The Association of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain proposes for this winter to discover the rich gastronomy of its towns enjoying snowy villages, mountainous systems that structure regions, deserted beaches, valleys full of flavors or streets that keep the authenticity of their neighbors… This winter there are 105 fantastic plans to learn about the customs and traditions of these beautiful towns, while you taste the typical dishes of each municipality, yes with a good glass of wine.
“Visiting any of the Association’s towns is a perfect opportunity to enjoy with our families and friends, beautiful towns where to explore a unique gastronomy, in enclaves full of authenticity, tradition and history”, recommends Francisco Mestre, president of the Association.
Examples of this are Olivenza, Fornalutx, Teguise, Barcena Mayor, Laguardia or Beget, which offer special dishes:
Olivenza, the meadow of Extremadura with all its flavor
Those who like gastronomic tourism will not be disappointed in Olivenza, as there is a taste for good gastronomy and pastries. As in all of Extremadura, you can enjoy the typical products of the Iberian pig that is raised in the nearby pastures where ham, loin, sausage, chorizo, secreto, loin, or sirloin are just some of its best-known products…. And due to the influence of Portugal, we find cod on almost all restaurant menus.
But if there is something in which Olivenza stands out, as the good granddaughter of Portugal that she is, it is in her pastries. You can find a multitude of typical sweets, but the star of Oliventine confectionery is Técula-Mécula. This typical sweet, of Portuguese origin, and whose name according to the latest studies means “coated” is made with egg yolk, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and a puff pastry base made with lard.
Fornalutx, where the orchard shines
The Mallorcan recipes have in common the essence of the Mediterranean diet. Typical Mallorcan dishes that are nourished by the outstanding local products of the island. Although they vary between municipalities, flavor and tradition are the guiding threads of the recipe book, and in Fornalutx the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
With a gastronomy that values the use of local and seasonal products, the “tumbet” stands out, a delicious recipe that combines different vegetables that are grown in Fornalutx, which are fried separately to later create layers that are finally covered with a smooth homemade tomato sauce.
Many visitors remember with this dish the aromas of their home due to its similarity to the ratatouille, samfaina or ratatouille of French gastronomy. The tumbet in Fornalutx can be found accompanied by fried eggs, meat or cod.
Teguise, simple and authentic cuisine
Teguise’s cuisine in Lanzarote is simple but characterized by the high quality of its raw materials. Locals and visitors start their lunches with a fish broth made with grouper, sama, bocinegro or abade, or with the tasty millo broth that contains different vegetables and a touch of cilantro, always on a base of corn.
It is difficult not to find the most famous sauce in Canarian cuisine on the tables of Teguise: mojo, with its most international varieties, red and green mojo. The first is made with tomato, red pepper and paprika and is usually spicier. In the green, coriander and garlic are the protagonists along with oil and vinegar.
Kid meat is a common dish in the kitchens of Teguise, and it is prepared fried, marinated, baked or salmorejo. One of the best known shellfish here are the limpets. The most common way to prepare these delicious mollusks is grilled, drizzled with green mojo sauce, and it is an appetizer that brings all the flavor of the Atlantic Ocean in a single bite.
Bárcena Mayor, the flavor of the Saja Valley
The Cantabrian town of Bárcena Mayor is one of the best examples of fusion between gastronomy and nature, where its characteristic mountain stew is the center of all visitors’ attention.
No two are the same, and families proudly boast that they have the authentic recipe in their cupboards, the family recipe to bring all the flavor of the Saja Valley to a plate, but what everyone recognizes is that the base is white beans. , fresh bacon, homemade chorizo, a pig’s trotter, ribs, black pudding, cabbage, potatoes or sweet paprika. In many families it is made from one day to the next, so that the dish gains in flavor, but that is only possible if the diners are able to wait.
Laguardia, the great underground winery
Visitors to Laguardia in the Basque Country seek the traditional flavors of this land, where stuffed peppers, salads from their garden, potatoes with chorizo, roast lamb and, to finish, pears in wine, is one of the most requested menus.
Visits to its many wineries deserve an important mention. We could say that Laguardia is a great underground winery as a whole. Luckily, some of these underground cellars can be visited, either as a restaurant or because they still produce wine, and before or after the meal, it is worth a walk to learn about its history and how it has been done for thousands of years. his famous wine
Beget, rich gastronomy at the foot of the Pyrenees
Mountainous Catalonia hides a small and beautiful town at the foot of the Pyrenees, where the artisan sausages and the trumfa (potato) from the Camprodon valley are two great ambassadors of the area.
Visitors and residents rarely say no to one of the dishes that represent the essence of popular Catalan cuisine. The butifarra amb mongetes is one of the most loved and valued, cooked with creamy beans and soft, thin skin, together with the butifarra and lard, they are the only ingredients of this humble but international dish.
In the houses of Beget it is customary to serve the butifarra amb mongetes accompanied with a few slices of toasted bread with garlic and rubbed tomato.
