Culinary tradition of the Austrias region of Spain
Asturian cuisine
refers to the typical dishes and ingredients found in the cuisine of the
Asturias
region of
Spain
.
Foods
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Asturias is especially known for its seafood, such as fresh
squid
,
crab
,
shrimp
and
sea bass
.
Salmon
are caught in Asturian rivers, notably the
Sella
; the first fish of the season is called
campanu
, a bell tolled to signal the first catch.
Bread
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Spelt
bread (pan d'escanda) is very traditional. Formigos are a type of French toast made with crumbled bread and eggs.
Bollos prenaos
are buns filled with
chorizo
. Pancakes called
frixuelos
, similar to Galician filloas, are typical desserts. Other specialities are made with
cornmeal
, such as
borona
(round loaf of hard bread), the
farines
, farrapes or
papes
(cornmeal porridge), the
rapa
(similar to borona with pieces of bacon inside the dough) and tortos (cornmeal flatbread).
Fruits, vegetables and legumes
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The most common legume in Asturian cuisine is beans ("fabes"), the main element in the iconic
fabada
stew, one of the most well-know Asturian dishes, apart from other dishes such as beans and clams (
fabes con amasueles
). Another rich stew is
pote asturianu
, with cabbage, potatoes, beans and pork products.
Turnips
are found in
pote de nabos
(turnip stew), a typical winter dish, just as
chestnuts
in the more humble
pote de castanes
(chestnut stew). Green beans, peas, potatoes, peppers, cawliflower and other vegetables are also common. Mushrooms from the Asturian forests are also found, such as
fairy ring mushrooms
,
oyster mushrooms
, and
parasol mushrooms
.
Among fruits,
apples
are most important (an indispensable element for making Asturian
cider
, there being several autochthonous varieties). Cherries, strawberries and figs (such as
figos miguelinos
) are also quite typical, as well as chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Cheeses
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Asturian cheeses, especially
Cabrales
, are also famous throughout Spain and beyond; Cabrales is known for its pungent odour and strong flavour. Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" (
el pais de los quesos
) due to the product's diversity and quality in this region. Other famous cheeses are:
Dishes
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The most famous regional dish is
fabada Asturiana
, a rich
stew
made with the Asturian typical large white
beans
(
fabes de la Granja
),
pork
shoulder (
llacon
),
morcilla
,
chorizo
, and
saffron
(
azafran
).
Other major dishes include beans with
clams
(
fabes con almejas
), Asturian stew,
Cachopo
,
frixuelos
, and
rice pudding
.
Beverages
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Apple
groves foster the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a natural
cider
(
sidra
). It is a very dry cider, and unlike French or English natural ciders, uses predominantly acidic apples, rather than sweet or bittersweet. The proportions are: acidic 40%, sub-acidic 30-25%, sweet 10-15%, bittersweet 15-20%, bitter 5%.
[1]
Sidra is traditionally poured in by an expert server (or
escanciador
): the bottle is raised high above his or her head to oxygenate the brew as it moves into the glass below. The glass is also held at a slight angle. A small amount (~120ml) is poured at a time (called a "culin"), as it must be drunk immediately before the sidra loses its carbonation. Any sidra left in the glass is poured onto a woodchip-strewn floor or a trough along the bottom of the bar.
See also
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References
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]
- ^
Museo de la Sidra, Nava (Asturias), Spain.