Typical products

Cured salted fish is used as the main ingredient for making many types of “salazones” featuring products such as mojama (dried salted tuna), roe, ventresca de atún (tuna belly), the tonyina de sorra type of tuna, herring, etc, and which are served as appetisers. Alicante is also renowned for its savoury snacks known as “cocas saladas” made with tuna or sardines, and its “esmorzaret alacantí” based on salted sardines, fried egg and chilli peppers.

The Mediterranean Sea provides the freshest possible fish and shellfish, of the most quality, which are a must for all visitors, as are the red shrimps from Alicante and the king prawns, crayfish, squid, red mullet, and many other types of seafood.

Small stuffed rolls, typical of this area, which combine meats and salted fish and have become popular throughout the rest of Spain.

Many dishes combine rice with different ingredients such as vegetables, meat or fish. Worthy of special mention are the arroz a bandarice dish with seafood, arroz a la alicantinarice dish with chicken and shellfish, caldero (typical dish of Tabarca Island), arroz caldosobrothy rice dish and the popular olletarice dish with meat and vegetables.

Great local drinks include the red wines with their double layer and intense colour, the young rose and white wines made from grapes of the Monastrell, Vermeta or Garnacha varieties and el Fondillón, a world-famous aged wine from Alicante. To accompany the montaditos we have, la “paloma” y el “cantabria”, which are a traditional drink based on dry aniseed and very cold water, and a herb liqueur, respectively.

These include aniseed rolls known as rollitos de anís, la coca boba -which is a sweet spongy biscuit, dates and dried fruits. That’s not to mention the famousice creams and the turrón de Jijona nougat or the delicious chocolate from neighbouring Villajoyosa.