Rutas Gastronomicas

n o g a r A i a Va l e n c Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………4 The Denominations of Origin routes The wine route ……………………………………………………………………6 The cava route ……………………………………………………………………10 The olive oil route …………………………………………………………………12 The produce routes The seafood route…………………………………………………………………16 The rural produce route ……………………………………………………………18 The mountain and forest produce route ……………………………………………20 The livestock produce route ………………………………………………………22 The poultry route …………………………………………………………………24 Gastronomic map of Catalonia …………………………………………………26 The craft foods routes The sausages route ………………………………………………………………28 The cheese route …………………………………………………………………30 The pantry route …………………………………………………………………32 The routes of trades and tradition The traditional cuisine route ………………………………………………………34 The pastries route …………………………………………………………………36 The markets route…………………………………………………………………38 The food trades route ……………………………………………………………40 The museums route ………………………………………………………………42 Directory ………………………………………………………………………46 The gastronomic heritage of Catalonia Catalonia has an extraordinary cultural heritage and landscape, but it is also one of the world's main gastronomic destinations. Its cuisine is a driving force for tourism because Catalonia has a substantial supply of high-quality culinary products and services. Thus, our country's gastronomy is a first-rate asset and adds value to the rest of what the country has to offer. oistening a piece of toasted bread by rubbing it with a very mature tomato Mcut in half, drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil and then adding a pinch of salt is, for those who come from abroad, one of the best introductions to the cuisine of the country. Pa amb tomàquet is, surely, the traditional food most com- monly eaten by Catalans, even though it is a rel- atively new dish since tomatoes arrived from the Americas only a little more than five centuries ago. But the simplicity of this dish's ingredients is not entirely representative of the richness of the country's cuisine. A visit to Catalan markets - each town has its own - shows the diversity of indige- nous products; there you can find peppers, cher- ries, strawberries, oranges, endives, mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, sardines, prawns, veal… A splendid showcase of fresh food that varies with each season of the year. A FAVOURITE DESTINATION Aside from the quality and richness of Catalan produce, over the past few years Catalonia has become an international culinary reference point thanks to its innovative cuisine. Food lovers from around the world have come, for example, to enjoy the dishes made by the three-star Catalan chefs Ferran Adrià in Roses, Santi Santamaria in Sant Celoni and Carme Ruscalleda in Sant Pol. Other Catalan chefs have also been working hard to raise Catalan cuisine up to its superb present level. This is one of the reasons why Catalonia has become the desti- 4 nation of choice for lovers of fine cuisine. 16 ROUTES TO GET A FLAVOUR OF THE COUNTRY There are unlimited possibilities for travelling around Catalonia and learning about its leading products, its most traditional dishes and its most emblematic gastronomic museums. From the fish markets on the Costa Brava to the craft cheese dairies in the Pyrenees, and taking in the wineries in El Penedès, the calçots (blanched onion shoots) fields of Valls and the small embotit (sausage) shops in Osona, there is a whole culinary world to discover. Here you will find a fine selection of what the counties of Catalonia have to offer in the way of gastronomic tourism. There are a total of 16 thematic routes divided into four large sections: the routes of the DOs (denominations of origin), the produce routes, the craft foods routes and the trades and traditions routes. Each section has its own directory with practical information about establishments, visits and information centres. We hope you enjoy them! 5 The wine route Catalonia is Spain’s leading producer of quality wines, and one of the most important wine producing areas in Europe. Wine has been a feature of our landscape since ancient times. Catalonia has eleven denominations of origin: DO Alella, DO Catalunya, DO Conca de Barberà, DO Costers del Segre, DO Empordà-Costa Brava, DO Montsant, DO Penedès, DO Pla de Bages, DO Priorat, DO Tarragona and DO Terra Alta. If you want to find out about the exciting world of Catalan vine growing and wine making, take a trip round the towns and villages, wineries, specialised establishments and museums to be found throughout Catalonia. PENEDÈS Penedès that have strong wine making At many wine making centres in the traditions. A good example is El Pla de Penedès DO visitors can learn about Bages DO, which has won international what happens to the grapes from when awards in recent years. There are they arrive at the winery to when they wineries that offer tours, such as the are made into wine. Many of these cen- Celler Cooperatiu d’Artés, the Masies tres are featured in the Wine and Cava d’Avinyó winery in Santa Maria Routes, a network of itineraries that are d’Horta d’Avinyó, and the Jaume part of the wine tourism project of the Andreu winery. An excursion through Alt Penedès Consortium for the Pro- the area will also show visitors the motion of Tourism. Other wine tourism old vineyard huts - small, simple stone options include staying in rural tourism structures that were used by local peas- houses on estates where wine is made ant farmers to store their tools. The or visiting the two information centres administrative headquarters of the DO that are in the area: the Vineyard and Regulating Council is the Casa de la Culla Wine Workshop (l’Aula de la Vinya i el in Manresa, an old farmhouse where Vi) in Sant Pere Molanta, and the wine tasting courses are also given. Wine Museum (Museu del Vi)in Mareseme is home to the Alella DO, the Vilafranca del Penedès. smallest denomination area in Catalonia. The Can Magarola farmhouse in Alella PLA DE BAGES AND ALELLA is the administrative headquarters of the 6 There are areas in addition to El DO and also houses a wine museum. Wine and cava show In 1980, the Catalan Institute of Vines and Wine (Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi) held the first Catalan Wine and Cava Show and it has now become one of the traditional activities of Barcelona’s Festa Major festival, held during the month of September. This event is one of the most important for viticulture enthusiasts, yet it is not the only one. Others that are held in Catalonia include grape harvest festivals in Sitges and Bellmunt de Priorat, wine festivals in Alella and Batea, and wine and cava shows in L’Empordà and Falset. One country, twelve Denominations of Origin • At present there are twelve protected Vines and Wine), an organisation with 180 million bottles sold annually. Denominations of Origin around Catalonia, registered with the Department of The industry employs about 22,000 some of which are small while others cross Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of people, has more than 400 wineries, county lines. The first ten are: Penedès DO, Pla the Catalan government (Generalitat de Cata- and is the third most important sector in de Bages DO, Alella DO, Priorat DOQ., Mont- lunya), controls and manages the system for Catalan agriculture. sant DO, Conca de Barberà DO, Tarragona DO, protection of quality wines, as well as experi- Terra Alta DO, Costers del Segre DO, and mentation in the area of viniculture and oenol- • The varieties of grapes traditional to Empordà-Costa Brava DO. ogy, the organisation of courses for profession- young wines, which come from the last vin- als in the sector, and product promotion. tage, are Chardonnay, White Sauvignon and • The eleventh Denomination of Macabeu, for white wines, and Tempranillo Origin is Cava DO, which will be dealt with • Over the years, the production, develop- (ull de llebre) for red wines. Crianza wines are separately, owing to the importance that cava ment and marketing of Catalan viticulture full-bodied wines that have been aged in an has acquired in the last few years. The last DO products have given them a leading position oak barrel. The Gran Reserves come from the is the Catalunya DO, which covers all of in international markets. Nowadays, Catalonia best vintages and are normally aged for sev- Catalonia. The INCAVI (Catalan Institute of is Spain’s largest producer of quality wine, eral years in the barrel. 7 PRIORAT AND MONTSANT demarcation. The histories and tra- The wines from the Priorat DOQ ditions of all three are closely (Qualified Denomination of Origin) entwined with wine and a variety of and the Montsant DO are increasing- viticulture visits can be made, espe- ly well-known, and their reputation cially to the Modernist wineries built and quality have already made their by the architect Cèsar Martinell. Several mark abroad. Wine experts from around co-operatives created at the beginning of the world come to visit to find out the the 20th century in La Conca de Barberà reason for their high quality. On a trip have wineries of this type, such as the through the Priorat DOQ a must-see are Pira, Montblanc, Barberà de la Conca the Cartoixa d’Scala Dei ruins at the and Rocafort de Queralt co-operatives. foot of the Montsant mountain range. In Just to the south lies the Tarragona DO the Montsant DO, which covers part of where one can visit the Muller winery in The wine stores El Priorat and La Ribera d’Ebre, a visit Reus and the Tous Andreu winery in to the Capçanes winery, where among Pont d’Armentera close to the Santes To taste or buy the wines from each other high quality wines kosher wine is Creus monastery. Also nearby is the Celler DO, it is worth visiting one of the made in accordance with Jewish tradi- de Nulles, a winery built by Cèsar specialised establishments to be tion, is highly recommended.

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