Taste the Traditions of Orihuela!

Largely based around fresh fruits, vegetables and pulses, the Mediterranean diet is reportedly one of the healthiest in the world.  And with its rich fertile land giving way to the freshest, ripest produce, Orihuela’s gastronomy is a prime example.

Traditional Recipes
Orihuela is as proud of its fine cuisine as it is of its heritage, with its local dishes also dating back for hundreds of years. The cuisine from across the Vega Baja is largely based around high quality garden produce from the mountains and valleys of the province. The basic ingredients that you will find in an average Spanish kitchen, whether at home or in a restaurant, will be fairly similar relying predominantly on rice and pulses, crusty loaves of bread and fresh vegetables. To these the locals will add a variety of red and white meats, seafood, stock and spices to give them their unique flavour. In spite of the mild climate, Spaniards love a hearty stew, throwing in any combination of things that they can find in the fridge and often leaving it on the stove to pick at over several days. Traditional stews enjoyed in Orihuela include “Olla Churra” which combines various meats, vegetables, legumes, boiled bones, and occasionally rice or potatoes; and “Cocido con Pelotas”, which is a stock liquid with meatballs added. The same method applies with their soups, which are again an inexpensive way to feed the family using basic ingredients, will keep well and require very little effort to prepare. Soup will generally be served warm in the winter, with cold alternatives such as gazpacho, which is made from tomatoes and peppers, remaining a popular choice throughout the summer.

Rice, Rice And More Rice!
Rice is certainly part of the staple Spanish diet, and whilst the regional Paella Valenciana, combining rice, chicken, seafood, green beans, olive oil, saffron and seasoning, is a firm favourite in most households and the chef’s specialty in all good restaurants, this is not the only recommended rice dish in Orihuela! Others which you should expect to come across include “Arroz a banda”, where the rice is slowly cooked in fish stock, with a little fish, peppers and garlic. The secret to this dish is in good quality rice and freshly made stock, and if cooked properly some will argue that it is a tastier alternative to paella.  In fact, if you asked a bar full of locals, which was their preferred choice, you could quickly start a heated debate over the contentious topic! “Arroz al horno” (oven-baked rice), “Arroz negro” (black rice with squid in inky sauce), “Arroz y costra (rice cooked with sausage and beaten eggs then baked in the oven), “Arroz y serranas” (rice with snails) and “Arros amb fesols i naps” which combines a moist rice with mixed beans and turnips, are all popular rice based recipes. Locals will also serve their own take on the creamy Italian rice dish, risotto, to which restaurants will usually add mushrooms for a simple, yet tasty vegetarian option.

A Treat for Meat Lovers
As far as meat is concerned, Oriolan’s love nothing more than a plate full of juicy cuts, the bigger the better. Various cuts of steak are available at most restaurants, and be aware that they will be served medium rare unless you specify otherwise! Pork chops are a firm favourite, and you will also find the thin cut lomo steaks appearing on most daily menus. Lamb is relatively expensive on the Spanish coast, and the chops small compared to those sold in the UK, so for a lamb dish you are best to think big and opt for a knuckle. Poultry is less popular, although you can usually find a chicken dish of some description on most restaurant menus, often slow roasted with onions, peppers, tomatoes and olive oil. Orihuela is particularly proud of its local sausages, “salchichas” which along with the typical spicy chorizo and salchichon, also include black pudding specialties such as “morcilla de verano”, “morcilla de cebolla”, “morcilla de pícaro”, “morcón” and the white and red variety, “blanco, longaniza blanca y roja”.

Fresh From The Sea
Lying only a stone’s throw away from the coast, Orihuela is a great place to sample some of the country’s freshest and tastiest fish and seafood dishes. The more up market fish restaurants will have the day’s catch on display in large glass tanks, allowing diners to pick out their dinner, while it is still moving- now you cannot get fresher than that! Aside from those dishes which are combined with rice, seafood is often served alone with bread and salad. Typical fish choices include salmon, swordfish, hake, sole and panga, with the most popular cooking methods being grilled, baked in salt or in a creamy sauce.

De Tapeo
Being located within a traditional city, the majority of bars in Orihuela serve the typically Spanish nibble- tapas, with heading out for tapas being one of the most popular pastimes and a great way to socialize and meet new people. It is a tradition that is sorely lacking in other cultures including British, whereby as long as they are kept fed and watered, people are happy to stay out and chat until the sun goes down, even on a weeknight! Busier bars will often have their own signature dish that is a twist on an old favourite, and some even offer a varied tapas menu with about twenty nibbles to choose from. Meanwhile, smaller establishments may have between five and eight dishes displayed in a chiller, which are altered daily. These might include various types of salad, such as Russian, crabstick, tomato and olive oil or potato based recipes; along with Swiss chard fried with garlic, Spanish omelete made with broad beans, spicy sausage, potato omelete, pork in tomato sauce, and a variety of croquettes. The nibbles are usually served with a slice or two of crusty bread to mop up the sauces (or soak up the alcohol as desired!)

Something Sweet
In spite of the fact that most Spaniards will not say no to a tasty treat, baking is a relatively new industry to Orihuela. The few bakeries that do exist here still rely upon trusted Arabic traditions, which they use to create a multitude of handcrafted sweet delights. Exquisite cakes and pastries such as the pasteles de Gloria (meringues), zamarras, chatos (buns filled with dried fruit), pezuñas, valarinos, and tortadas de yema (which are made with egg yolks) are just a few of the local specialties. The bakeries will usually alter their produce in accordance with the time of year, and cater for any special fiestas taking place within the region, introducing for example, bolas de San Antón, almojábanas and paparajotes (both types of fried pastry) and buñuelos por Adviento (buns for Advent). Yemas and acarameladas are typically sold over Easter, whilst gachas con arrope y calabazate are symbolic of All Saints Day; and toñas, polverones and mantecados are available during the lead up to Christmas. These are all best teamed with one of Alicante province’s award winning muscatel wines or liqueurs, particularly during fiesta times, when it would be rather rude not to!