Man Alive: Food
EAT AND DRINK LIKE A LOCAL
TEXT ANDREW CATCHPOLE
PHOTO PHOTOLIBRARY
Our globe-trotting gourmet stops off in Spain and finds there’s more to Valencian food than paella
Streetstyle Valencia
Buzzing with a youthful vibrancy, full of stylish and cosmopolitan locals, and boasting a rich cultural history clearly visible in an architecture spanning the Moorish, the modernist, the gothic, and the baroque, Valencia is an often overlooked jewel on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean – or Levante – coast. As with many of the world’s other enticing gastronomic destinations, it’s a place where climate and history are deeply woven into the cuisine.
The rich huerta (fertile land) surrounding Valencia is among the most productive in Iberia, covered with rice paddies, vines, pepper bushes, fruit, nut and olive trees, saffron crocuses, and fields of chickpeas, lentils, beans, beans and more beans; all testament to the waves of agricultural imports from the Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and others. Add into the pot a myriad of seafood – from shellfish and crustacea to local favourites squid and octopus by way of John Dory, red mullet, bass and bream – and you’ll begin to get a sense of the building blocks of Valencian cooking. Now sprinkle the mix with pine nuts, honey, sea salt, fruity olive oil or sweet paprika and, taste buds tingling in anticipation, you’re ready to dive in.
Locally Grown beans are
a key staple of the
regional cusine
Without question the culinary global celebrity here is paella but this shouldn’t put you off sampling the wealth of other regional arroz (rice) dishes such as arroz abanda, cooked in the juices of shellfish which are then eaten separately. Paella itself is a movable feast, with as many recipes as there are villages and towns but, as a rule of thumb, expect seafood on the coast and chicken, rabbit and even snails inland. They say that the best examples come from the countryside just outside Valencia and I must say that my own paella epiphany came at the private home of a wine-maker in the hills overlooking the shimmering city. Mountains of saffron-yellowed bomba rice laden (but not over-laden) with toothsome chunks of rabbit and chicken and spiked with white beans were brought to the table, providing the ultimate in sensational comfort food. Frustratingly, no matter how many times I’ve tried, I’ve never been quite able to perfect this simple-seeming recipe back at home.
Paella is Valencia’s
celebrity dish but no two
places use the same recipe
Beyond rice, seafood is the real reason to eat out in this port city. Look out for tender chipirones (whole baby squid), tender, juicy-fleshed white fish like gallo de San Pedro (John Dory) baked whole in a salt crust, and the amazing spicy shellfish stew zarzuela de mariscos.
For confirmed carnivores there is rabbit, sausage, jamón (cured ham), lamb (especially good if you can find milk-fed lamb cutlets grilled over open fires) and flavoursome local pork, often combined with beans in rich stews and other filling dishes. And don’t miss the turrón, a creamy, chewy nougat that is often flavoured with honey and nuts and makes a perfect end to a meal with a chilled glass of the local sweet Moscatel de Valencia.
Valencia is justly
famed for it citrus
fruit
There are little tascas (tapas bars) tucked away down side-streets all over town but favourite Valencian foodie destinations include the fantastically atmospheric Mercado Central on Plaza del Mercado (Europe’s largest food market), La Catedral del Jamón on the corner of Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the bustling restaurant strip of Calle los Caballeros. For daytime snacks try
It would be a shame not to sample at least one paella while you’re here, so head for the seafood temple of La Pepica (Paseo Neptuno 2–8, +34 96 371 0366) where Valencia’s more discerning eaters and even the King of Spain come to dine. For more more contemporary cooking try the hip Seu-Xerea (Calle Conde de Almodóvar 4, +34 96 392 4000) whose fusion-style dishes include Burmese-style suckling pig.
On the drinks front, Valencia has no shortage of bars and the Carmen district is particularly lively. Agua de Valencia is the local cocktail, made from Cava with gin, vodka or Cointreau and topped up with fresh orange juice, but look out for regional wines the best of which are from Yecla, Jumilla and the tongue-twisting Utiel-Requena, all inland from the city. Given how much cheaper it is to drink in Spain it’s always well worth spending a little more and exploring the best local producers have to offer.
BEST BUY
IN VALENCIA
In the heat, it’s well worth developing the Valencian taste for rosado (rosé), which can be a delightfully tangy thirst-quencher and also works well with a wide range of tapas and seafood.
Fresh, zingy whites are made from Malvasia and the indigenous Merseguera grape, and make for uncomplicated thirst-quenching drinking.
Lighter joven (young) reds made from Garnacha, Monastrell and Tempranillo tend to have bright, easy drinking styles.
For a more full-on vinous experience, perhaps with big meaty bean-laden dishes, try the reserva wines or Levante specialty Borbal that packs a juicy punch in the glass.
Valencia itself is best known for luscious sweet wines made from Moscatel and no one should go home without trying this sticky delight with the local turrón (nougat).
AT HOME
The rich and vibrant Monasterio de Santa Ana Monastrell 2006, Jumilla (£5.69, Waitrose). A juicy, easy-going bargain is Roblemar Monastrell 2007, Jumilla (£4.29, Sainsbury’s).
For a richer, juicier choice, with a dash of aromatic Garnacha in the blend, go for Altos de la Hoya Monastrell (£6.99, Oddbins).
Try the lush, sticky Moscatel de Valencia (£3.59, Sainsbury’s) with strawberries.
AND ONLINE…
Anyone looking to explore the wines of the Levante should get in touch with Spanish specialists such as Moreno Wines [www.more-nowines.com] or C&D Wines [www.canddwines.co.uk], both of whom deliver countrywide.
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