Top 5 Valencia Province Food & Drink: A Tasty Review

Valencia Province, it’s almost like this shining jewel located right on Spain’s eastern coast, isn’t just very pretty beaches and sunshine. It’s a place very, very rich culture and history, and arguably most amazing thing of all, an absolutely stunning food scene. I want to talk you through some seriously standout culinary experiences, so if you want to discover the authentic flavors of Valencia, grab your appetite, that because we’re about to tuck in.

1. Paella Valenciana: More Than Just Rice

Paella Valenciana, of course a dish you just can’t avoid talking about when visiting the Valencia region, tends to be viewed as the ultimate representation of Valencian cuisine. A lot of people reckon paella’s simply yellow rice with seafood, and frankly, that’s quite far from the authentic recipe. Traditionally, that perfect paella includes rice (usually Bomba rice), rabbit, chicken, snails (very optional for squeamish eaters), green beans (judías verdes), great big white beans (garrofó), saffron, and rosemary, that, while not always included, really gives this dish the magic something. Cooking this masterpiece requires you to use a special paella pan, over an open fire too, that because, in a way it allows the flavors to develop in a really deep, smoky fashion. Every bite provides such rich depth and authentic flavors; each ingredient combining wonderfully. Don’t get fooled by tourist trap versions – seek places that locals frequent; there’s one particular little restaurant in the countryside (I’m not going to disclose that though!) where you can find paella cooked using an original recipe passed down across families. Paella is something that gets the families and friends around a big pan on a Sunday afternoon.

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2. Horchata and Fartons: A Sweet Symphony

Horchata de Chufa is definitely one of those quintessential Valencian beverages created using tiger nuts (chufas), more or less something I reckon that you wouldn’t typically stumble upon in any other part of Spain. You can compare it, in some respects, to a milky drink that shows off such a unique earthy taste. That perfect glass of horchata must be served very cold. It makes a wonderful pairing if eaten alongside a fartón. Fartons can only be described as those long, thin pastries, that tends to be sweet, and sort of made to get dunked into horchata. Soaking your fartons inside the horchata provides a fantastic combination which delivers, I tell you, the true flavors associated with Valencia. I sometimes think they are just too sweet. If you want one experience you can not afford to miss, locate a local horchatería; some of them often include locations in the Mercado Central, and there savor what probably feels like a uniquely delightful, traditional treat. Trust me, a sweet harmony exists like no other here.

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3. Agua de Valencia: Valencia’s Sparkling Secret

That Agua de Valencia drink offers a spirited cocktail created to make you dance into the night; created very, very originally inside the Cafe Madrid all the way back 1959. Cava or Champagne forms its base, and, it tends to be blended with orange juice, vodka, and gin. It’s arguably served inside a pitcher and afterwards poured in stages into champagne glasses. This produces such an extremely delicious but yet quite strong beverage – sip very carefully! Any good bar will be able to serve you with a great jug of this drink; make sure that you have good friends around to have the optimum drinking fun, in a way it turns into the ideal start of an amazing Spanish night. As a matter of fact it became the drink of celebrations of people from Valencia.

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4. Esgarraet: Simplicity at Its Finest

Esgarraet represents something fairly easy but wonderfully traditional tapa widely loved all around Valencia. Esgarraet involves salt cod (bacalao), roasted red peppers, garlic, and you toss that with lots of amazing olive oil, so you basically get an explosion of flavors, the smokiness coming from these peppers mixing in the salty bacalao! Sometimes, they are usually serve that with bread to scoop every bit of it all, I’d really urge one to find that authentic tapas bar to savor its distinctive flavors, as a matter of fact it’s definitely considered something simple in execution that leaves an permanent taste upon the palate, in the very, very best way possible. Every small taste of these amazing tastes leaves one requiring more; it may well be best coupled alongside regional wines.

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5. Turrón de Jijona: A Sweet Legacy

You almost can’t miss Turrón from Jijona once you decide to stay a few days around Christmas – more or less such is Valencia’s traditional festive treat, a variety including the famous soft almond nougat. Turrón de Jijona it tends to be produced making use of almonds sourced very locally, combined alongside honey and egg white, to that very smooth, rich confectionery which tastes similar to marzipan heaven when put inside one’s taste buds, like your very own, in a way that it’s quite addictive. I want to emphasize that in Valencia its presence is almost throughout, not merely at Christmastime even. Visit Jijona, and in some respects you’ll see how turrón has existed for centuries in some factories; many local stores make the traditional turrón recipes their specialty product. It’s more or less great getting consumed at that special celebration but more-so becomes such awesome souvenir! So in case that appeals to you make the purchase decision to indulge on some pieces; give family or friends back at the homeland such amazing flavor surprises that derive solely only only out from Valencia!

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