ALICANTE, CIUDAD DEL ARROZ

Alicante, the City of Rice

STEWS

In Alicante’s soups and stews, the sea and its vegetable gardens take centre stage alongside legumes and rice creating dishes that taste
like tradition and memories. 

One of Alicante’s most representative stews is undoubtedly the olleta. Its main ingredients are lentils, haricot beans, rice, vegetables and
pork ribs, although each chef gives it his or her personal touch influenced by their own individual roots. Puchero or cocido, as it is traditionally known, is deeply rooted in Alicante and is cooked with veal, free-range chicken, blanquet, a traditional cold meat, and meatballs. Saffron threads are a must.

Haricot beans with pigs feet (judias con manitas) and flatbread with rabbit or seafood such as grouper or prawns (gazpachos con conejo, mero o gambas), are some of Alicante’s most popular dishes that are eaten with a spoon.

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Alicante Bay supplies the freshest and tastiest fish and seafood to the city’s different eating establishments. They are used to make the most traditional recipes as well as the most sophisticated. In addition, they are essential for the elaboration of broths and fumets that serve as the basis for the famous rice dishes and fish stews of Alicante.

Some of the most characteristic fish in the area are the anchovy, sardine, red mullet, four-spot megrim, dentex, Bluefin tuna, cod, hake, bream, and sea bass but many other marine species can also be found depending on the time of year. Also characteristic of the region are certain varieties of cephalopods present in the numerous dishes of Alicante’s gastronomy, such as the cuttlefish, squid or octopus. The red prawn, langoustine, and caridean prawn all seafood species that predominate in Alicante’s gastronomic selection.

SALT CURED FISHES

The origin of salting dates back to the Bronze Age, however, it is still widely used today as a method to preserve fish (in addition to other
foods) by partially dehydrating the product, reinforcing its flavour and inhibiting certain bacteria. It is performed with salt or brines, although depending on the type of salting, other species are also added such as paprika, peppers, dill… Essentially, salting is a method
that has been preserved throughout the years.

Although any fish can be cured by salting, the most common products are listed below: 

• Roe: as delicious as it is healthy and nutritious, it is one of the most typical salt products in the city due to the wide variety available. Tuna or ling are the most typical varieties, but we can also find roe from other varieties such as mullet, hake, albacore or croaker.
• Mojama (Salt-cured tuna): an exquisite delicacy that when drizzled with a good extra virgin olive oil, becomes a succulent Appetizer. The type of mojama depends on the part of the tuna from which it is extracted, extra-grade mojama (belly loin), first-grade mojama (taken from the central spine) or solomillo which is the thinnest part of the tuna.
• Cod: flakes, tails, loins or tasty cocochas (cod cheek). Salt cod is also a very common ingredient in the dishes of Alicante’s gastronomy.

Sardines, albacore and frigate mackerel are among the other salt fish that you will find as you delve into the restaurants, traditional markets and shops of Alicante. 

Alicante’s seaside spirit undoubtedly penetrates its gastronomy, in an ancestral and historical way, through these food preservation methods that are passed down from generation to generation.

LAS COCAS

One of Alicante’s most typical products is its coca bread. Made mainly with a mixture of flour, oil and water that serve to create the dough, which can be combined with tuna, sardines, vegetables or even cold meats to create delicious cocas, the perfect snack for any time of day. The most widely known are the coca de mollitas and coca amb tonyina.

Coca de mollitas: one of the most traditional cocas of Alicante’s gastronomy. The base is made of a thin, crunchy flour pastry. The top layer is a denser and softer crumble which results in its unique texture and flavour. You can find different variations of this recipe made with puff pastry, bread or even chocolate to emphasise the contrast of the sweet and salty flavours.

Coca amb tonyina: is an emblematic dish of the Bonfires of Saint John that can be found at any racó, barraca or restaurant during this festival celebrated in Alicante. It is made from tuna belly and onion and, according to the most deeply rooted tradition, it is a must-have during the “Plantá” (Set up) of the Bonfires next to “les bacores” (the figs). Alicante’s bakeries make thousands of cocas for
consumption during the month of June, but they can also be found throughout the year in many of the local establishments. They are also typically served during family gatherings, the Moors and Christians festival or during the famous Pilgrimage of Santa Faz (Veil of Veronica)

EL TURRÓN

Alicante’s sweet par excellence is without a doubt its turrón (nougat). It is a completely handcrafted, exquisite sweet. “Alicante” turrón must contain at least 10% honey and 60% almonds, essential requirements for it to carry the “Alicante” and “Jijona” Turrones’ Designation of Origin whose Regulatory Council ensures that the quality of the nougat is exceptional. To prepare Alicante-style turrón, first, the nuts are roasted in rotating drums. When the almonds reach their roasting point, diluted egg white is added as a whitener to achieve the so-called “soft-ball stage”.

The honey used must be from the Region of Valencia, heated and added to the toasted almonds by stirring the mixture with wooden
spatulas. The resulting mixture is poured into moulds in the form of drawers coated with wafers called “pan de ángel” (angel’s bread).