Food and Drink

Not everything is Paella and Rice...

The interested tourist will be surprised about the enormous variety of the popular Costa Blanca cooking. Far behind the paella and the rice dishes, that dominate the culinary scene, you will find many other traditional dishes which are just as delicious, even if they are not as well known. Both urban and rural recipes, they have been perfected by time and by local wisdom, some of them dating back to remote periods of history.
Thus, there are artichokes from the Vega Baja, bagged dessert grapes from the Vinalopó district, medlars from Callosa, mountain cherries from Alicante, bell peppers from Guardamar, dates from Elx and oranges and lemons from countless orchards dotted throughout the region – this is just a brief list of the select repertoire of fine foods and typical products from the Land of Valencia.

Apart from the well known Paella Valenciana exist countless variations on a rice base and the paella-type rice can be prepared with chicken or rabbit or both, with shellfish, fish of various kinds, or with vegetables only. Very delicious is the fideuá, a paella based on noodles instead of rice.

Fish and shellfish in the Land of Valencia are usually prepared in uncomplicated yet mouth-watering ways: baked in the oven, hot from the grill, done over charcoal, lightly fried, or cooked in succulent yet simple stews.

As dessert or sweet the turron is well known. None other than the nougat-like turrones from Xixona and Alicante, made from the abundance of almonds and honey produced in various districts of the province. Turrón comes in hard and soft versions, accompanied by marzipan and cookies.

Using monastrell and tempranillo grapes, to which other varieties have been added, Alicante province manages to achieve very straightforward, fruity wines with medium bodies and outstanding tannin levels. There is a famous Alejandría muscatel wine, some very pleasing white wines, either dry or sweet, and fragrant fruity wines. Modern sweet muscatels from La Marina Alta are the pride of the district.
Another quality Alicante wine is called Fondillón, a typical old maderised white wine with a high alcohol content, rich and red in its early stages, but turning amber following barrel maturation, made from grapes drenched by the sun and held up on cane supports, some of which are also ideal as dessert grapes.