THE OLDEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD IS IN MADRID & OTHER LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT SPAIN
When it comes to gastronomy, Spain is one country that has justifiable bragging rights. Not that we Filipinos need any convincing. As its former colony, we are well aware of Spain’s culinary proclivities and have been very much influenced by it. However, as it turns out, there’s much more to Spain than what is commonly known.
At a recent dinner held in Gallery by Chele, Marta Fernandez, the new tourism counselor of the Embassy of Spain and the director of the Spain Tourism Board for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, gave a comprehensive presentation of the many factors that make Spain outstanding in food production. Here are just some of them:
Did you know that Spain is the world’s biggest producer of olive oil? In the realm of olive oil production, Spain is considered royalty. It accounts for half of the global production of olive oil and 46 percent of exports. Spain has a whopping 235 varieties of grapes (not including those that haven’t been identified). Many special types of grapes, such as tempranillo, garnacha, verdejo and albariño are used to produce some of the best Spanish wines.
Spain has 969,000 hectares of vineyards, which are more than those in France and Italy. There are around 4,300 wineries in Spain and most of them export their wines to 189 countries worldwide.
Spain is the largest producer of figs in Western Europe. The town of Almoharin in the county of Montanchez y Tamuja stands out in fig growing.
The region of Castilla-La Mancha produces the highest volume of saffron in Spain. Saffron is considered the most expensive spice in the world. It’s an absolute must when making paella.
Speaking of paella, this sumptuous rice dish originated in the fields of Valencia. Cooked outdoors in a wide, shallow pan, the first paella contained anything that they could pick, catch, trap or harvest. These ingredients included forest mushrooms, rice, snails, rabbit, rosemary, artichokes and, of course, saffron.
Every region in Spain has its own rendition of paella. In Valencia, they use bomba rice. This type of rice has short, fat grains that can absorb the flavors of the broth while still remaining firm and separate (not mushy). Bomba rice is cultivated mainly in Valencia and Murcia.
Spain is well known for its cochinillo, roasted suckling pig with golden-brown crispy skin, and marvelously tender meat laced with pinches of fat to make every bite moist and juicy. The meat is so tender that servers often use just the edge of a plate to slice it. Some would even recite a poem while slicing the cochinillo, said Spain Tourism Board market analyst Vien Sarmiento.
Restaurante Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world (founded in 1725), is located in Madrid. Crowds of tourists and customers often line up outside its doors, hoping to get in, but the place is often full. Best to make reservations weeks ahead. (Call +34913664217 or check their website.) The prices are reasonable: hors d’oeuvres cost from 11 to 26 euros; an order of the famous cochinillo is 27.50 euros, and costs about the same as the roast baby lamb. There’s also a set menu that includes soup, cochinillo, bread, ice cream and half a bottle of wine for 45.80 euros. (Note: Prices may change.)
The crowning glory of Spanish gastronomy is no doubt its Jamon Iberico. The finest grade of this ham comes from black-footed pigs (pata negra), which graze in the pastures of Extremadura, near the border of Portugal. The pigs scamper around freely in the open fields of the dehesa region, feeding only on acorns that fall from age-old oak trees. The resulting ham has a rich, nutty flavor, its translucent fat woven across meltingly tender meat. Studies have shown that this fat is good for the health because it’s monosaturated fat and contains oleic acid, which is known to lower cholesterol levels as well as the risk of heart disease.
Spain has a rich and diverse variety of cheeses, with each region having its own specialty. Spanish cheeses are made either from cow, sheep or goat’s milk, or a combination of these. Among the most notable are Manchego, Cabrales, Mahon, Majorero, and Idiazabal.
All that talk about food made everyone hungry, but we couldn’t complain, because soon enough we were served a sumptuous dinner that included Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus in black ink aioli); pescaditos frito (upscale fried dilis); gambas al ajillo; dorado (with pepitoria and saffron); paella, and crisp, scrumptious cochinillo.
For dessert we had tarta de queso (cheesecake made with Manchego) garnished with figs. Not only was the menu a noteworthy representation of the best in Spanish cuisine, but every dish was a dazzling masterpiece in flavor and presentation. They reminded me so much of the marvelous food I’ve tasted during my visits to Spain (triggering in me a longing to return).
The gambas, in particular, reminded me of an excellent dish I once had in a place called La Casa del Abuelo in Madrid, which is well known for its tapas. The pinkish-orange shrimps were served in a terracotta dish, immersed in sizzlinghot olive oil, with specks of garlic and spices to create multiple layers of succulence, flavor and texture. I’ve since tried to recreate this dish at home, to somewhat abbreviated success. To approximate it, try the recipe below. Better yet, the next time you’re in Madrid, include La Casa del Abuelo on your list of must-tries (they have a website).
Somehow, in Spain, the gambas taste so much richer and more flavorful than anywhere else, probably because of the olive oil they use. I suspect that, while Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, the Spaniards still keep the best olive oil for themselves.