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The rich variety of Valencia
cooking mirrors the variety existing in its province and comes as yet another
pleasant surprise to the visitor. Among the typical dishes, the Paella
Valenciana comes first, after having become the most international Spanish
dish in its own right. The true Paella Valenciana is prepared over a wood
fire and has the following ingredients: rice, chicken, rabbit, snail, young
beans, "tabella", "garrofo", tomato, olive oil, salt, saffron, red pepper
and water. The rice dish has produced an endless variety of different combinations:
Arros a Banda, based on fish; and Arros Negre with squid in inky sauce,
which are served with all y oli as an appetizer; Paella de Verduras (with
vegetables); Arros al Forn (prepared in the oven); Arros amb Bledes (with
chard); Arros amb Fesols i Naps (with white beans, pork, lard, "garreta",
black pudding and turnips), followed by a long list of other varieties
since rice is the local staple food. The Fideua is a "paella" of thin noodles
with shellfish and fish, which comes from Gandia where an international
competition is organized every year to promote the dish. All i Pebre is
a sauce made with garlic and pepper and normally accompanies eel, a very
common dish around La Albufera and Catarroja and as tasty as the Suquet
de Peix of La Ribera Baja, the Titainas or the Pimento i Tomata amb Tonyina,
the Llisa Torra, the Sang amb Ceba, the Esgarrat, the Figatell, the Valencia
Salads...
El Gazpacho is a typical
dish prepared with hare, rabbit and partridge with "torta de pastor" (lit.
Shepherd's pie); sopa coberta or les pilotes; olla churra, calducho or
morteruelo; gachamiga, ajoarriero, ajetao, giraboix, lamb prepared in the
oven, blat picat, sausage products, mazamorro, cachuli and les coques escaldes
are all very traditional fare in the inland regions.
Apart from the excellent
quality of Valencia fruit where the orange takes first place, there is
a wide range of desserts or sweet dishes, especially arnadi, and a series
of typical refreshments, outstanding among which is the horchata, a cold
drink -originally from Alboraya- made with chufa, rush or tiger nuts. It
is usually drunk with fartons. As a result of a well conceived plan, the
Valencia wines are made with ever increasing care and their quality will
also come as a surprise to the visitor. The whites from the Upper Turia
and the Serrania or the reds from Requena, Utiel and Campo de Liria as
well as some other area will satisfy the most demanding tastes. |
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