Gastronomy of the interior of Alicante
In these cold winter days, in all the houses of Alicante you can enjoy a typical winter gastronomy: rice, ‘calderos’, pucheros and sweets that help us combat the cold temperatures and are a cultural heritage.
Today we want to invite you to know the typical dishes of the villages of the interior, its products and its tradition. Places like Castalla, Alcoy, Jijona and many others where there is never lack of good food at the table. And no, we’re not just talking about rice. There is much more variety in the gastronomy of Alacant.
A good stew from Alicante
Stews made from chicken, rabbit, partridge, quail and other meats are very common in the counties of the interior. If you travel to the capital of the Costa Blanca and want to do gastronomic tourism, you can not miss the ‘pot with ball’, which are served daily in most restaurants. It is a delicious broth that is accompanied with a meat ball and that will help you to face the cold.
If you can tour the interior populations, another stew that you should try is the ‘pot of Jijona’, which is made with fasiuras, which are large balls of meat with bread. In Castalla are their gazpachos that will leave you astonished. They are made with different meats, herbs such as prebella and mushrooms, and are served on a large bread cake that the whole table shares. Here you have to put the spoon if you do not want to be left with nothing!
If you prefer rice stews, in the beautiful Alcoy, a mountain town famous for its Moorish and Christian festivities, you can taste its particular ‘olleta’. It is made with beans, peas, pork and blood sausage.
You can also find a very typical product of this area: sausages. Black or white sausages, sobrasada (the Tárbena is spectacular) or the spicy ones that taste so much in Villena and Pinoso.
Typical desserts from Alicante
If you are in town or you are planning to come soon, you will discover that Alacant is a land with a fascinating pastry tradition. The typical sweet is, of course, the nougat (Turrón). And it is not a dessert reserved only for Christmas: you can find it throughout the year, handmade, with many varieties and flavors. And if you want to know the cradle of the nougat, Jijona, you have a fantastic museum to visit and the historic turroneras factories also organize guided tours.
But you will be surprised to know that the province also has a long tradition of chocolate, based mainly in Villajoyosa, where one of the most recognized and highest quality chocolate brands in Spain is produced.
From ‘torrat’ and ‘orelletes’ (an ear-shaped sweet) to anise rolls, ‘almojábanas’, ‘coca sila’, fig bread, cakes of sweet potatoes or of ‘Glory’ (mixed with marzipan and yolk), even the ice cream, of which Alicante has one of the largest industries in the country. For breakfast or snack we recommend the ‘toña’, a sweet bread flavored with lemon juice and that is usually eaten with a good ounce of chocolate.
And of course … the rice
It was the Romans and their empire who brought this valued grain to Valencian and Alicante lands, and the Muslims of Al-Ándalus who implanted their cultivation and production in a professional way. How it was not going to be our star product!
In all cities and towns in the interior, incredible paellas are cooked, both meat and fish, although the latter are more typical of coastal towns in the province. They are made of meat and vegetables, ‘senyoret’ (with cuttlefish and fish), seafood and many other variants.
Accompany everything with a good wine D.O. Alicante and enjoy a unique experience. From BeAlicante we recommend that you do not miss any of the typical Alacant dishes. The food is the perfect excuse for travelling and sightseeing the gastronomic culture of this amazing area.
