering an area the size of Belgium,the vast dehesa is not only Spain’smost widespread ecosystem,but it is also the sustainable

provider of some of its mostemblematic food products. PaulRichardson goes on a journey through

a landscape as generousas it is beautiful.

A Pasture and its Products

TextPaul Richardson/©ICEX

OFPhotosMatías Costa/©ICEX

06_AF_DEHESA.qxd 8/7/11 01:26 Página 50

53

public dehesas—areas of what was oncecommon land like Madrid’s Dehesade la Villa or Girona’s Parc de laDevesa—as well as dehesas boyalesor comunales like the Dehesa MontePorrino in Salvaleón (Badajoz,southwest Spain), a huge countryestate belonging to the village for whichit constitutes a priceless agriculturalresource (see below).

Holm, sweet HolmThe dehesa represents agriculture at itssimplest and most sustainable. In itstruest form the dehesa is made up ofholm oaks and/or cork oaks (Quercussuber) and/or Pyrenean oak (Quercuspyrenaica) in concentrations defined as

between 5 and 20% of the total surfacearea (according to the MARM), withplenty of pasture between the trees. Itsgreatest natural asset is the acorn—theirreplaceable sustenance of the Ibéricopig, which supplements its acorn dietwith insects, tubers, and grasses of allkinds—for the pasture between theoaks is also a valuable food resource,whether for cows, sheep, goats or pigs.Nothing is wasted in the dehesa;everything is well used. Pruningsfrom the trees are first left on theground, to be denuded of their leavesby cattle, then chopped for firewoodor burned for charcoal (the picón withwhich rural Spain still keeps the coldat bay, mostly by means of a brazierunder the kitchen table). Such an

52

I drove and drove on Extremadura’sempty roads, through some of themost sparsely populated countrysidein the whole of Europe. To left andright unfolded a landscape of tough-looking trees, each growing at somedistance from its neighbor, with averdant ground-cover of pasture inbetween. There seemed to be no endto this expanse of dark-trunked treeswith their tight foliage of grey-green;they stretched away into the distance,punctuated by nothing moresubstantial than the occasionalmeandering stone wall, a brook,or a straggle of low hills.This landscape, known in Spanishas dehesa, came into being through agradual clearing of the original dense

forest to provide grazing landfor livestock. The dehesa is adomesticated woodland, a managedwilderness. Its main livingconstituent is the holm oak or hollyoak, Quercus ilex, a non-deciduousmember of the oak family whoseacorns, as well as the variegatedgrasses and aromatic plants that growaround the trees, providenourishment for the animals thatgraze here. Covering an area of some3.6 million ha (8.9 million acres),according to the Spanish Ministryof Agriculture (MARM), of whichExtremadura (southwest Spain)harbors 35%, Andalusia (southernSpain) 27%, Castile-La Mancha(central-southern Spain) 21%,

Castile-Leon (central-northern Spain)14% and Madrid (central Spain) 3%,it is no exaggeration to describe thedehesa as the quintessential Spanishlandscape, more typical even than thesandy Mediterranean beach.Dehesa is a noun; or to be nitpickinglycorrect, it is two nouns in one, referringboth to a type of landscape, anecosystem, and to a concrete exampleof the genre. The etymology of theword tells us something about thenature of the beast. Dehesa comes fromthe Latin defensa, meaning “defended”or “enclosed”. It is true that most ofSpain’s dehesa landscape is parceled upinto privately-owned fincas sometimesmeasuring hundreds or even thousandsof acres. Yet it’s also true that there are

DEHESA

Websites· www.carnedemoruchadesalamanca.org

· www.carnedeavila.org

· www.carneguadarrama.com

· www.corderex.es

· www.dehesa-extremadura.com

· www.domielvilluercasibores.com

· www.foroencinal.es

· www.iprocor.org

· www.jamondehuelva.com

· www.jamondelospedroches.com

· www.jamonguijuelo.net

· www.quesoibores.org

· www.quesoserena.com

· www.terneradeextremadura.org

· www.tortadelcasar.eu


55

extensive landscape is a rich huntingground, at the right time of year,for wild game, wild mushrooms likethe criadilla de tierra (Terfezia arenaria),and woodland vegetables like thistlestalks and garlic. (A handful ofcompanies, among them ProductosSilvestres Julian Martin in Moralejaand Industrias León in Torrecillas dela Tiesa (both in Cáceres, southwestSpain) specialize in bottling theseproducts for sale on the Spanishmarket.) The toro de lidia (fightingbull) is one of the major occupantsof the dehesa, with thousandsof acres tied up in private cattleranches, and the bullfightingindustry makes a convincing casefor the role it plays in theconservation of this noble landscape.As if all that weren’t enough, the corkoak dehesa represents a vitallyimportant resource, even in thesedays of plastic stoppers andscrewtops, for the makers of finewine. Spain’s dehesas supply as muchas 26% of the world market in winecorks, according to industry figures.During the 1960s and 1970s,the dehesa as a generator of ruralprosperity was thoroughly eclipsedby the boom-town glamour of theMediterranean coast. Holm oaks wereregularly uprooted to make wayfor irrigation schemes or plantationsof eucalyptus. For a number of yearsthe Ibérico pig as a breed, if not quiteextinct, hovered dangerously closeto oblivion. Nowadays, thankfully,the dehesa as an ecosystem andnatural resource is more highlyvalued, in every sense, than everbefore. Ecologists praise its highly

CULINARYFARE


and charcuterie, calls the dehesaa “highly prized” environment and a“fundamental” element of the companyand its products. Gómez points outthat it’s not only the acorns that matter,though the oils and enzymes theycontain are crucial in the productionof fine Ibérico hams. It is the roots ofthe trees that bring water and nutrientsto the surface, allowing grass to grow,preventing soil erosion, loweringthe temperature in summer, increasingthe relative humidity of the air andproviding shelter for the animals.

56 57

evolved functioning, its exemplarysustainability: the naturalistJoaquín Araújo (first Spaniard to beawarded, back in 1991, the UNEPGlobal 500 award), who lives ona farm in Extremadura, describesthe dehesa admiringly as “an exampleof synchronicity between cultureand nature.”Those who make their living fromthe dehesa are passionate in theirdefense of it. José Gómez of Joselito(see page 90), the famous producerof peerless Ibérico hams

CULINARYFARE

Meanwhile the Avileña-Negra-Ibéricabreed, basis of the PGI Carne deÁvila, is also black, and, like themorucha, hardy and long-lived, butfound over a wider geographical areataking in not only the provinces ofsouthern Castile-Leon (its historichomeland) but extending to Huelva,Jaen, Seville, Teruel, Ciudad Real,Toledo, Cáceres, Badajoz, La Riojaand Madrid. The RegulatoryCouncil of the PGI has tracedthe lineage of the breed to the Castileof the 14th and 15th centuries,and further back, to the bullsthat pulled carts in Roman times.The Avileña-Negra-Ibérica is superblyadaptable, tolerating both theextreme winters of the high sierrasand the fierce summers of theExtremaduran dehesa.Avileña-Negra-Ibérica, plus Limousinand Charolais, are the breedsrequired by the PGI Carne de laSierra de Guadarrama, based in themountain dehesas around Madrid.Two other beef breeds well adaptedto the conditions of the dehesa areRetinta, common to bothExtremadura and western Andalusia,and Blanca Cacereña (white, fromCáceres). Both are admitted by thePGI Ternera de Extremadura, alongwith the other above-mentionedclassic breeds more typical ofSalamanca and Ávila, in additionto the Berrenda en Colorado andBerrenda en Negro breeds.Consideration of the dehesa as a meat-producing scenario would not becomplete without mentioning the PGICordero de Extremadura (also knownas Corderex), an appellation covering

Extremaduran lambfrom the Merino breed. Sheepand Extremadura go way back.A plausible theory holds that the nameof this autonomous community mayderive from the verb extremar,meaning to separate female sheep fromtheir lambs. A famous livestock censusin the 18th century, the Catastro(Cadaster) del Marquésde la Ensenada (1703-1781; Spanishstatesman), counted as many as1,300,000 merino sheep in the region.Then as now, lamb formed thecenterpiece of Extremaduran cooking,starring in such dishes as caldereta decordero (lamb with onion, tomato,garlic, pepper, ham and parsley) andchanfaina (lamb with onion, garlic,laurel and hot red pepper). Themerino sheep also being a dairy breed,celebrated Extremaduran cheeses likethe Torta del Casar and Torta de laSerena (Spain Gourmetour No. 75) maybe considered among the dehesa’sworthiest contributions to the genre.

High-flying pigsWhat this ecosystem is best atproducing, however, is pork.Extremadura possesses in itsProtected Designation of Origin(PDO) Dehesa de Extremadura one ofthe noblest expressions of the dehesain the form of exquisite acorn-fedIbérico hams. The PDO is widelyregarded as one of the most proactiveof all such quality seals. It stipulatesa series of strict controls which theRegulatory Council defines in threeways: Control de campo (referring tothe animals’ pedigree and welfare),Control de proceso de elaboración

Protected statusThe Protected Geographic Indication(PGI) involving products of theSpanish dehesa might be divided intothose whose connection with thisecosystem is direct and necessary,and those whose association is lessclearly defined, but nevertheless real.Into the first category go beef: Carnede Morucha de Salamanca, Carne dela Sierra de Guadarrama and Ternerade Extremadura; veal: Carne de Ávila(Spain Gourmetour No. 67); as wellas lamb: Cordero de Extremadura.The black longhorns I once sawamong the holm oaks and graniterocks of Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca)were in all probability moruchas, abreed directly descended from theprimitive Bos taurus ibericus, andhighly valued for its excellent, leanand fine-flavored meat. The morucha,basis of the PGI Carne de Moruchade Salamanca, is kept in largestnumbers in the provinces ofSalamanca, Valladolid, Zamora, Ávila,Cáceres and Badajoz, always in anextensive regime, its naturalhardiness requiring no other shelterthan the shade of a holm oak oraleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). Arecent census of the morucha breedin Spain counted around 120,000animals, divided into small herds ofaround 80 to 100 breeding cows.


slowly drying and curing in the colddry darkness. I leant in close to onethat hung at eye level; it smelt, not somuch of meat, as of herbs and resin.Grayish molds and blackish stainshad crept over the surface duringits 24 months of ageing, likea sympathetic echo of the dehesa’slichen-covered trunks.The value of a proper cure isundeniable. An even more importantpart of the process, however, is thepig’s three-month stay on the dehesa.On the Hernández farm at Dehesa deValverde, there are 1,500 holm oaksfor 300 animals: a generous ratio, allthings considered. Until the acorns

form on the trees in late fall,the pigs are given a mixture ofground wheat, barley and maize.On November 1st, All Saints’ Day,they are let loose on the dehesafor a period of concentrated feedingknown as the montanera—a pig-outof stupendous proportions duringwhich the animals put on an average40% of their final body weight.They fatten up so quickly you canpractically watch them. JoséHernández told me that, whenthe acorns are thick on the groundand the pigs are gorging, they mightbe putting on a kg (2.2 lb) a day.“Some of the trees give a sweeter

acorn than others,” said José. “Andthe pigs, they know which are thesweeter trees, and head for them first.They’re real gourmets. Did you knowthey peel the acorns in their mouthsand spit out the hard bits?” I didn’t.But I did know that acorns, rich innatural glycides and oils, constituteone of the best and most perfectlybalanced animal feeds known to man.The holm oak acorn contains a highpercentage of oleic acid, the samemonounsaturated fatty acid found inolive oil; it follows that the fat fromthe Ibérico pig can actively reduce“bad” cholesterol (LDL) and keep uplevels of “good” cholesterol (HDL).

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(regulating the production process)and Control del producto final (qualitycontrol of the finished product).For all its excellence, however, Dehesade Extremadura has powerful rivals inthe products of Salamanca, Córdoba(home of the new Los PedrochesIbérico ham PDO) and Huelva (headedup by the famous Jabugo). The PDOGuijuelo has a reputation for the finesthams in Spain and for a range ofclassic charcuterie including lomoembuchado (cured loin), salchichón(a type of sausage similar to saucissonor salami) and chorizo (a type of curedred sausage), all Ibérico. Noteverywhere can provide both ideal

living conditions for the Ibérico pigand a climate suitable for curing hams,but the southern end of the provinceof Salamanca is one of them. Themunicipality of Ciudad Rodrigo, forexample, has dehesa in abundance,plus dry, cold winters perfect fora natural cure of its acorn-fed pigs.The Hernández family belongsto this culture and is one of itsbest ambassadors. The familyfirm (Ibéricos de Bellota FelipeHernández) in Ciudad Rodrigo, anhour south of Salamanca, is knownabove all for its superb hams andsausages, most of which proceedfrom the pure-bred Ibérico pigs they

raise on their 300 ha (741 acre)family farm outside the town.There are five Hernándezes: Felipe,the patriarch, his two sons José andRamón, and their wives. The familyhas its HQ on a crossroads justoutside the walls of the old city, witha shop at the front which acts as ashowcase for the work going on atthe back. José, a galumphing youngman in a white suit stained withpimentón (a type of paprika fromSpain) and white boots, led mebriskly through a maze of chambersculminating in the upper gallerieswhere many hundreds of hams hungfrom the ceiling in serried ranks,

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to create a grayish rind. (Anotherof her products features a sprig ofdehesa lavender, simply placed insidethe paper wrapping for a delicatefragrance to percolate the cheese.)Over the road, the herd is quietlysitting among the holm oaks,surrounded by the lush spring pastureof the dehesa and its impressionistwash of colors: purple lavender, whitejara (Cistus ladanifer), yellow broom,red poppies. The smell is so deliciousyou wonder why no-one has patenteda floral cologne inspired by thefragrance of the dehesa—NB toSpanish perfume houses.

A hive of activityWhile on the subject of flowers andfragrances, there is one other dehesaproduct that that makes good useof both. Bee honey is an ancestraldelicacy produced in most of Spain’s

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The Ibérico pig is a descendantof the wild boar Sus mediterraneus,which once roamed the forests of theMediterranean Basin. For centuriesit was the only pig breed of anyimportance in Spain, until the arrivalof “white” breeds like the Duroc andLandrace from northern Europe,with their lean meat and adaptabilityto the new intensive farming. TheIbérico pig is umbilically linked to itshabitat. So much so that writers onthe subject habitually use the Frenchterm terroir, borrowed from the worldof wine, to refer to the set ofenvironmental factors which makeIbérico ham what it is. The pig andthe dehesa were, almost literally,made for each other. The wholeprocess, from holm oak to ham,is in fact a system so perfect thatit seems almost impossible thatit was achieved empirically.

The big cheeseA few weeks after my explorationsin Castile, I took a weekend offto visit a friend whose family runsa marvelous small hotel in the SierraNorte, an hour north of Seville.Trasierra, as the estate is called,is surrounded by dehesa in its mostauthentic form, with holm oaks andcork oaks and all kinds of livestockgrazing among them, from Retintacattle and Merino sheep to Ibéricopigs. Gioconda Scott, chef at thehotel, uses the meats of all thesedehesa-based breeds in her cooking,and has high praise for the dehesaas a source of first-class ingredientsof all sorts. She relates how she onceheld a food workshop at Trasierrawith a countryman from Cazallade la Sierra (Seville) who kneweverything there was to know aboutcollejas (Silene vulgaris), tagarninas(Scolymus hispanicus), wild garlic,sprue asparagus, lengua de buey (wildspinach, Anchusa azurea), and otherfree-range vegetables found at certaintimes of year in the dehesa.One Sunday morning Gioconda tookme to meet a remarkable womanwhose cheeses, made from goats’milk on a farm outside Castilblancode los Arroyos (Seville), hadfrequently formed a perfect pairingwith those wild salads.A number of Spain’s cheeses areassociated with the dehesa in someway, their PDO reflecting their originin extensive pasture systems.Extremadura’s Tortas (disc-shapedcheeses), Torta del Casar and Quesode la Serena, are examples of cheesesfor which the dehesa is, if not the

essential and irreplaceable factorthat it is for Ibérico ham, a primehabitat for the Merino sheepsupplying the milk. The same is truewith the PDO Queso de Ibores(Spain Gourmetour No. 74), whosegeographical origin is defined as“Mediterranean” with the dehesas ofIbores, Villuercas, La Jara and Trujillo(municipalities of southeasternCáceres) being predominant.Certain individual cheeses are alsoclosely linked to the dehesa—but noneso closely, I would suggest, as thegoats’ cheeses made by Mare Nostrumin Castilblanco de los Arroyos.A giant holm oak stood outside thedoor of the dairy: a symbol, or astatement of purpose. María Orzaez,creator of Mare Nostrum’s raw milkgoats’ cheeses, buys milk exclusivelyfrom a local goatherd, ManuelFernández, who keeps his 200animals, belonging to the Floridaand Retinta breeds, on a 100 ha (247acre) farm within sight of María’shouse and dairy. She chose the siteand her milk supplier with great care,valuing the “impressive” conditionsof the dehesa hereabouts and theexcellent health of traditionallivestock farming in this part ofAndalusia. The milk, she says, has asuperb aromatic richness derived inpart from the animals’ diet, which isbased on the plants and herbs of thedehesa. (The goats also eat the holmoak acorns, and María swears she cantaste a faint bitterness in the cheesesshe makes from November onwards.)She gives me to taste the small two-month-old cheese, gooey inside andpowerfully rich in the French style,which she dusts with holm oak ash

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natural spaces, and the dehesa isno exception. In the old days, thebeekeepers of Spain preferred hivesmade of cork—an ideal materialfor the purpose, being bothlightweight, insulating, and easilyobtained from the dehesa’s millionsof specimens of Quercus suber.But the role of the dehesa in Spanishapiculture is more complex than you’dthink. According to Ramón Rodríguezof Euromiel, an important honeycooperative based in Mérida, the hivesof Extremadura essentially producetwo major harvests: milflores ormultifloral honey, when the flowersof the dehesa burst into spring bloom,and holm oak honey, in Spanish mielde bosque (woodland honey). Thisunique product is unlike other honeysin several respects: its striking color,which is dark brown, resembles thatof molasses, and its mineralcomposition, rich in iron, allows itto be considered as a medicinalproduct recommended for the elderlyand those suffering from anemiaand digestive problems (notablydiarrhea). Most significantly, holmoak honey proceeds not from flowersbut from the bark of the holm oakand the developing acorn. Both secretea sweet, sticky substance on which thebees feed in the heats of high summer,when flowers are conspicuous by theirabsence in the dehesa.Euromiel markets as much as 1,300tons of holm oak honey, and exportsa full 35% of the total Spanishproduction of this remarkable honey,mostly to Germany where it is widelyused in blends described asWaldhonig (forest honey).Anastasio Marcos of El Tio Picho,one of Extremadura’s best-knownhoney producers, calls holm oak

honey the “number one in honeys”,the pata negra of the genre. WhenI call him on his mobile phone,he happens to be standing in a fincaoutside Plasencia (Cáceres), aboutto strike a deal with the ownerby which he will leave his hives onthe finca during the summer holmoak honey season. Extremadura isthe main producer of this kind ofhoney, Anastasio tells me, though thedehesas of Salamanca, Zamora andÁvila also play their part. Beekeepersare great travelers, and the rows ofhives deposited in the dehesas ofsouthern Extremadura often belongto honey producers from the northof the region, especially those of LasHurdes and Las Villuercas. (The latteris home to Extremadura’s only honey,Miel de las Villuercas, an excellentproduct with a fine reputation.)

Monte Porrino:a special dehesa“Salvaleon: Cuna del Ibérico” readsthe sign outside the village. “Cradleof the Ibérico”; it’s an exaggeration,

but not by much. Salvaleón andother villages like it in the farsouth of the province of Badajoz(Extremadura) subsist to a largeextent on their rearing of Ibéricopigs in conditions that correspondprecisely to the ideal.This out-of-the-way region ofsouthwestern Extremadura, by thePortuguese border, almost certainlyharbors more pigs than people.As for holm oaks, there may behundreds, thousands even, for everysingle inhabitant of these rollingsouthern sierras. With 727,587 ha(1,797,906 acres), Badajoz provincehas the largest surface area of dehesaof any Spanish province (followed byCáceres with 662,968 ha / 1,638,229acres, Córdoba with 452,813 ha /1,118,925 acres, and Seville with250,978 ha / 620,180 acres, accordingto Encinal, a conservation group).And the good news is that brown-leaved or leafless trees are nowhereto be seen. Mention la seca (Healthand safety. The future of the dehesa,page 65) around here, and peoplegive you blank looks.A rural village of 2,100 souls,Salvaleón possesses both Spain’sonly museum dedicated tothe dehesa as an ecosystem,and one of the country’s largest areasof public dehesa, located just outsidethe village and easily visitable.The Dehesa Interactive Center,opened in 2003, aims to shed lighton the complex relationship betweenthe landscape and the humans whomanage and exploit it in their variousways. As well as illustratingthe dehesa’s rich natural history,the museum’s large ethnographicalcollection includes a replicaof the kind of round hut or chozo

DEHESA


HEARTOAK

Covering an area the size of Belgium,the vast dehesa is not only Spain’smost widespread ecosystem,but it is also the sustainable

provider of some of its mostemblematic food products. PaulRichardson goes on a journey through

a landscape as generousas it is beautiful.

A Pasture and its Products

TextPaul Richardson/©ICEX

OFPhotosMatías Costa/©ICEX


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natural spaces, and the dehesa isno exception. In the old days, thebeekeepers of Spain preferred hivesmade of cork—an ideal materialfor the purpose, being bothlightweight, insulating, and easilyobtained from the dehesa’s millionsof specimens of Quercus suber.But the role of the dehesa in Spanishapiculture is more complex than you’dthink. According to Ramón Rodríguezof Euromiel, an important honeycooperative based in Mérida, the hivesof Extremadura essentially producetwo major harvests: milflores ormultifloral honey, when the flowersof the dehesa burst into spring bloom,and holm oak honey, in Spanish mielde bosque (woodland honey). Thisunique product is unlike other honeysin several respects: its striking color,which is dark brown, resembles thatof molasses, and its mineralcomposition, rich in iron, allows itto be considered as a medicinalproduct recommended for the elderlyand those suffering from anemiaand digestive problems (notablydiarrhea). Most significantly, holmoak honey proceeds not from flowersbut from the bark of the holm oakand the developing acorn. Both secretea sweet, sticky substance on which thebees feed in the heats of high summer,when flowers are conspicuous by theirabsence in the dehesa.Euromiel markets as much as 1,300tons of holm oak honey, and exportsa full 35% of the total Spanishproduction of this remarkable honey,mostly to Germany where it is widelyused in blends described asWaldhonig (forest honey).Anastasio Marcos of El Tio Picho,one of Extremadura’s best-knownhoney producers, calls holm oak

honey the “number one in honeys”,the pata negra of the genre. WhenI call him on his mobile phone,he happens to be standing in a fincaoutside Plasencia (Cáceres), aboutto strike a deal with the ownerby which he will leave his hives onthe finca during the summer holmoak honey season. Extremadura isthe main producer of this kind ofhoney, Anastasio tells me, though thedehesas of Salamanca, Zamora andÁvila also play their part. Beekeepersare great travelers, and the rows ofhives deposited in the dehesas ofsouthern Extremadura often belongto honey producers from the northof the region, especially those of LasHurdes and Las Villuercas. (The latteris home to Extremadura’s only honey,Miel de las Villuercas, an excellentproduct with a fine reputation.)

Monte Porrino:a special dehesa“Salvaleon: Cuna del Ibérico” readsthe sign outside the village. “Cradleof the Ibérico”; it’s an exaggeration,

but not by much. Salvaleón andother villages like it in the farsouth of the province of Badajoz(Extremadura) subsist to a largeextent on their rearing of Ibéricopigs in conditions that correspondprecisely to the ideal.This out-of-the-way region ofsouthwestern Extremadura, by thePortuguese border, almost certainlyharbors more pigs than people.As for holm oaks, there may behundreds, thousands even, for everysingle inhabitant of these rollingsouthern sierras. With 727,587 ha(1,797,906 acres), Badajoz provincehas the largest surface area of dehesaof any Spanish province (followed byCáceres with 662,968 ha / 1,638,229acres, Córdoba with 452,813 ha /1,118,925 acres, and Seville with250,978 ha / 620,180 acres, accordingto Encinal, a conservation group).And the good news is that brown-leaved or leafless trees are nowhereto be seen. Mention la seca (Healthand safety. The future of the dehesa,page 65) around here, and peoplegive you blank looks.A rural village of 2,100 souls,Salvaleón possesses both Spain’sonly museum dedicated tothe dehesa as an ecosystem,and one of the country’s largest areasof public dehesa, located just outsidethe village and easily visitable.The Dehesa Interactive Center,opened in 2003, aims to shed lighton the complex relationship betweenthe landscape and the humans whomanage and exploit it in their variousways. As well as illustratingthe dehesa’s rich natural history,the museum’s large ethnographicalcollection includes a replicaof the kind of round hut or chozo

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WINES

&WATER

Websites





www.cabreiroa.es

Spanish.


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lived in by shepherding families onthe dehesa as recently as the 1960s.After a look around the museumI made my way out of town towardsthe Dehesa Monte Porrino, a 1,690-ha (7,176-acre) area of holm oakpasture where the head of everyfamily in Salvaleón (a total of 870)has a right to pasture animals—aunique legacy dating back centuries.On a warm spring day the dehesawas a sensational explosion ofgreenery, fragrant with the scentsof rock rose, broom, lavender andheather. It had the feeling of a well-maintained safari park: I sawhoopoes and storks, eagles andvultures—just a small sample of anatural biodiversity covering birds,reptiles, amphibians, mammals largeand small, and a huge range of nativeflora. Occasionally a circle of ashengrey reminded me that the craft ofcharcoal burning is still very muchalive in southern Extremadura.From the Dehesa Monte Porrino thereis a certain logic in heading for MontePorrino, a co-operative Ibérico hamfactory named after the dehesa for anoverriding and obvious reason. The

co-operative’s members are allinhabitants of Salvaleón who,when the company was foundedin 1982, had been used to taking theirpigs up to the Dehesa Monte Porrinofor the winter acorn season. Manyporrineros (as folk from Salvaleón areknown) had been forced to emigrateto Switzerland, Belgium, and France,and the co-op was posited as a wayin which these emigrants might be ableto make a living in their home town.The origins of the co-op, said Gracia,its spokesperson, were humbleindeed, with just 30 pigs and a one-room factory. The Dehesa MontePorrino was the winter home of allMonte Porrino Ibérico pigs. Nearly30 years later the company (Co-opMonteporrino) manages between14,000 and 16,000 pigs a year (allIbérico, it goes without saying), hasbegun to export, and the businesshas been such a success that manyof its members have been able to buyprivate dehesas of their own. Theunique factor of Monte Porrino, inany case, remains its absolute loyaltyto the local sphere: the furthest farmfrom the factory lies in Barcarrota,

6 km (3.7 mi) away, whilethe majority of the pigs are stillraised in the dehesas of Salvaleón.As Gracia points out, the advantageof this fact in terms of a shortjourney time to the factory, keepingthe animals’ stress to a minimum,cannot be overestimated.She opened the window: a coolbreeze wafted in. The view was ofholm oaks as far, literally, as the eyecould see. “The guarros (porkers) arejust over there, on that hill. You canpractically see them!” she said,pointing into the gently wavingexpanse of grayish-green. “If thedehesa still exists, it’s thanks to thosepigs,” Gracia told me, not without aquiver of emotion in her voice. “Thedehesa is a resource that belongs toall of us here, and always has done.Really, it’s one of those things thatyou’d have to be without to realizejust how important it is in your life.”

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).

The dehesa has a problem, and it’scalled la seca. A disease whose causesare mysterious and many-faceted, laseca (seco in Spanish means dry) firstappeared in the early 1980s and hasbecome extremely virulent in the lastfew years, causing the sudden deathof thousands upon thousands of trees.Conservation group Encinal (Foro parala Defensa y Conservación de laDehesa, Forum for Dehesa Defenseand Conservation) says the scaleof the problem varies according to theprovince in question: in Badajoz, forexample, with a total of 727,587 ha(1,797,906 acres) of dehesa, only30,000 ha (74,131 acres) are thoughtto be affected by la seca, whereas inCádiz, with 128,533 ha (317,611acres), the disease is rampant over70,000 ha (127,973 acres). Thoughvarious remedies have been tried,including a vaccination injected directlyinto the trees, the alarming fact is thatthere is, as yet, no cure for la seca.

As leaders in the Ibérico sector,managing as much as 100,000 ha(247,105 acres) of dehesa acrosssouthwest Spain and Portugal, thepeople at Joselito are very much aware

Health and Safety:The Future of the Dehesa

of the problem and its potentiallyhorrific effects both on the ecosystemand the multiple trades that dependon it. José Gómez, CEO at Joselito,describes the causes of la seca as“environmental pollution, the fallingwater table, the gradual acidificationand consequent loss of biodiversityin the soil. The roots of the holm oakharbor organisms called mycorrhizaewhich exist in symbiosis with the tree,helping it to assimilate certain nutrientsfrom the surrounding soil. The declineof these organisms is anothercontributing factor in the phenomenonknown as la seca.” As is climatechange: the naturalist Joaquin Araujobelieves its effects can already be seenin the landscape. “Climate changeis affecting the dehesa, there is lessregeneration, and la seca is boostedby the huge ups and downs intemperature and rainfall,” he writes.“You only have to see the millionsof holm oaks and cork oaks that havedied to realize that climate changehas already presented its visiting cardin the landscape of Extremadura.”

What is to be done? For its part,Joselito is taking the lead in a number

of ways. First, the company isreplanting holm oaks and cork oaksin the dehesas it manages to the tuneof 70-80,000 trees a year, with anobjective of 2,400,000 new trees inthe next 30 years. Second, it is carefulto reduce the stress on this delicateecosystem by keeping a low ratio ofanimals to surface area of dehesa(Joselito’s lucky pigs enjoy up to 4 ha /9.8 acres each) and minimizing the useof underground water. The company’sconservation policies have recentlymade Joselito the first meat-producingbusiness in the world to receive the sealof the Forest Stewardship Council.

The long-term consequences ofa massive and uncontrolled diebackof Spain’s holm oak and cork oakpopulation are almost too appallingto contemplate. Thankfully we arenowhere near the tipping point yet,but the Ibérico sector, especially, mustbe on its guard. What is needed,perhaps, is a little more respect for anecosystem as delicate as it is generous.If the dehesa offers a rare example ofbalance between the needs of man andthose of nature, it is crucial that balancebe energetically maintained.


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John Barlow goes in search of the humble apple and discovers aworld of ecologically sustainable production, technological wizardry,and widespread innovation. But more than that, he finds that Spain’straditional relationship with this fruit is as healthy as ever, and thatnew ways of appreciating it are turning the apple into one of thecountry’s most prized crops.

APPLEConsider the

Spain’s New Love Affairwith the Oldest of Fruits

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Well, new varieties are also beingproduced here. The Pink Lady,current star of the apple firmament,is grown by several of Spain’sbiggest producers. But Spain hasalso adopted a second means ofpositioning itself in what is a highlycompetitive global business.

Poma de GironaGirona Fruits, where I am standingtoday, is one of three companies, allbased in the Catalonian province of

Girona (northeast Spain), thatpromote their fruit under thebanner Poma de Girona (literally“Apple from Girona”). Thecultivation of apples is an oldtradition here, along with that ofnectarines, peaches and pears. Butit’s the apples that really prosper,and these days growers arespecializing more and more in thesingle fruit. Taken together, thethree companies of Poma de Gironaoutproduce the largest single applegrower in Spain (associated in the

company Fruilar). Their specificfocus, though, is not on quantitybut quality, having achieved thecoveted PGI recognition for theirapples in 2001, the only Spanishproducer to have done so.Protected Geographical Indication(PGI) is a European Union standardthat recognizes products which arestill made or grown within theirhistorical areas of production andwhich also satisfy very toughguidelines on quality. It is, then, amark of authenticity and quality.

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Watermelons? Yes, watermelons.With global production at a cool100 million tons annually, it’s theworld’s biggest fruit crop. Thenagain, a single watermelon weighsabout as much as an overfeddonkey, and it’s mostly skin andwater (the melon, not the donkey),so the stats perhaps flatter todeceive. The real top fruits, as youmight have guessed, are banana,apple and orange. These three,along with the thick-skinneddonkey, are the most-consumedfruits in the world.Of the three, which do you likethe best? The banana is clearly thechildren’s favorite. Convenient,simple and fun, it’s a true partyfruit. At the other end of the scaleis the orange, an adult fruit parexcellence, to be crammed into one’smouth with quasi-sexual urgency,its tingling juices dribbling downhands and chin, sticky-sweetand utterly irresistible.Now consider the apple... Exactly.The apple is altogether lessextravagant. Modest and self-contained, you might say. If fruitswere people, the apple would workin a bank. Yet despite its staid image,the apple brings with it a lot of“baggage”. A dispute over a goldenapple, we recall, led to the TrojanWars. Even before that, an apple gotus all kicked out of Paradise. Also,whereas Europe enjoyed the influxof “exotic” fruits post-1492,including the orange and banana,

the apple is indigenous to bothEurope and Asia, having beencultivated here for thousands ofyears, perhaps longer than any otherplant. Quite simply, it’s been aroundforever. Not the most glamorousitem in the fruit bowl, and easy totake for granted. Let’s stop doing thatfor a moment, and instead see howfar, and how deliciously, the applecan go in Spain.

Spanish applesI’m standing on a steel walkwayabove a tank as big as a municipalswimming pool. In ten parallellanes thousands of shiny red applesbob gently as they are carried alongon the flow of the water. These fruithave just come out of storage,where they have been since harvestseven months ago, kept at ahumidity-controlled 1ºC (33.8ºF)

and with oxygen at just 1%.To my mind they look pretty muchlike any other apple, and in acouple of days, after being cratedup and sent via container truckto London’s New Covent Gardenmarket, they will be picked offthe shelf and eaten by people inHampstead and Hackney withoutthe slightest thought that this fruitwas harvested 30 weeks ago, yethas the crunch and tastes of anapple plucked from the branchthis morning.Spain is a major player in the $70billion global apple industry.It produces over half a million tonsa year, making its per capitaproduction 11th highest in theworld, and its gross output 15th,according FAOSTATS, the Foodand Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations. Exports goto most of Europe, as well as NorthAfrica, the Persian Gulf and SouthAmerica. And the objectiveis always the same: that whenyou take that first bite, the appleis crisp and tree-fresh.Neighbors France and Italy beatSpain in terms of brute tonnage.Italian company La Trentina, forexample, produces almost twiceas many apples per year as thewhole of Spain. Then there’s thematter of new varieties, whichare increasingly important inthe European market, and whereonce again Italy and Franceare most active. So where doesSpain fit in to the picture?

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about 8 km (5 mi) from the coast.They have 84 ha (207.5 acres)of orchards and some 16 (39.5)dedicated to other crops. “Rightnow,” he explains, “we do asignificant amount of replanting ofkey varieties so that our production

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Part of the explanation forthe push for quality here in Gironais that the regional governmentof Catalonia has invested heavilyin agricultural science, with applesa major concern. Since Cataloniaproduces two thirds of all Spanishapples, this kind of attention isclearly worth it.Earlier today I visited thelaboratory at Mas Badia (Girona),part of the region’s Institute ofResearch and Technology in Foodand Agriculture (IRTA), andwatched as several perfectlyhealthy-looking apples were

subjected to more tests thanI thought possible for the humblefruit. The lab provides intensivetechnical back-up for growers, withapples from every plot on everyplantation tested throughout theirgrowing life. A Google Mapsapplication is used to chart theexact location of pests and diseases,leading to swifter, more effectivelocalized treatment and, hence,a reduction in the use of pesticides.Indeed, PGI growers work undera number of certification regimes,including GLOBALG.A.P (a privatesector body that sets voluntary

standards for the certification ofproduction processes of agriculturalproducts around the globe), BRC(British Retail Consortium) and IFS(International Food Standard), aswell as Catalonia’s own integratedproduction system for increasedsustainability and quality, whichaims at ongoing, progressivereductions in the use of pesticides.When the apples are harvested,there’s more analysis in the lab.Sugar content is assessed, alongwith acidity, firmness and starchcontent, all of which allowsoptimum storage life to be

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calculated (more starch generallymeans longer storage is possible),and explains why varieties whichtypically harvest for less than amonth in the fall can be boughtoff the shelf, fresh and crisp,for a good portion of the year.I actually start to feel sorry for thepoor apples, prodded and pokedand scrutinized their whole lives,then the dark silence of the low-oxygen chill room. But issues offruit abuse aside, the hi-tech,sustainable approach to appleproduction in Girona has not onlyresulted in a more ecologically-sound, higher-quality product, buthas also helped a network of small-scale, local growers to survive. Thethree companies of Poma de Gironaall began as co-operatives, and theirindependent producers, some withno more than a handful of acres,get an incredibly sophisticated levelof technical support.Whole banks of data are keptpermanently updated on eachindividual plot of every producer:growing plans, treatments,herbicides, watering regimes,fertilizers, technical visits, qualitycontrol, plus, of course, final cropquality (hence payment). Afterthe harvest season ends, they tellme, some growers get addictedto their computer screens as theywait for their apples to be graded.Jordi Bagudà, of Bagudà Fruits,is a young producer who, togetherwith his father, runs a small familycompany producing PGI-recognized apples in Girona,

As in many other European countries,sweet, carbonated cider is drunk inSpain. However, for any cider loverthe real hidden gem is traditional cider,produced in Asturias and the BasqueCountry (Spain Gourmetour No. 74) inthe north of the peninsula. Traditionalcider is perhaps closest in characterto the French Cidre Brut, or to a light,crisp English scrumpy. What makes itstand out from both of these, however,is its unique freshness and a light,almost imperceptible carbonization,with dry, aromatic fruit in the mouthand a beguiling balance of acidityand bitterness, often followed bya pronounced dryness at the end.A hearty yet subtle product, to bedrunk by the mouthful, not sipped.

The best Asturian cider now has itsown Protected Designation of Originrecognition (PDO Sidra de Asturias).Only producers who use fruit froma list of 22 approved native Asturianvarieties of cider apples can carrythe PDO label. These are all ciderapples, not eaters, and range fromacidic (Durona de Tresali) to sweet(Verdialona, Ernestina), andthe whole range of basic tastegroups in between: bitter-acidic,bitter-semiacidic, bitter-sweetand semiacidic.

With such close scrutiny of quality, theproduction of high-quality traditional

Spanish traditionalcider

cider is moving ever closer to the kindof standards seen in the wine industry.The Trabanco company’s CosechaPropia, for example, is a gourmetcider made exclusively from nativeAsturian apples from the company’sown plantations, and this year itbecame the first cider in Spain to begranted the Manzana Seleccionada(Selected Apple) seal following theresults of an independent tastingpanel organized by Bureau Veritas.

Over in the Basque Countrysomething similar is happening.This year 20 Basque cider producershave begun selling traditional ciderunder the Eusko Label banner, a markof quality established by the Basqueregional government. Once again,only traditional, local varietiesof cider apples are permitted(Errezila, Goikoetxe, Mozoloa, forexample). More producers are setto join the scheme, which has resultedin an increased interest in localvarieties by apple growers. ProtectedDesignation of Origin status is the nextlogical step.

Traditional cider from Asturias (PDOSidra de Asturias)

http://www.sidradeasturias.es/

Traditional cider from the BasqueCountryhttp://www.sidraeuskolabel.net/es/productores.html


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1974, although the house itself hasbeen in his family’s possession for250 years. When you walk inside,it does indeed feel like someone’shome; four small dining rooms giveit an old-world, old-European feel,where the very sweetness on the airseems to offer comfort.As I order, Mr. Castells makesa succinct but well-reasoned speechto the effect that when someonewants sweet sausage and applesas a starter he says no (wagginga finger). The sweetness on thepalette, he explains, spoils thesavory course to follow. The freshbotifarra dolça is normally cookedthrough in a little water, or fried.You add pieces of apple to the panand leave them to soften beforeserving. In Cas Nau the applecomes as a compote, and it’sa heady mix—sweet sausage andstill sweeter apple. Incidentally, hewas right about ordering. Havingfinished my botifarra, I haveCatalonian-style peas and beans,which are great, but somewhatoverpowered by the lingeringsweetness of the previous course.You have been warned.Another traditional apple recipe inthese parts is Relleno de manzanas(Stuffed apples). You take coredapples and fill them with a mixtureof minced pork (lean), groundalmonds, sweet biscuit, eggs, sugar,a pinch of salt, lemon peel andcinnamon. Brown the stuffedapples in olive oil then place ina pot, over which you dribblecaramelized sugar. Add sticks

of cinnamon and some lemon peeland cover the apples with water.Bring to a boil and simmer forat least two hours. Leave to coolovernight, and the following daysimmer an hour and a half more.Add more water as necessary.The more you cook them the betterthey are is the accepted wisdom,and as I talk to more and morepeople about stuffed apples, itbecomes clear that three or evenfour days of cooking is not unheard

of, by which time the applesare richly, darkly done.

Pedigree pomasMost of Girona’s apples are grownin an area known as the Ampurdán(Girona province), blessed with anideal apple-growing climate: sunnyand humid in the summer months,but for the rest of the year cooledby the Mediterranean and thePyrenees. The soil, meanwhile,is formed from rich fluvial depositsand has optimum drainage.The place itself, then, is the mostsignificant factor in the qualityof the apples here.Technological wizardry, though,does help. And the four varietiescarrying PGI recognition—Goldenand Red Delicious, Granny Smithand Royal Gala—are the real applearistocrats. Not only are theypampered and cosseted throughouttheir lives by men in lab coats, butthe cultivars are constantly beingimproved and interbred for bettercolor, sweetness, juice and crunch.The process reminds me ofpedigree dog breeding. Apple trees,though, do not pant and salivateuncontrollably and developinternal organ disorders becausethey’ve been bred to have cuternoses. No, pedigree apples are agood thing.The Ampurdán is bisected by theMontgrí Massif mountain range.Known locally as the Dead Bishop,the range is said to resemble abishop reclined in funeral pose, the

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is the most modern and attractiveto the market.” As far as theextremely strict productionguidelines imposed by Pomade Girona, he says, “The PGIrepresents a guarantee, giventhat all producers work within thesame rules, which are continuouslyevolving... The PGI gives us apublic image of the product andof the area, and is the best way forthe consumer to know about thekind of quality we have here.”

In the kitchenChef Juan Roca is a big fan of thelocal apples. “They are vitallyimportant to us,” he says. “I alwayslook for products close to home.”Indeed, apples from Girona featurein some of the classic disheson the menu at El Celler de CanRoca (3 Michelin stars), not leastthe Timbal of apple and foie graswith vanilla oil, which uses localGolden Delicious. “The qualityof Catalan products,” he explains,“and more specifically those fromGirona, such as the apples, are thereason that my creations are whatthey are and why they have hadsuch recognition. I like to stressterritoriality in my cooking.”Another innovative use of theapple is Roca’s sauce for sea bass:liquidize the peel (and some pulp)of Granny Smiths, then reduceuntil dense; incorporate olive oila little at a time until emulsified.Simple, sharp, and smooth.Food in this part of the world isn’t

all about Michelin stars andPellegrino positions, though. I’mon my way to the sleepy, picture-postcard village of Peratallada totry botifarra dolça (butifarra dulcein Spanish), a traditional course-grained pork sausage which is

unusual in that it containssugar, lemon peel and sometimescinnamon. In the restaurantCas Nau they cook it the oldway, with apples.Andreu Castells, the elderly ownerof Cas Nau, opened for business in


particularly, the peel. GrannySmiths do the best job.

A toast...So, there’s a lot going on in Spainwhen it comes to apples, from thepeel to the petals, from high-pedigree sustainability in Girona tothe Protected Designation of OriginBierzo. And I didn’t even get overto Valencia, where the oldEsperiega apple is being brought

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square outline of Montgrí Castle,which sits on one of the centralpeaks, like a bejeweled ring on hisfinger. I can confirm that, if seenfrom up in the north, it doesindeed look uncannily like a deadbishop. But from anywhere to thesouth it looks more like a nakedbelly dancer sprawled on her backin the freezing cold.My next stop in Girona is up pastthe bishop/belly dancer and outto the coast, just below the Bayof Roses. Sant Pere Pescador isa fishing village of some 1,700inhabitants, although it doesn’tlook much like a fishing village.Every road out of the place hasorchards on both sides and thereare fruit trees all the way to theshore. Many growers here supplyFrutícola Empordà, another of thePoma de Girona companies, whichagain offers small, local growersaccess to international markets.I get talking to Isidre Solà fromthe company. Interestingly, hesays that some people think toomuch attention is devoted to theappearance of apples these days.In terms of Galas, for example,growers up here are switchingfrom Galaxy to Brookfield, becausealthough the two strains taste thesame, the Brookfield has a betterbase color of green against whichits red striping stands out (it isalso, in truth, a bit firmer).I don’t really understand thissuspicion of producing pedigreefruit with great coloration. Tenminutes up the coast from Sant Pere

Pescador is El Bulli, where the wayfood looks has always been takenpretty seriously. Food is, at leastpartly, about the call to the eye,its appearance getting the juicesflowing long before the taste budshave their chance. Personally I lovecolorful apples, especially if they’refrom Girona. And if you’ve gotfruit-shy kids, I’m sure you do too.

PDO statusOne apple that needs nointerbreeding at all is the Reinetafrom the El Bierzo (Leon) areaof northwest Spain. A large, fatrusset-like fruit, the Reineta carriesPDO status (Protected Designationof Origin), an indication of justhow seriously Spain is now takingits apple production. The reasonfor the PDO is that these El BierzoReinetas are amazingly good,far better than the same variety

produced anywhere else.The growing conditions themselvesare, once again, the prime reasonfor the exceptional quality, a factwhich the Romans must have beenaware of, since it is thought thatthe Reineta apple was first broughtto the area during the daysof the Roman Empire.The apple itself has extremely firm,compact flesh and no flouriness,giving it a good crunch. Despite thisfirmness, however, there’s massesand masses of juice, very sweet butbalanced out with a decent bit ofacidity. The Reineta simply ticks allthe boxes of what a perfect appleshould be, the kind you just goon eating until there’s none left.If there ever was an apple inParadise, it was probably a Reineta.

Flower powerThere remains one facet of theapple which we have so farignored: the blossom. And if youwant flowers on your food, nobodydoes it with more knowledge andpassion than TV chef IolandaBustos. With partner Jacint Codina,she runs the restaurant LaCalèndula in the center of Gironacity, and I’m having dinner there.Today’s “flower menu” atLa Calèndula includes a varietyof floral delights: Fresh cheeseand marigold petal salad, Duckbreast with pickled fruits and daisypetals, Apple tatin with rosemaryblossom... However, I have specialneeds, and Iolanda has agreed to

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prepare me a special menu usingnot only local apples but also theirblossom, picked from wild appletrees by the chef herself.La Calèndula has a fresh, cool look,with an open-plan kitchen bang inthe middle of the dining room. AfterCheese and marigold croquettes, Ihave Crispy cod skins with an applecompote and apple blossom. Funnything, apple blossom. One petal canbe utterly innocuous, and the nexta beguiling combination of sweetperfume and a distant bitterness.Apple blossom (petals only, the restof the flower is too bitter) is goodfor respiratory problems, and alsohelps to reduce body temperatureand blood pressure, so you reallycan’t go wrong.Next comes one of the best saladsI’ve ever eaten, and I live witha vegetarian, so I know all aboutmeatlessness. Tonight’s version,Spring salad with sweet and sourapple and foie gras, is an explosionof color on the plate, and the tasteis magically piquant, creamy andfragrant all at once. The fact that ithelps get my blood pressure downis an added bonus. Lamb stuffedwith apple and cream cheesefollows, and the meal is roundedoff by Elder blossom marzipan witha strawberry soup and a glass ofelderflower champenoise.Then, just when I’m thinkingI can’t possibly get any moreamazed at the humble apple, I amserved a hot infusion of fresh apple,dill and liquorice. You can try thatone at home. Use the cork and,

FOODBASICS

back to life by the CHEGACo-operative, and was recentlyrecognized by the Slow FoodOrganization.However, I thought I’d finish offby toasting the Spanish apple witha glass of beer, Moska de GironaPoma to be precise. Independentbrewer Josep Borrell adds a uniquetouch to this bottle-conditionedbrew by macerating Granny Smithsin it. The result is a dry, crisp beerwith delicate, almost cheeky notesof apple. Surprising and innovative,and a most appropriate way to endthis brief journey of discovery intoSpain’s very modern take on theoldest of fruits.

John Barlow's fiction and non-fictionhas been published in eightlanguages. His latest book,Everything but the Squeal, describesa year-long sojourn in his adoptedhomeland of Galicia, northwestSpain, exploring the gastronomicand cultural significance of pigs.

Websites

· www.pomadegirona.catPoma de Girona. Catalan.

· www.sidradeasturias.esAsturian Cider. English, French, Spanish.

· www.manzanareinetadelbierzo.esReineta del Bierzo apple. Spanish.


Wines chosenby Toni Gata, sommelierat Restaurante Miramar.

TranslationJenny McDonald/©ICEX

PhotosToya Legidoand Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

Paco Pérez*

This is a typical dish in theAmpurdán district of Catalonia butis little known elsewhere. I haveincluded it by way of tribute to afriend of mine, a butcher and loverof good food.

SERVES 4For the baked apples: 4 Golden PGI Poma

de Girona apples; cinnamon stick; vanilla pod;

Moscatel wine; brown sugar; 150 ml / 2/3

cups mineral water.

For the puréed apple: 300 g / 10 1/2 oz

Golden PGI Poma de Girona apple; 70 g /

3 oz sugar; vanilla caviar.

For the mini sweet sausages: 200 g / 7 oz

Ibérico pork, preferably the pluma cut; 175 g /

6 oz sugar; grated lemon rind; powdered

cinnamon; salt; butter; 100 g / 3 1/2 oz sweet

Garnacha wine.

For the jus: 300 g / 10 1/2 oz beef; a splash

of Cognac; 500 ml / 2 1/6 cups mineral water;

3 g / 0.1 oz kudzu (Pueraria lobata).

Baked applesRemove the hearts from the apples,then bake with the cinnamon,vanilla, sugar and mineral waterat 160ºC / 320ºF for 45 minutes.Half way through, add a splashof Moscatel wine.

Apple puréePeel the apples and cut intopieces. Place the pieces withthe sugar and the vanilla caviarin the microwave at the maximumsetting for 24 minutes, stirringevery two or three minutes.Then blend to form a fine purée.

Mini sweet sausagesMince the meat and mix in the sugar,lemon rind, cinnamon and salt.Form into sausages and sauté lightlyin butter. When half cooked, add asplash of sweet Garnacha wine.

JusRoast the meat in a panand add the cognac. Whenreduced, add the mineral water.Reduce again to about 250 g / 9 ozand leave to cool. Add the kudzuand bring to a boil.

To servePlace the burst baked applein the center of the dish. Top withthe sautéed sweet sausages cookedin sweet wine. Decorate with a fewdrops of apple purée. Add thesausage cooking juices to the jusand use as a sauce.

Preparation time1 hour

Recommended wineFefiñanes III 2004 (DO RíasBaixas), by Bodegas del Palaciode Fefiñanes. This Albariñowine from Rías Baixas, with itsfreshness and aromas, achievesa perfect balance between theprimary aromas of the applesand the acidity of the wine.A very pleasing combination.

(Manzanas de Girona y butifarra dulce)

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with sweet sausageGIRONA APPLES

*For a more in-depth lookat the chef, see Close-up


APPLE,AJOBLANCO

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In summertime, a fantastic wayof cooling down is a bowlof ajoblanco, and combined with appleit becomes even more appetizing.Sardines are at their very bestin the summer, especially wheneaten in the open air, preferablyon a balcony overlooking the sea.

SERVES 4500 g / 1 lb 2 oz fresh sardines (200 g / 7 oz

to be used to make the sardine oil).

For the sardine oil: 200 g / 7 oz sardines;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz sunflower oil.

For the apple juice: 1 kg / 2 1/4 lb White PDO

Reineta del Bierzo apples; parsley.

For the apple granita: 300 g / 10 1/2 oz

White Reineta apple juice; 1 sheet gelatin.

For the apple jelly: 350 g / 12 oz White

Reineta apple juice; 1.2 g / 0.04 oz agar agar;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz cold apple juice.

For the ajoblanco: 100 g / 3 1/2 oz almonds;

half a clove of garlic; 200 g / 7 oz breadcrumbs;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz olive oil; 700 g 1/ 1 1/2 lb

mineral water; 1 small tsp sherry vinegar;

0.4 g / 0.01 oz xanthan; salt.

SardinesRemove the heads from the sardinesand place in iced water for 20minutes. Drain then fillet. Just beforeserving, cut into very small dice tomake a tartar.

Sardine oilSear the sardines over charcoal,then place in a frying pan withthe sunflower oil at 80ºC / 176ºF.Leave to infuse until the oil hasthe desired flavor, then strainand keep the oil.

Apple juiceCut the apples and blend to obtainthe juice. Insert some sprigsof parsley in the juice to preventit from oxidizing.

Apple granitaSoak the gelatin then drainand stir into 50 g / 2 oz of juice.Then add the rest of the juiceand freeze. To make the granita,scrape the frozen juice.

Apple jellyAdd the agar agar to 100 g / 31/2 oz of cold juice and bringto a boil, stirring constantly.Add the rest of the juiceand stir well. Pour onto coldserving dishes and leave to set.

and sardines

AjoblancoSoak the breadcrumbs in the waterfor 1 hour. Blanch the almondsthen peel them. Place the garlicand the almonds in the blenderwith a little salt and grind. Addthe soaked breadcrumbs and blendwhile gently pouring in the oliveoil. Bind slowly with the vinegarand the water used to soak thebreadcrumbs. Add the xanthanto bind fully.

To serveThe apple jelly should have set oncold dishes. Add the sardine tartar.Next to it place the apple granitaand some ajoblanco. Decorate witha few drops of sardine-flavored oil.

Preparation time1 hour 30 minutes.

Recommended wineA wine with structure is neededfor the strong flavors in this dish.We chose El Transistor 2009 (DORueda) by Compañía de VinosTelmo Rodríguez. Typically fora Verdejo wine, it bringsa surprising explosion of aromasand its touches of plum and peachbalance out its acidity.

(Manzana, ajoblanco y sardinas)


John Barlow goes in search of the humble apple and discovers aworld of ecologically sustainable production, technological wizardry,and widespread innovation. But more than that, he finds that Spain’straditional relationship with this fruit is as healthy as ever, and thatnew ways of appreciating it are turning the apple into one of thecountry’s most prized crops.

APPLEConsider the

Spain’s New Love Affairwith the Oldest of Fruits

TEXTJOHN BARLOW/©ICEX



APPLE,AJOBLANCO

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In summertime, a fantastic wayof cooling down is a bowlof ajoblanco, and combined with appleit becomes even more appetizing.Sardines are at their very bestin the summer, especially wheneaten in the open air, preferablyon a balcony overlooking the sea.

SERVES 4500 g / 1 lb 2 oz fresh sardines (200 g / 7 oz

to be used to make the sardine oil).

For the sardine oil: 200 g / 7 oz sardines;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz sunflower oil.

For the apple juice: 1 kg / 2 1/4 lb White PDO

Reineta del Bierzo apples; parsley.

For the apple granita: 300 g / 10 1/2 oz

White Reineta apple juice; 1 sheet gelatin.

For the apple jelly: 350 g / 12 oz White

Reineta apple juice; 1.2 g / 0.04 oz agar agar;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz cold apple juice.

For the ajoblanco: 100 g / 3 1/2 oz almonds;

half a clove of garlic; 200 g / 7 oz breadcrumbs;

100 g / 3 1/2 oz olive oil; 700 g 1/ 1 1/2 lb

mineral water; 1 small tsp sherry vinegar;

0.4 g / 0.01 oz xanthan; salt.

SardinesRemove the heads from the sardinesand place in iced water for 20minutes. Drain then fillet. Just beforeserving, cut into very small dice tomake a tartar.

Sardine oilSear the sardines over charcoal,then place in a frying pan withthe sunflower oil at 80ºC / 176ºF.Leave to infuse until the oil hasthe desired flavor, then strainand keep the oil.

Apple juiceCut the apples and blend to obtainthe juice. Insert some sprigsof parsley in the juice to preventit from oxidizing.

Apple granitaSoak the gelatin then drainand stir into 50 g / 2 oz of juice.Then add the rest of the juiceand freeze. To make the granita,scrape the frozen juice.

Apple jellyAdd the agar agar to 100 g / 31/2 oz of cold juice and bringto a boil, stirring constantly.Add the rest of the juiceand stir well. Pour onto coldserving dishes and leave to set.

and sardines

AjoblancoSoak the breadcrumbs in the waterfor 1 hour. Blanch the almondsthen peel them. Place the garlicand the almonds in the blenderwith a little salt and grind. Addthe soaked breadcrumbs and blendwhile gently pouring in the oliveoil. Bind slowly with the vinegarand the water used to soak thebreadcrumbs. Add the xanthanto bind fully.

To serveThe apple jelly should have set oncold dishes. Add the sardine tartar.Next to it place the apple granitaand some ajoblanco. Decorate witha few drops of sardine-flavored oil.

Preparation time1 hour 30 minutes.

Recommended wineA wine with structure is neededfor the strong flavors in this dish.We chose El Transistor 2009 (DORueda) by Compañía de VinosTelmo Rodríguez. Typically fora Verdejo wine, it bringsa surprising explosion of aromasand its touches of plum and peachbalance out its acidity.

(Manzana, ajoblanco y sardinas)


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81

Apples are full of potential. Herewe offer them as a dessert, with adiversity of textures that are bothfun and flavorsome.

SERVES 4For the baked apple: 10 Golden PGI Poma

de Girona apples; 5 cinnamon sticks; 100 g /

3 1/2 oz sugar; 200 g / 7 oz mineral water;

400 g / 14 oz mineral water.

For the apple purée: 700 g / 1 1/2 lb Golden

PGI Poma de Girona apples; 70 g / 3 oz

sugar; half a vanilla pod.

For the baked apple juice: apple skins and

hearts; 400 g / 14 oz mineral water.

For the apple juice: 1 kg / 2 1/4 lb Granny

Smith PGI Poma de Girona apples; parsley.

For the apple sphere: 200 g / 7 oz baked

apple juice; 25 g / 1 oz sugar; 4 g / 1/6 oz

Gluco; 0.4 g / 0.01 oz xanthan.

For the apple jelly: 175 g / 6 oz baked apple

juice; 0.6 g / 0.02 oz agar agar.

For the apple granita: 200 g / 7 oz Granny

Smith apple juice; half a sheet of gelatin.

For the apple ice cream: 550 g / 1 lb 4 oz

Granny Smith PGI Poma de Girona apples;

20 g / 1 oz dextrose; 38 g / 1 1/2 oz

Procrema; 0.8 g / 0.02 oz ascorbic acid.

Baked appleBake the apples with thecinnamon, sugar and 200 g / 7 ozwater at 150ºC / 302ºF for 30minutes. Leave to cool then drainand deglaze the pan with the 400 g/ 14 oz water. Use the liquid tomake the sphere and the applejelly. Place the apples with theirskins and without removing thehearts on a pan and heat.

Apple puréePeel the apples and remove thehearts. Use the skins and heartsfor the baked apple juice. Place thepeeled apples with the sugar andvanilla on a dish and cook for 24minutes in a microwave oven at themaximum setting, stirring every5 minutes. Blend and strain.

Baked apple juiceAdd the mineral water and thepeelings and hearts used to makethe purée to the pan on which theapples were baked. Infuse for 30minutes, then strain and set aside.

Apple juiceCut the apples and blend to makethe juice. Add a few sprigs ofparsley to the juice to preventit from oxidizing.

Apple sphereBlend the baked apple juicewith the sugar and xanthan,then add the Gluco.

Diversity

Apple jellyHeat the baked apple juice to60ºC / 140ºF then add the agaragar, stirring constantly,and bring to a boil.

Apple granitaDissolve the gelatin in the warmapple juice then freeze. Scrapeto form the granita.

Apple ice creamLiquidize the apples, with thedextrose, Procrema and ascorbicacid, then freeze in the Pacojet.

To serveArrange the differentpreparations as you wish.Finish with the ice cream.


Recommended wineFor this dish we headed south fora wine devised by the Kracher family(see Dessert wines old and new,page 26). Our choice is Botani 2010(DO Sierras de Málaga), by JorgeOrdóñez & Co., a fantastic partnerfor this fun assortment of fruittextures. This 100% Moscatel hasfloral touches, just the right acidityand some sensational flavor notes.

(Diversidad en la manzana)


IN APPLE

81






















20 g / 1 oz dextrose; 38 g / 1 1/2 oz







Diversity









82 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 83

Sincere, honest, flavor-driven, creative, surprising… thatjust about sums up Paco Pérez’s style of cooking.Backed up by his tenet that “everyone should do whathe knows in his heart he really ought to be doing, andnot deny his principles”, it has earned him three Michelinstars: two for Miramar, his trademark restaurant in Llançà(Girona, eastern Spain), and another for Enoteca, locatedwithin the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. His laid-back mannerbelies a packed schedule, which also includes runningthe restaurant of the hotel The Mirror, again in Barcelona.And things are about to get even busier with the launchof new venture—a restaurant called Five by PacoPérez—in Berlin.

TextAlmudena Muyo/©ICEXPaco

Pérez

HEARTARTfrom

the

PhotosTomás Zarza andToya Legido/©ICEX

TranslationHawys Pritchard/©ICEX

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time to spend with their families.”However, it turns out that increasingfamily time for his team will mean,paradoxically, having to reduce thetime he has to spend with his own,and Paco is a man for whom thefamily is of talismanic importance.“I have hardly any time to spend withmy family these days: until a coupleof years ago I used to have breakfastwith my wife, Montse, nearly everyday and we used to spend mostof our time together. I’m very awareof the situation and of the fact that,even though all the decisions weretaken jointly, there are unsatisfactoryareas. But we have to take thisopportunity and live with theconsequences. Things will change

because being with the people I lovemost is the most important thingthere is.” But having said all that,to keep a space like Miramarbuoyant, it’s important to get outthere and get noticed. The logisticsare complicated: Montse Serraspends the week in Barcelona, atEnoteca in the Hotel Arts, whereher eldest daughter is also involved.Paco goes there on Mondays,Miramar’s closing day, returning toLlançà on the Tuesday to takedelivery of supplies, of which(as the staff informs me) he does allthe buying himself: “Nobody’s asknowledgeable about fish as he is,and he likes to handle and checkover what he’s buying.” Then on the

Wednesday he goes back toBarcelona, this time to The Mirror,where he stays for one or two days,depending on what needs doing;then it’s back to Llançà for theweekend. I have to ask the obviousquestion: how on earth can openinga restaurant in Berlin be fitted intothis already crammed schedule? Pacohas thought it all through: “It’s onlytwo hours away by plane. It oftentakes me less time to get there thanto drive to Barcelona! Onceeverything is ticking over, the planis for me to pop over to Berlin oncea month, traveling on Sunday as soonas Miramar closes (after servinglunch) so that I spend what’s left ofSunday and the whole of Monday

RODRIGO DE LA CALLE

The tramontana strikes again. I seemto be doomed. It’s enough for meto go anywhere near the Ampurdáncoast (which I do about twice a year)for this dismal north wind to startblowing. My visit to the HotelRestaurante Miramar in Llançà(Girona, eastern Spain) is noexception. I’m here to discoverthe key features of the Paco Pérezapproach to cooking, but thetramontana is no respecter of suchmissions, and the bout of badweather that this unpleasant inlandwind typically carries along withit is stirring up the waters of thisstretch of the Mediterranean.Against this backdrop, Paco Pérez’saffability beams out in contrast.

A “self-made” chef with a low-keyapproach to life, he avoids thecircuit of media events, conferences,and hoo-ha generally. We sit onthe covered terrace of his restaurantlooking out over the sea, and chatabout his (nearly) 20 years at thehelm of a gastronomic enterprise(running Miramar and acting asadvisor to two restaurants-within-hotels in Barcelona—Enoteca inthe Arts, and The Mirror) that hasearned him three Michelin stars,two for Miramar and one forEnoteca. So far, so good, but whenthe conversation turns to hisscheme to go international withanother restaurant within anotherhotel, this time in Berlin, I can’t

help feeling the stirrings of alarm,as if a tidal wave was gathering.The new restaurant, to be knownas Five by Paco Pérez, is in Berlin’s5-star Das Stue Hotel. There’sa double objective to the exercise:“To sustain the vitality thatcharacterizes Miramar: it’sthe crux of the whole enterprise,the place where I’m able to give freerein to the creative aspects of mywork, and where I’m receptiveto inspiration. And closely relatedto that objective is the parallel oneof trying to improve the qualityof life for all the people who havebeen with me at Miramar forso many years so that they can takethings a bit easier and have more


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In those days, Miramar was a littlesea-side boarding house: exceptfor having expanded in size, it hadchanged little since 1939, whenGrandma Julia used sleep on thebeach so that her bedroom couldbe let to visitors. Paco and Montsedecided to take over what wasessentially a small-scale hotel-cum-restaurant. “Unfortunately, however,we lost my father-in-law in ’97.Taking it on was quite a risky thingto do: our intention was to turnit into a good restaurant and, withthat in mind, we decided to investin doing up the kitchen and stayingopen all year round. Bear in mindthat Llançà isn’t on the way toanywhere significant, it’s adestination in its own right—a littletown of around 4,000 inhabitants,with pronounced seasonaldifferences in the weather and verylong winters and short summers.We decided to capitalize on that,making a feature of the variation:we kept the six rooms with beachviews, opened up the dining roomso that it gave onto the promenade,and extended the kitchen to makethe most of the seaside light,”Paco recalls. By 2006, his style of“…sincere, honest, flavor-driven,creative and—I believe—surprising"cooking, to quote Paco himself, hadwon him his first Michelin star.“Getting the star changed things in

that it attracted more customers,but the real upheaval came in 2009when they awarded us the firstMichelin star for Enoteca, and thenagain last year when we got thesecond for Miramar. The rhythmof work has accelerated hugely,but the lovely thing is that ourcustomers keep coming just as oftenas before, now joined by new oneswho come to find out what we’reall about.”

Next stop: BerlinIt was while all these changes weregoing on that seeds of the Berlinscheme were sown. “A customerfriend of mine owns the 5-star DasStue Hotel (previously the DanishEmbassy), and three years ago heasked if I would of take charge ofthe gastronomic side of it. At firstI protested that it was too far away,and I couldn’t quite get to gripswith it as a proposition, but hesuggested I go and see it withoutany obligation. The building is inthat style typical of pre-SecondWorld War Germany—verysevere—but the thing I noticedmost of all was that it had the dateit was built, 1939, on the façade.Oddly enough, Miramar was builtin that same year, and what withthat detail and my friend’sinsistence, I found myself thinkingWhy not? There comes a time ina chef’s life when he has to takea leap forward, as Ferran has done,and I decided to make my moveby promoting Spanish gastronomyand products in Germany.”The Das Stue Hotel is part of theSpanish chain of Whim Hotels, andthe building it occupies (situated inthe Tiergarten area) was originally

designed by Johann Emil Schaudt,well-known architect of Berlin’sKaDeWe department stores. Thereis to be a pre-launch event for thenew hotel in October of this year,followed by its official opening inDecember. “I’ll be there for bothoccasions, and I’ll take advantageof Miramar’s being closed in Januaryand February 2012 to concentrateon Five by Paco Pérez over thatperiod to ensure that it’s up andrunning by the time I leave.”And what sort of food does he planto serve Berliners? “The Berlinrestaurant will be like an extensionof Miramar, serving the samecuisine.” In fact, it will serve dishesthat featured on Miramar’s menuthe year before. “We know thosedishes through and through; allthe spadework is done already andthe dishes are fully fledged, thoughthey can still be developed further.”He observes that there are enoughconceptual differences to deal withalready: at Enoteca, the keynoteapproach avoids the spectacular butis punctilious in matters of cookingtime—very simple dishes in whichsurf and turf, seafood and ricedishes top the bill. The cuisineat Miramar is more urbane, withimpeccably finished dishes servedin a modern environment againsta Mediterranean backdrop.Considerable creative effort goesinto creating a specific tone andkeeping it consistent.Paco Pérez’s chosen strategy forBerlin is to let the tone evolve,launching with a menu that is fullof light and sunshine—a taste ofthe Mediterranean for his Germancustomers. He has been advised, byhis friend Ferran, among others,

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there. And if everything’s goingsmoothly and my actual presenceisn’t needed, I’ll be permanentlyavailable by phone. When I dohave to go, we’ll just have toorganize things to make it possible.My teams’ well-being is theimportant thing: we constantly doour best to ensure that they are allhappy in their work and doing whatthey feel they should be doing.”And in the long term, his own well-being and family life depend on it.

Hands-onPaco not only directs the teams;he cooks, too. “I’m a chef. I cookevery day,” he says. His passionateinterest in food and cooking datesback to early childhood. While stillat primary school he used to loveslipping into the kitchen to watchwhat was going on and then tryto imitate what he saw. Later, hispursuit of what was clearly avocation began with taking a jobin a little tapas bar owned by his

family, starting off as a waiter andthen graduating to the kitchen.“That experience of dealing withthe public was key. Being in directcontact with the customers meansthat you can observe how they reactto various tastes and smells—vitalinformation that doesn’t reach youwhen you’re behind the scenesin the kitchen.”His schooldays over, he set aboutbecoming a member of the foodworld, spending several trainingperiods in France on placementswith Michel Guérard (one of theprogenitors of Nouvelle Cuisine)until he was called up to do his(then obligatory) military serviceback in Spain. This was whenMontse appeared on the scene,turning what would have been justa temporary interruption into apermanent one. “While I was doingthe mili in Madrid, a friend told methat his parents, who ran a littlehostal near the beach in Llançà,needed help over the Easter period.

I decided to give them a handand spend my holidays there.”And there he stayed. The originalplan to return to France to continuehis training dissolved in the faceof his desire to remain with Montse,sister of the friend who hadintroduced him to Miramar, forwhom he had fallen in a big way.However, he continued studyingand acquiring skills and soon aftermade contact with Ferran Adrià.Indeed, it was at elBulli that hecame to understand the natureof his attitude to cooking, “…an approach to food that involvesthe senses—you take in the lookof it, the smell, the feel, you eatit, taste it, experience the pleasureof it and retain it in your memory.”Many have described his style ofcooking as “elBulliesque”, whichhe takes as a compliment. “To me,cooking in the style of elBulliinvolves being consistent, creative,humble and hard-working, so I’mdelighted if that’s what people say.”


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ones all seem to share a commonfeature that I can’t quite identify.The explanation turns out to be thatthey are all painted on old Miramarmenus which, when they are outof date, the restaurant donatesto painters in the artists’ colonyof Cadaqués (Girona). That explainsthe sweep of blue suggestiveof a stretch of coastline that allthe pictures incorporate to a greateror lesser degree. Signatories includebig names, among them Catalanpainters Antoni Pitxot (a friendof Salvador Dalí’s) and Carlos Pazos(winner of the Spanish NationalPlastic Arts award in 2004),Japanese painter Koyama, andUruguayan artist Ignacio Iturria(the oil paintings in the variousdining areas are also by Iturria).Not for the first time, I note theaffinity between top chefs andthe art world. They’re a creativelot, whatever their medium.

Journalist Almudena Muyo worked forover twelve years as a reporter on herspecial field of international trade beforejoining the Spain Gourmetour team aseditorial co-coordinator.

Restaurant MIRAMARwww.miramar.cat

Restaurant ENOTECAwww.hotelartsbarcelona.com/sub/20/32/es/restaurantes-enoteca

Restaurant THE MIRRORwww.themirrorbarcelona.com/restaurante.php

advance, and when they arrivewe’re ready for them. We pick themup, handle them, taste them and putour ready-thought-out schemes intopractice. Sometimes, you need onlya couple of elements to constructa complex dish, because of theirtextures and different flavors,different colors—it all dependson what you’re aiming to do andon your belief in the viabilityof the end result. You can make avery complex dish only to find thatyour customers don’t get the point,or a simple one that people love.”The capacity to gauge his customers’emotional responsiveness is clearlypart of the magic and artistryof a gifted chef.Seaweed is currently the focus ofPaco’s attention and experimentation.“We’re working with seaweed fromAntonio Muiños (Spain Gourmetour,No 72); we’re already using a naturalseaweed gel—it looks just likea jelly—that we make primarilyfrom kombu (Laminaria saccharina).Kombu is brown seaweed that tastesstrongly of the sea and gives offa pungent scent suggestive of ripeolives, freshly-cut grass, celery andmustard against a background ofiodine. I’m tempted to declare thateverything about Miramar revealscreativity of one sort or another.This sounds rather gushing, butcloser inspection of the restaurantdécor makes it seem less so.Paintings of various sizes line thedining room walls, and I notice thatthe particularly engaging smaller

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that Berlin leans towards thetraditional in gastronomic matters,but he is confident that the freshnessof his products—espardeñas (Stichopusregalis, a.k.a. sea cucumber, or royalcucumber), peas from Llavaneras,cured Ibérico ham, oysters, razorclams—and the imaginative use hemakes of them will strike just theright note for a city reputed to be oneof the most avant-garde in Europe.

The thrill of it allMiramar menus are, after all,designed to be exciting—a no-holds-barred approach where sole and johndory feature alongside the most outrétapas. Quail’s egg tempura servedwith soy sauce and sake is awonderful example. As you bite intothe delicate tempura batter, the richegg yolk is released into your mouth,where it fuses in perfect harmonywith the soy sauce and sake. Razor

clams in Thai broth is another…Paco works a combination of theavant-garde and the traditional;the tasting menu is totally avant-garde, but the main menu willfeature dishes designed to showcasea particular product and others thatexhibit his mastery of technique.Espardeñas Ibéricas a la brasa(Griddled Ibérico sea cucumbers),for example, are presented undera transparent glass dome containinga miniature fog of trapped smokefrom burning vine shoots which,when the dome is lifted at table,the diner experiences as a headywhiff which whets the appetitefor the delicious sea cucumberto come… and all within sightof the Mediterranean. Even thetramontana failed to undermine themagic when I was served this dish.Eating at Miramar is undeniablyan intriguing—and often verybeautiful—sensory experience that

stimulates response at an emotionallevel. Wild morel mushrooms(Morchella vulgaris) with creamand powdered foie ice cream is arepresentative dish (and one thathas acquired classic status, Pacotells me) for the way in which thepowerful flavor and amazing textureof the morels combine with the coldof the chilled powdered foie ina fabulous fusion that seems tostimulate all one’s taste buds at once.Paco Pérez’s mastery of techniqueis impressive, and he deploys itin the service of a style of cuisinein which synthesis is a watchwordand products of topmost qualityare showcased. It finds its mostquintessential expression inthe tasting menu: “It’s cooking theway we feel it ought to be, foodthat’s exciting in the true senseof the word.”

Art and gastronomyFor Paco, the creative process beginsand ends with work, and thinkingtime has to be fit in where possible.“Every day we set aside a fewminutes for creative thought.Everyone contributes their ideas.Some things crop up naturally, whileothers we go looking for; nothingcomes about by accident—it’s allworked on in-depth beforehand.”Seasonality is one example of thesort of the things he is talking about:“Since we’re already familiar withwhat products each season brings,we consider their potential in


PRESTIGE


A Question of

Gourmets love it. Restaurateurs rave about it. Cured ham from the free-range,acorn-fed Ibérico pig has always been appreciated in Spain. But now it ismaking its mark around the world and one firm stands out for the quality ofits product. It is located in the west of the country where pastures dotted withoak trees stretch to the horizon.

TEXTDAVID BAIRD/©ICEX

PHOTOSJOSELITO

Travel to Spain’s western provincesand you find a land of rollinggrasslands and big skies. Centuriesago this majestic but unyieldingterrain produced the conquistadores,desperate adventurers fromExtremadura who traveledto the New World in search of fameand fortune. Today this regionbordering Portugal has its own sourceof wealth—one which attracts theinterest of gourmets worldwide.An army of pigs roams over endlesspastures, gorging on the abundantacorns from the thousands of oak trees.From these animals comes an importantSpanish export: succulent hamsand an array of other pork products.A certain mystique has grown aroundSpanish cured ham and, among thecognoscenti, the town of Guijuelo inSalamanca province (Castile-Leon) hasacquired a reputation for producing thefinest examples. In fact, while the hamsare cured here, the pigs are to be foundlargely in the Extremadura region.Of all the ham producers, none enjoysgreater prestige than the family firmof Joselito, which exports its productsto 48 countries and now has Chinaand the United States in its sights.Hams from Joselito, among the mostexpensive on the market, have wonacclaim from leading chefs. Accordingto Basque maestro Juan Mari Arzakand Carme Ruscalleda (her restaurantnear Barcelona and one in Tokyo boasta total of five Michelin stars, SpainGourmetour No. 74), Joselito’s is “thebest ham in the world.”

More than raisingpigsOn a recent visit to Guijuelo, RobertParker, considered the most influential

wine critic, praised Joselito’s hamsas “Spain’s greatest culinarytreasure and one of the world’s finestnatural products.” As for therenowned Ferran Adrià, he says:“Joselito is my life.”So what is the secret of this success?Astute marketing is undoubtedly partof the answer. But there is more toit, as a visit to the company’sheadquarters reveals.At first sight, Guijuelo (population6,000) is an unremarkable sort ofplace. But, thanks to its flourishingbusiness in pork products, it is oneof Spain’s most prosperouscommunities, with relatively fewunemployed. There may be aneconomic crisis in other partsof Spain, but not here. At 1,000 m(3,280 ft) above sea level, the townenjoys an ideal climate for curingpork: chilly in winter, hot in summer.There are many curing sheds(secaderos), but that of Joselito surelyhas the most impressive entrance—an imposing ultra-modern façadeof steel, glass and timber. Step insideand you discover that there is a gooddeal more to the ham business thanmerely raising pigs and hanging upraw meat to cure for a few months.

Presiding over Joselito is Juan JoséGómez, the fourth generationof a family which started the businessin the late 19th century. José’ssophisticated palate has developedover the 30 years he has worked inthe family business; he started at theage of 15. And there is no moreenthusiastic promoter of his product.“The taste of our ham is somethingspecial,” he asserts. “It lasts for maybetwo hours and it is different from othergourmet foods. I like caviar but I tireof it, and the same goes for truffles.But I never tire of ham.”While his brother Juan Luisconcentrates on administering thebreeding and rearing of the company’smany herds of pigs, José is anindefatigable global traveler as heexpounds the qualities of his firm’sproducts. “We’ve invented nothing,”insists José. “The curing methods comefrom the time of the Romans. We followa long tradition, but until recentlynobody investigated exactly why oneham turned out better than another.Now we have a laboratory staff whoanalyze our products and methods sothat we can improve in all areas.”

Nature and researchJoselito’s cerdos ibéricos de bellota roamover more than 100,000 ha (247,105acres) of dehesas (Heart of oak, page50), much of it the company’s propertyand the rest rented, in the Extremaduraand Andalusia regions, Salamancaprovince and Portugal. As part of a 30-year reforestation plan, every year thecompany plants 70 to 80 thousandtrees, mostly holm oaks (Quercus ilex)and cork oaks (Quercus suber). Thecompany’s efforts were rewarded thisyear with a management certificate from

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BUSINESSWATCH

serving Joselito hams are CraccoPeck in Milan, L’Atelier de JoelRobuchon in Paris, Carme Ruscalledain Tokyo, Akelarre in San Sebastiánand La Viña del Ensanche in Bilbao.Traditionally, Europe has been thestrongest export market. Britain isthe longest entrenched, but Germany,Italy, France, and Scandinavia arenot far behind and Asia, Australiaand Latin America are increasingin importance. Recently Russia hasentered the scene. “They’ve givenour product a great welcome andwe’re very pleased with our progressthere,” says the company.Joselito is preparing to export to theUS, a particularly tough challenge.American aficionados love Spanishham but only small quantities reachthe US market and it is little knownamong the American public at large.The first hurdle, acquiring officialsanction to import Spanish pork,requires the Guijuelo installationsto be inspected so that they can becertified as up to US health standards.This should be no problem for Joselito,but the greater obstacle is makingSpanish ham as familiar to Americanconsumers as Italy’s prosciutto.The Italian ham is as well-establishedin the US as Italian olive oil, so it’s aquestion of raising awareness. “TheItalian lobby is very strong in the US,but we are working to market ourproduct there,” says José.Then there is China, potentially thebiggest market of all. An estimated100 million Chinese consumers havea high level of purchasing power, andby 2015 up to 300 million may be asaffluent as the average European.But, as José Gómez knows, the new

superpower presents specialdifficulties. “We have already beenchecked out by their healthinspectors and shown our productsthere,” he says. “Our hams areappreciated by many of the elite.The Chinese like small snacks similarto tapas (bite-sized portions) andthey like pork. Being able to buyand consume a product like our bestham is a question of prestige.“I have visited China seven timesand will be going again this year. It’sgoing to be a task of 15 to 20 yearsto make our hams widely known. Butfirst we have to be sure to appointthe right importer and distributor.”Spain exports annually around20,000 tons (40 million lb) of curedleg and shoulder hams, from allbreeds, representing sales worth morethan 170 million euros. Only 10% ofSpanish cured ham comes from theIbérico breed, but it is this productwhich sets the standard and reinforcesthe country’s prestige in foreignmarkets. In the words of FerranAdrià: “Hams like those of Joselito arethe standard bearer of a sector whichthe whole world can enjoy.”

David Baird, born in England, hasworked on newspapers and magazines inthe UK and around the world, includingCanada, Australia and Hong Kong.Since the 1970s he has been basedin Spain and has covered the country,in words and pictures, for a varietyof international media. Twice winner ofSpain’s national award for foreign travelwriters, he has also written a numberof books, fact and fiction.

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the Forest Stewardship Council (FCC),a non-governmental organizationpromoting responsible forestmanagement worldwide. It is the firsttime a business of this type has beenselected anywhere in the world.A key aspect in producing qualityhams is the animals’ freedom toroam. Each pig forages for food andwater over 2 to 4 ha (4.9 to 9.8 acres)of pasture. This keeps them in shape,which contributes to the particulartexture of their flesh. During lamontanera, the months betweenOctober and February, each pig eatsabout 15 kg (33 lb) of acorns a day.When the two-year-old pigs weighabout 180 kg (396 lb), 40,000 orso are transported to Guijuelo to beslaughtered. The hams are stored insea salt for a week or so, then washedand hung in the secaderos, withimmaculately maintained, carefullyventilated chambers. In summer heat,the hams sweat and the outer fatmelts and penetrates the muscularfibers, a process vital in makingthe meat tender and aromatic.For further maturing the hamsare stored in dark bodegas attemperatures between 14 and 18ºC(57.2 and 64.4ºF) and humiditybetween 60 and 80%. More than400,000 hams, from the years 2004to 2011, hang in Joselito’sinstallations. Hams from the paleta,or shoulder, are cured for a minimumof two years, and hind-leg hams,known as the Gran Reserva, for atleast three years. A select number,vintage hams known as the ColecciónPremium, are matured for more than82 months. Most of these hams arepre-sold and, according to José

Gómez, demand exceeds supply.During the curing process, an expertjamonero checks quality by thrustinga bone probe (the cala) into the fleshand then sniffing it. Experience ishighly valued among Joselito’s 50employees at Guijuelo. Many havedecades of service, and when 29shared in a 41-million-euro win onSpain’s national lottery four years ago,most of them chose not to retire, butto continue working for the company.The succulent meat in Joselito’s hamsis purple-red and marbled with veinsof pinkish fat. It is, claims the firm,a healthy product, containing oleicacid, vitamins and naturalantioxidants which help reducecholesterol and the risk ofarteriosclerosis. Joselito backs this upwith the results of scientific surveys,and points out that 100 g (3.5 oz)of their ham contains fewer caloriesthan a plateful of rice of the sameweight. To improve quality, a staffof 15 in Joselito’s research anddevelopment department analyzeseverything, from the pig’s dietto the final product.Authentic hams from the acorn-fedpigs are clearly identified withnumbered labels. Clients order theirhams at least two years in advance.Most of those maturing in Guijuelobear labels indicating they are alreadysold to gourmet shops and toprestaurants, a system of advancepurchase found only in premiumproducts like vintage wine.While the final product is not quiteworth its weight in gold, it is highly

valued by gourmets—and they arewilling to pay for it. A Gran Reservaham weighing 8 kg (17.6 lb) sellsfor around 560 euros in the gourmetdepartment of El Corte Inglés(Spain’s leading department store).

Headedfor premiummarketsEvery year the company markets somewell-aged hams in designer packagesfor its Colección Premium. Last year55 hams of this special edition soldfor 2,500 euros each. The boxescontaining the hams, designed bythe Moneo Brock Studio, were worksof art which could be converted intoelegant lamps. At a charity auctionin Poland last year, a seven-year-oldJoselito ham in a Moneo box wentfor no less than 23,000 euros.Joselito also markets pork loin andvarious varieties of pork sausage,chorizo, salchichón and longaniza(spiced with pepper, salt and garlic),all from free-range Ibérico pigs andnaturally cured.Around 20% of Joselito’s productionis exported and for much of the yeardirector José Gómez is on the road,working with a marketing team. Thecompany uses seminars and tastingsto spread the word and it collaborateswith Dom Pérignon, presenting hamas the perfect accompaniment tochampagne. But personal contactis all-important and José has forgedlinks with leading restaurants andgourmet shops, including Harrodsand Fortnum & Mason in London,KaDeWe in Berlin and Hédiard inParis. Among the leading restaurants

JOSELITO

Cárnicas Joselito

· Founded: late 19th century

· Workforce: 50

· Sales 2010 (estimated):

60 million euros

· Export quota:approximately 20%

· Main foreign markets:Australia, France, Germany,Italy, Japan, Scandinaviaand the United Kingdom.

· Products:Joselito Gran Reserva Ham, curedfor a minimum of 36 months.

Joselito Gran Reserva Paleta (hamfrom the front leg) with a minimumcuration of 24 months.

Joselito Loin, smoked in natural coaland wood ovens and cured in naturaldrying rooms for 5-6 months.

Joselito Chorizo, produced withpremium cuts of meat, curedfor 6 months in natural dryingrooms and cellars.

Joselito Salchichón, produced withpremium cuts of meat, cured for aminimum of 6 months in naturaldrying rooms and cellars.

· Website:

www.joselito.com (English, Italian,Japanese, Russian, and Spanish)

· Address: Santa Rita, 837770 Guijuelo, Salamanca

·Tel.: (+34) 923 580 375

·Email: [email protected]

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94 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

“We opened MoVida in late 2003,”says the self-effacing Camorra.In his early career he trained underone of Melbourne’s best Italian chefsbefore returning to Spain for severalyears to immerse himself in theculture of his birth country andunderstand the foundations ofSpanish food. “Australians wereused to eating an entrée, a maindish and dessert,” he explains.“It took a little while but they soonembraced the idea of tapas (smallbite-size portions of food) andraciones (larger portions, ideal forsharing). We cook refined versionsof Spanish classics using ingredientsevery Spaniard would recognizeusing methods and elaboration thatis very modern but still maintainsthe integrity of the dish.”

When a space a few doors downbecame available in 2008, Camorraand his team, including MoVida NextDoor Chef Jimmy Parker, were ableto fulfill their dream of creating a barinspired by their frequent tripsto the south of Spain where Camorra’sfamily still lives. By day the room isfilled with light, yet it is still intimate.At night it looks out onto the brightly-lit icons of Melbourne: trams, historicFlinders Street Station, FederationSquare and the Melbourne CricketGround. Inside, old Spanish terracottaroof tiles hang as light fittings andthere are just two framed bullfightingposters. The daily specials, straightfrom the market, are written onblackboards above the bar in Spanish.It is not a pastiche of Spanish aestheticbut, rather, a simple space where thefood, wine and the patrons themselves

In the heart of Melbourne, at theend of a graffiti-lined cobbled lane,is a small Spanish bar with an openkitchen. Inside, on the littlecharcoal grill, cook plump quail.Next to them is a 100 kg (220 lb)slab of scorching hot steel on whichsizzle and splutter a handful offresh wild-caught prawns. Seasonedwith a pinch of salt, a hit of garlicand a drizzle of sherry vinegar, theyare sent out to a young couplesitting by the window of this busybar on the ground floor of an oldapartment building. This is MoVidaNext Door, the younger sibling toMoVida, the flagship Spanishrestaurant of Barcelona-born,Cordoba-raised and 37-yearresident of Melbourne, Australia,Frank Camorra.

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 95

TextRichard Cornish/©ICEX

PhotosMoVida

Have a Spanish Break!RichardCornish from

take center stage. The bar staffmight slice a few lonchas (slices)of Carrasco Ibérico ham to be servedwith a glass of chilled La Goyamanzanilla (a type of fino sherry)or open a tin of Cuca mejillones enescabeche (mussels in brine) servedwith a glass of Moritz beer.Parker is constrained by space, sothe food is very simple with wild-caught seafood being the specialty.Sitting on a bed of ice waiting fortheir time on la plancha (the hotplate)are mussels, freshwater crayfish, largeprawns and small bay fish. There isgenerally a selection of oysters, bothnative Australian and farmed Pacificwhich, opened à la minute, are theperfect salty foil for a refreshing glassof cava from Penedès.The wine list is exclusively Spanish,with a large selection of textural

whites from Galicia and Cataloniato match with the seafood-heavyspecials menu. Parker mixestraditional cooking techniques,such as the charcoal grill (la parilla)and the hotplate with moderntechnology—so a lamb neck mayspend 48 hours cooking in achilindrón sauce of red peppers,tomatoes, onion, fino (a dry sherry),garlic and thyme inside a plasticsous-vide bag. The end result is asuper succulent dish, its richnessperfectly balanced by a glass ofTempranillo from DOCa Rioja.With one of Melbourne’s busiestrock venues next door and beingwithin walking distance of theMelbourne Tennis Centre, the crowdwho eat and drink at this little 50-seater bar changes as the night goeson. From business people catching

up for a bite after work, to GenY “food tragics” (that’s Australianfor foodie), middle-aged coupleseating before or after the theaterto the post-concert crowd, MoVidaNext Door could serve morethan 300 people over the courseof the night.

MoVida Next DoorCorner Hosier Lane and FlindersStreet. Melbourne VIC 3000,Australia. www.movida.com.au

Richard Cornish is a Melbourne-based foodwriter and an award-winning author ofcookbooks, including four on Spanish food.

Visit the Shop, Travel & Dine section onour website, www.foodsfromspain.com,for a complete list of Spanish restaurants,tapas bars and food stores worldwide.

MELBOURNE10_AF_COLOFON_MELBOURNE.qxd 8/7/11 03:25 Página 94


Sincere, honest, flavor-driven, creative, surprising… thatjust about sums up Paco Pérez’s style of cooking.Backed up by his tenet that “everyone should do whathe knows in his heart he really ought to be doing, andnot deny his principles”, it has earned him three Michelinstars: two for Miramar, his trademark restaurant in Llançà(Girona, eastern Spain), and another for Enoteca, locatedwithin the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. His laid-back mannerbelies a packed schedule, which also includes runningthe restaurant of the hotel The Mirror, again in Barcelona.And things are about to get even busier with the launchof new venture—a restaurant called Five by PacoPérez—in Berlin.

TextAlmudena Muyo/©ICEXPaco

Pérez

HEARTARTfrom

the

PhotosTomás Zarza andToya Legido/©ICEX

TranslationHawys Pritchard/©ICEX



“We opened MoVida in late 2003,”says the self-effacing Camorra.In his early career he trained underone of Melbourne’s best Italian chefsbefore returning to Spain for severalyears to immerse himself in theculture of his birth country andunderstand the foundations ofSpanish food. “Australians wereused to eating an entrée, a maindish and dessert,” he explains.“It took a little while but they soonembraced the idea of tapas (smallbite-size portions of food) andraciones (larger portions, ideal forsharing). We cook refined versionsof Spanish classics using ingredientsevery Spaniard would recognizeusing methods and elaboration thatis very modern but still maintainsthe integrity of the dish.”

When a space a few doors downbecame available in 2008, Camorraand his team, including MoVida NextDoor Chef Jimmy Parker, were ableto fulfill their dream of creating a barinspired by their frequent tripsto the south of Spain where Camorra’sfamily still lives. By day the room isfilled with light, yet it is still intimate.At night it looks out onto the brightly-lit icons of Melbourne: trams, historicFlinders Street Station, FederationSquare and the Melbourne CricketGround. Inside, old Spanish terracottaroof tiles hang as light fittings andthere are just two framed bullfightingposters. The daily specials, straightfrom the market, are written onblackboards above the bar in Spanish.It is not a pastiche of Spanish aestheticbut, rather, a simple space where thefood, wine and the patrons themselves

In the heart of Melbourne, at theend of a graffiti-lined cobbled lane,is a small Spanish bar with an openkitchen. Inside, on the littlecharcoal grill, cook plump quail.Next to them is a 100 kg (220 lb)slab of scorching hot steel on whichsizzle and splutter a handful offresh wild-caught prawns. Seasonedwith a pinch of salt, a hit of garlicand a drizzle of sherry vinegar, theyare sent out to a young couplesitting by the window of this busybar on the ground floor of an oldapartment building. This is MoVidaNext Door, the younger sibling toMoVida, the flagship Spanishrestaurant of Barcelona-born,Cordoba-raised and 37-yearresident of Melbourne, Australia,Frank Camorra.

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 SPAIN GOURMETOUR 95

TextRichard Cornish/©ICEX

PhotosMoVida

Have a Spanish Break!RichardCornish from

take center stage. The bar staffmight slice a few lonchas (slices)of Carrasco Ibérico ham to be servedwith a glass of chilled La Goyamanzanilla (a type of fino sherry)or open a tin of Cuca mejillones enescabeche (mussels in brine) servedwith a glass of Moritz beer.Parker is constrained by space, sothe food is very simple with wild-caught seafood being the specialty.Sitting on a bed of ice waiting fortheir time on la plancha (the hotplate)are mussels, freshwater crayfish, largeprawns and small bay fish. There isgenerally a selection of oysters, bothnative Australian and farmed Pacificwhich, opened à la minute, are theperfect salty foil for a refreshing glassof cava from Penedès.The wine list is exclusively Spanish,with a large selection of textural

whites from Galicia and Cataloniato match with the seafood-heavyspecials menu. Parker mixestraditional cooking techniques,such as the charcoal grill (la parilla)and the hotplate with moderntechnology—so a lamb neck mayspend 48 hours cooking in achilindrón sauce of red peppers,tomatoes, onion, fino (a dry sherry),garlic and thyme inside a plasticsous-vide bag. The end result is asuper succulent dish, its richnessperfectly balanced by a glass ofTempranillo from DOCa Rioja.With one of Melbourne’s busiestrock venues next door and beingwithin walking distance of theMelbourne Tennis Centre, the crowdwho eat and drink at this little 50-seater bar changes as the night goeson. From business people catching

up for a bite after work, to GenY “food tragics” (that’s Australianfor foodie), middle-aged coupleseating before or after the theaterto the post-concert crowd, MoVidaNext Door could serve morethan 300 people over the courseof the night.

MoVida Next DoorCorner Hosier Lane and FlindersStreet. Melbourne VIC 3000,Australia. www.movida.com.au

Richard Cornish is a Melbourne-based foodwriter and an award-winning author ofcookbooks, including four on Spanish food.

Visit the Shop, Travel & Dine section onour website, www.foodsfromspain.com,for a complete list of Spanish restaurants,tapas bars and food stores worldwide.

MELBOURNE10_AF_COLOFON_MELBOURNE.qxd 8/7/11 03:25 Página 94

IN APPLE

81






















20 g / 1 oz dextrose; 38 g / 1 1/2 oz







Diversity









SWEDENTel.: (8) 24 66 [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMTel.: (20) 7467 23 [email protected]

UNITED STATESTel.: (212) 661 49 [email protected]

For tourist information,contact your nearestSPANISH TOURISTOFFICE:

CANADATel.: (416) 961 31 31/40 [email protected]

CHINATel.: (10) 65 32 93 06/[email protected]

ITALYTel.: (02) 78 14 [email protected]

JAPANTel.: (3) 55 75 04 [email protected]

MALAYSIATel.: (3) 2148 73 [email protected]

NETHERLANDSTel.: (70) 364 31 [email protected]

NORWAYTel.: (23) 31 06 [email protected]

RUSSIATel.: (495) 783 9281/82/84/[email protected]

SINGAPORETel.: 67 32 97 [email protected]


AUSTRALIATel.: (2) 93 62 42 [email protected]

CANADATel.: (416) 967 04 [email protected]

CHINATel.: (10) 58 799 [email protected]

Tel.: (21) 62 17 26 [email protected]

DENMARKTel.: (33) 31 22 [email protected]

HONG KONGTel.: 25 21 74 [email protected]

IRELANDTel.: (1) 661 63 [email protected]

For more information,contact the ECONOMICAND COMMERCIALOFFICES AT SPAIN’SEMBASSIES in thefollowing countries:

SPAI

NOV

ERSE

AS

DENMARKTel.: 33 18 66 [email protected]

ITALYTel.: (02) 72 00 46 [email protected]

Tel.: (06) 678 31 [email protected]

JAPANTel.: (3) 34 32 61 41/[email protected]


NORWAYTel.: (47) 22 83 76 [email protected]

RUSSIATel.: (495) 935 83 [email protected]








CENTRAL BOOKINGOFFICETel.: (+34) 902 547 [email protected]

12_AF_CIERRE pag 96-97.qxd 19/7/11 18:15 Página 96

PREMIUM QUALITY SPANISH CHEESE

-THE GRANDEE OF SPAIN-

“GRAND SELECTION 2010 CONTEST”: MAESE MIGUEL D.O. 3 MONTHS:

GOLD MEDAL AWARDED

Award winning 12 month matured Manchego D.O. from

La Mancha October 2008

Awarded first prize Manchego cheese at the annual Manchego

cheesemakers guild contest .

TARTESANA, S.L

“Tarquessia de La Mancha”

Ctra. de Toledo, s/n

13420 Malagón (C.Real) Spain

Tel: +(34) 926 266 410

Fax: +(34) 926 266 413

[email protected]

I. QUESERA CUQUERELLA, S.L. - QUESOS ROCINANTE

Malagón (C. Real) - Spain - Tel.: +34 926 266 410 - Fax: +34 926 266 413

[email protected] - www.rocinante.es

“THE CROWN JEWEL”




For tourist information,contact your nearestSPANISH TOURISTOFFICE:

CANADATel.: (416) 961 31 31/40 [email protected]

CHINATel.: (10) 65 32 93 06/[email protected]

ITALYTel.: (02) 78 14 [email protected]

JAPANTel.: (3) 55 75 04 [email protected]

MALAYSIATel.: (3) 2148 73 [email protected]


NORWAYTel.: (23) 31 06 [email protected]

RUSSIATel.: (495) 783 9281/82/84/[email protected]



AUSTRALIATel.: (2) 93 62 42 [email protected]

CANADATel.: (416) 967 04 [email protected]

CHINATel.: (10) 58 799 [email protected]

Tel.: (21) 62 17 26 [email protected]

DENMARKTel.: (33) 31 22 [email protected]

HONG KONGTel.: 25 21 74 [email protected]

IRELANDTel.: (1) 661 63 [email protected]

For more information,contact the ECONOMICAND COMMERCIALOFFICES AT SPAIN’SEMBASSIES in thefollowing countries:

SPAI

NOV

ERSE

AS

DENMARKTel.: 33 18 66 [email protected]

ITALYTel.: (02) 72 00 46 [email protected]


JAPANTel.: (3) 34 32 61 41/[email protected]


NORWAYTel.: (47) 22 83 76 [email protected]

RUSSIATel.: (495) 935 83 [email protected]








CENTRAL BOOKINGOFFICETel.: (+34) 902 547 [email protected]

12_AF_CIERRE pag 96-97.qxd 19/7/11 18:15 Página 96

PREMIUM QUALITY SPANISH CHEESE

-THE GRANDEE OF SPAIN-

“GRAND SELECTION 2010 CONTEST”: MAESE MIGUEL D.O. 3 MONTHS:

GOLD MEDAL AWARDED

Award winning 12 month matured Manchego D.O. from

La Mancha October 2008

Awarded first prize Manchego cheese at the annual Manchego

cheesemakers guild contest .

TARTESANA, S.L

“Tarquessia de La Mancha”

Ctra. de Toledo, s/n

13420 Malagón (C.Real) Spain

Tel: +(34) 926 266 410

Fax: +(34) 926 266 413

[email protected]

I. QUESERA CUQUERELLA, S.L. - QUESOS ROCINANTE

Malagón (C. Real) - Spain - Tel.: +34 926 266 410 - Fax: +34 926 266 413

[email protected] - www.rocinante.es

“THE CROWN JEWEL”

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Protected Designation of Origin

PJAMONHUELVA.indd 1 7/7/11 06:43:53

Araex – Rioja Alavesa,S.L. – Spanish FineWine, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 945 150 [email protected]: 6

C.R.D.O. Jamón de Huelva

Tel.: (+34) 959 127 [email protected]: 101

Consorcio del JamónSerrano Español


F.J. Sánchez Sucesores, S.A.

Tel.: (+34) 950 364 [email protected]: Inside back cover

ADIN

DEX

Aceites Borges Pont, S.A.

Tel.: (+34) 973 501 [email protected]: Back cover

Ángel CamachoAlimentación, S.A.(Fragata)


Foods From SpainPage: 102

Gonzalez Byass, S.A.


Goya en España

Tel.: (+34) 955 634 134E-mail:[email protected]: 4

Grupo Gourmets


Grupo Mahou – SanMiguel

Tel.: (+34) 915 269 [email protected]: Inside front cover

IAN – IndustriasAlimentarias de Navarra


Industrial QueseraCuquerella


Loreto SpecialityFoods, S.L.


Rafael Salgado, S.A.


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PIAN PAG103.indd 1 7/7/11 06:53:06


LAST

ING

IMPR

ESSI

ONS

Gastrobotánica.100 platos al naturalpara cada estacióndel año

(Gastrobotanics. 100Dishes for Every Season)by Rodrigo de la Calle.Spanish. Aranjuez-basedchef Rodrigo de la Calle isthe maximum proponent(along with his partner incrime, biologist SantiagoOrts) of “gastrobotanics”,a term coined by the pairbut which has nonethelesscaught on, referring to theimportance of vegetablesand their seasonality andquality, and with a focuson using sustainable rawmaterials. They work tobring long-forgotten vegback to the fore, givingthem pride of place increative dishes. HereDe la Calle has compileda selection of 100 lightrecipes where theprotagonist is vegetables;they are not, however,vegetarian recipes. Theysimply highlight cookingwhich is natural, healthy,and environmentallyfriendly. Suggestionsinclude Aranjuezstrawberry tempura withchocolate and peppersoup, Anchovies in a wildchard marinade, and Veal,

cardoon and cauliflowerstew. The book is dividedinto appetizers, entreesand desserts, withsuggestions in line withwinter, spring, summerand fall, enabling chefs athome to buy items whichare in season. And restassured, all of thevegetables included in thebook are easily found inthe market. The text alsoincludes specificinformation on the veggiescovered in the book,culinary techniques, andgeneral tips on dishpresentation. Looks likeit’s time to welcome a newand delicious trend intoyour kitchen! (EdicionesPlaneta, S.A.,www.planeta.es)

TextSamaraKamenecka/©ICEX

El buen gustode España

(Spain’s Good Taste) byGonzalo Sol and MaríaJesús Gil de Antuñano.English, Spanish. Thisbook was first publishedin 1990. Now in its fourthedition, it continues togarner acclaim, takinghome second place at the2010 Gourmand Awardsin the Best Culinary Travelbook category.The text showcases Spain’scountless top-flightproducts with a focus onthe environment “as afundamental ingredientbehind their excellence.”It pays homage to Spain’sland and attributes, whichprovide quality productsand, consequently, qualitycuisine. Learn aboutthe country’s products andrecipes, in short, its foodculture, by means of acomprehensive overviewof its many gastronomiclandscapes—fromfarmland to fishingterritory. Its diversityhas given rise to countlessDesignation of Originand Protected GeographicIndication products,from hams to olive oilsto wines, which arefeatured here.

With an excellent, detailednarrative and trulyspectacular photographs,readers are invited on ajourney: throughCantabria, the BalearicIslands, along the EbroRiver, through Spain’spasturelands, along theMediterranean coast.Indubitably, a book of thiskind would not becomplete without aselection of regionalrecipes, both traditionaland modern, somerecommended by topchefs (re: Subijana, Adrià),including Sea bass withgoose barnacles, olive oilpearls and rocket, Stewedrabbit, Roast chicken withlobster, and Rice withblack sausage and seaurchin. In short, this textpacks a delicious punch ofinformation and images.(Spain’s Ministry for theEnvironment and Rural andMarine Affairs,https://aplicaciones.mapa.es/tienda)

La cocinaen su tinta

(Cuisine, in its Own Ink)by Spain’s NationalLibrary, et. al. Spanish.This book is a catalogueof the three-monthexhibition of the samename organized by Spain’sNational Library. Theexhibition offers an in-depth look at gastronomyand cooking, achronological journeyon the subject, usingan extensive selectionof the library’s materials.According to Ana Santos,the Library’s CulturalDirector: “Start with theappetizer—the MiddleAges—and finish withdessert—i.e. current-day.”The event covers a rangeof topics, from the historyof sweets and pastriesand the evolution of foodand gastronomy in Spain,to kitchen utensils andtechnology andinnovations in cooking.This text comes in a sleekblack case and includesa DVD on the exhibitionwith commentariesfrom participants, as wellas a small historical recipebook. (Biblioteca Nacionalde España,http://publicaciones.administracion.es)

Las cocinasdel Caminode Santiago

(Cuisines of Santiago deCompostela) by variousauthors. Spanish. Everyyear thousands of peopletake to St. James’ Way,making the pilgrimageto the Santiago deCompostela Cathedral.It is, indubitably, aspiritual journey. But it’salso a delicious one. Thisbook features the tripfrom a gastronomicperspective, highlightingthe cuisines found on theway. As the route’s rootscan be dated to Medievaltimes, this text has a lotto cover, including:recipes, culinary traditionsand customs, and foodproducts from areason the three main routes(France, the coast,and the Vía de la Plata).Each chapter covers adifferent region throughwhich the camino travelsand includes informationon its traditional cuisine,history, and wines, as wellas a selection of restaurantsuggestions. The book is alittle big to take with you,but it is an indispensabletool when planning yourtrip! (Algusto Ediciones, S.L.,[email protected])

6 cocineros deCastilla y León

(6 Chefs from Castile-Leon) by Fernando LázaroArranz. Spanish. Sometime ago, an event wasorganized in Spain’sCastile-Leon region by theValladolid city governmentand the local winemuseum whereby 6Michelin-star restaurantsgot together and planneda special meal, open to thepublic, every Friday. Eachchef prepared six tastingmenus, each comprisingsix dishes and created overthe course of six months.These evenings werecalled “Dining with theStars.” 6 Chefs showcasesthis extraordinary diningexperience, and eachrestaurant is featuredseparately with excellentdetails about both it andthe project, along with thechefs’ thought processes.These pages also includetheir outstanding dishes,such as Warm pumpkingazpacho with freshBurgos cream cheeseand olive oil snow, Roastpigeon with quinoaand apple stew, andMushroom, Norwaylobster, saffron and hamravioli. (Editorial Everest,S.L., www.everest.es).

11_AF_LIBROS.qxd 19/7/11 18:03 Página 104

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PickledvegetablesAceitunas Karina, S.LTel.: (+34) 968 801 820 [email protected]

ACORSA, Aceitunas deMesa de Córdoba S.C.A.(GRUPO HOJIBLANCA)Tel.: (+34) 957 535 [email protected]

AGRUCAPERSTel.: (+34) 968 410 [email protected]

Alcaparras AsensioSánchez, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 968 406 464 [email protected]

Aliminter, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 968 693 800 [email protected]

Amanida, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 976 613 [email protected]

Anfora Quality Products, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 957 315 262 [email protected]

Angel Camacho, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 955 854 701

EXPO

RTER

S

FoodProductsThis is a selection ofexporters supplied by theindividual sources.

[email protected]

BT Exportadorade Aceitunas, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 954 271 206 [email protected]

Comercial Rioverde, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 941 222 058 [email protected]

Compañía EnvasadoraLoreto, S.A.Tel.: (+34) 954 113 [email protected]

Faroliva, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 968 252 666/252 [email protected]

Fine Foods Spain, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 973 235 [email protected]

Internacional Granadinade Alcaparra, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 958 733 100 / [email protected]/integra

Luxeapers, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 950 350 [email protected]/index.html

Source: ICEX

ApplesPDO Manzana Reinetadel Bierzo

Comercial Fruticultores delBierzo, ASATTel.: (+34) 987 562 [email protected]

Source: Consejo ReguladorDOP Manzana Reinetadel BierzoTel.: (+34) 987 562 [email protected]

PGI Poma de GironaCosta Brava Fructicultors, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 972 755 [email protected]

Girona Fruits, S.C.C.L.Tel.: (+34) 972 490 [email protected]

Giropoma, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 972 755 [email protected]

Fructícola Empordà, S.L.Tel.: (+34) 972 520 [email protected]

Source: Consejo ReguladorIGP Poma de GironaTel.: (+34) 972 780 [email protected]


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Contentsp. 2 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 3 From left to right:Amador Toril/©ICEX;Matías Costa/©ICEX;Fernando Madariaga/©ICEX

Spanish PickledVegetablespp. 8-15 AmadorToril/©ICEXp. 16 left Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEX; right AmadorToril/©ICEXpp. 17-21 AmadorToril/©ICEXpp. 22-25 Toya Legidoand Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

Dessert Winespp. 26-27 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 28 FernandoBriones/©ICEXpp. 29-33 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 34 Map: Javier Bellosop. 35 Nano Cañas/©ICEXp. 36 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEX

Mineral Waterspp. 38-49 FernandoMadariaga/©ICEX

CRED

ITS

Dehesap. 50 Up MatíasCosta/©ICEX, down fromleft to right MatíasCosta/©ICEX; CiucoGutiérrez/©ICEXpp. 51-55 MatíasCosta/©ICEX;p. 56 Matías Costa/©ICEX;Map: Javier Bellosopp. 57-61 MatíasCosta/©ICEXp. 62 Patricia R.Soto/©ICEX;pp. 63-65 MatíasCosta/©ICEX

Applespp. 66-67 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 68 Luis Carré /©ICEXpp. 69-70 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 71 Map: Javier Bellosopp. 72-73 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXp. 74 Luis Carré/©ICEXp. 75 Juan ManuelSanz/©ICEXpp. 76-81 Toya Legidoand Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

Close-up:Paco Pérezpp. 82-89 Tomás Zarzaand Toya Legido/©ICEX

Joselitopp. 90-93 Joselito

Richard Cornishfrom Melbournepp. 94-95 MoVida


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Spain Gourmetour 83 (2011)

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Transcript of Spain Gourmetour 83 (2011)