The Culinary Delights of León: A Journey Through Gastronomic Traditions
If I were not returned or advised, the traveler arrives in Leon and sits at his desk has become familiar with some surprises, because the kitchen is not that Leon is rare or different, than it is in its measure, but here potajeros reconcile all ancestors of the place and all the good that has come on the roads or by the close and neighborly tasty Galician, Asturian or Castilian. Leon, gastronomically, has her own universe and constellations in which they lost to the sagacious fire sniffer flavorings.
The truth is that Leo, being a place of passage and daughter of seven cultures, has had an easy time to storm the tablecloth with all he knows and likes. The story is long in customs or in recipes and this is a land rich in mountains and plains. From the recipe of some medieval and Moorishalmond cakes still made in the workshops of monasteries, until the substance anicarés old broth, it is almost everything. To cite as examples those potatoes with eels and clams that are so held at any inn, so evocative seafaring having no such compromise is known throughout the Cantabrian coast and paradoxically appears to be an invention of dry land.
Let us therefore begin by parties and by the principle which is supported by the Leonese cuisine topic, ie the dried beef, cooked or that the botillo maragato who have heard of up in Pampa or Mexico.
Cured and cooked meats carrier
The jerky is its emblem, the reputation that precedes the kitchen of Leon. The air of the mountains makes special virtues when completing the curing of these meats are usually cow (to eat raw) or goat castrated (to serve entrecalladas). It is believed, however, that the horse jerky, and even more of an ass, than in archaic flavor to the vaccine, but they are certainly difficult or impossible to find nowadays. The Cecina of León is a protected geographical indication whose geographical area includes all municipalities in the province of Leon
The corned beef is cured Leon virtually throughout the province that have something lined the floor, ie, in mountain or hill blowing cold. Teleno winds (Maragatería) or Boca de Huérgano (Riaño) are equally excellent for this purpose.
On the botillo, preaching stressed these days, I must say it is archaic formula whose origins are blurred in the history and geogría, although in the Bierzo is singing his own name. The truth is that this sausage or similar variations have always done in Asturian mountain slopes Leon (hutiello or butiexto call him), in areas of Galicia (androlla) or Laciana and Maragatería (Martin), consisting of all in pressing bones with some meat and leftover pieces from cutting the pig slaughter. Smoked eritrecalladococido first and then the botillo usually accompanied withsausages of the carnage and a side of potatoes and vegetables (cabbage with potatoes). PGI Botillo del Bierzo
But it is the cooked maragato which rises with the culinary reputation of Leon, in the same way that clothing and customs of this people always end up representing the uniqueness of Leon. The cooked maragato has its rarity that must be eaten in reverse, starting with meat (should be a mandatory seven: beef, pork shoulder, legs and pig’s ear, dried beef, lamb, goat and pork, also adding “padding “(made with bread, egg, garlic and parsley), chorizo and black pudding to continue on the chickpeas with vegetables and, finally, lii soup, whose conclusion is taken as the traditional dessertmaragato cake.
We discuss the origin of this custom and invested some say that it became fashionable the drivers who had to eat in transit in clay pot, although it seems more logical than anything food formula made peasant woman in fatigues field (if it was initiated as soup, draining heat from the pot, would lead to totally cold meats).
The archaic traditional cuisine Leonese were always the dishes, a pot to simmer for an entire morning in which force had to be balanced by vegetables, potatoes, vegetables and a little joy in slaughtering or meat ribs healed very widows. That road goes the pot known Bierzo (spinach, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, beans, botilla, sausage, ham, sausage, ear and leg of pork, chicken, blood sausage and stuffed peppers), reminiscent of the fashion introduced by the French repopulation attending these barbaric medieval with its predicament of potpourri that is, the “poutpurri” rotten pot.
I tucked into stews, let me quote some of the forcefulness Leon: rabbit with white beans, hare with peas, lamb with potatoes (in all the mountain), chickpeas with cod and spinach (Friday, Lenten) or that it is ancares Galician broth until in their stinginess of ingredients, but generous in flavor.
Mesta’s land, stables and meat
The pastoral tradition of much of the territories has given Leon a long tradition of kitchen butcher me the virtues of poultry or livestock grazing is compounded by the large fortune he has had Lion in wild species prized for the stew.
Let’s say then that the beef has a better recipe Riaño in roast; that the tenderloin roast, stew the shank, the loin of beef, veal roll stuffed or skirt, have been accommodating as their own menu Leon . But where most acknowledge the peculiarity of this kitchen Leon cold meat is in those known as “offal” or falls condumio meat more affordable to everyday folk; meat tapas are the soul of this land that it acquires in the range of rite irreplaceable. These meats almost always children often wait a thick sadsa wedding with paprika and a more pronounced flavor. Calluses are the Leonese, pluck in black sauce, stewed hearts, kidneys, Testicles, blood stew or tripe, gizzards, livers, feet, tails … These rations can never fail when treatment was initialed or business, or when the rock decide later that you have to consider a snack “as God commands.”
Specifically, we own land in Leon when sounded the bells of the parish patron saint is the chicken (poultry) and lamb (the lamb surname in the traditional kitchen, but today has priority in the letters).
Currently, the following should be noted in Leon Guarantee Marks:
Guarantee Mark Teleno Lechazo Mountains
Guarantee Brand Beef Teleno Mountains
Corno older brother of lamb and gourmet outranked is the goat, whose jerky is supposed to be more defining than cow Leon. They can eat their raw hams, but it is convenient to cook corned beef. The most popular form of call is “jerky gelded (castrated estor should the animal not to throw away the taste of Goat) and therefore also runs a popular pastor cultism that call it” Corned God forbid ” .
Del Campo Bravo
Leon has been traditionally hunting paradise, and the mountain or river meats come out today are difficult to taste in conventional menus. The roe, for example, beef stew (with potatoes) or stew, but the delight is its entrecallados sausages. Chamois advantage of some traditional kitchens, as they hunted for their fur more than for meat apeñascada stranded. The partridges are so frequent, if season, apart from conventional formulas, like the old lion eating pickled, sometimes stewed cabbage. The quail in Valdevimbre, are grilled and left over compromise. Add to this relationship bravo stew dish or rice with pigeon pigeon is still Easter Ramos for the lowlands of stubble and columbarium. On the banks until the thrush with potatoesgood excuse for a snack or Moceri neighborhood in revelry. The scholarship, which is called Leon spout or woodcock, the stuff or you make a sauce by crushing his guts, as they like to do in France.
Finally, the boar, whose population is still growing species to colonize this unusual areas of irrigation, are applied much of the knowledge of the killing and en.fino can estote and served with chestnut puree Bierzo.
As the hare, the kitchen is brimming Leon imagination: steamed, in the first place, with potatoes, delicious, and beans, the last straw.
The reputation of the kitchen in Brava Leon has the best support in theirrivers and their trout, whose abundance is bygone, but still is the queen of over two thousand kilometers of river channels. The formulas cooks with regularly scheduled strip sometimes fashionable navarra (fried with bacon), but the genuine and the same are the Three Trouts Efes, ie fresh, fried and cold (no bacon, no ham, but in lard with olive or lowered, if the palate is not educated).
Leon rivers also go barbel, bream, roach (fish) and other species not so common. Its inferior to trout and their blandness is the eternal miracle cure marinating formula (in Cabreros River and across the lower shore Esla embroider the formula).
As a culinary delicacy and rarity, give thefrog legs that have prestige, for example, the formula does marry Bañezana palate with the memory, even today, fishing for native frogs, have wanted to ease foreign-legged frog or farmed.
Land of admirals and carriers
Sea fish have a historical presence in the kitchen and Leon and realizes in the tenth century to supply the city with whale meat, eels and herring, whose flesh resisted the slow transport from the coastal Asturias, Santander and in less extent, Galician, although today is Leon Galicia who crosses its path inland fishing treasures Spanish, allowing the land (one of the provinces more admirals has given the Spanish Armada) to benefit from its path and be Maragatos be largely, they answered carrying.
Tribute and curiosity to the usual potatoes and catfish and clams, castizo and oldest at the table and Leon is cod or, more accurately, the codfish, dried fish and salt stiff bound in Lent and on Fridays chickpeas Since the popular table in inn or tavern, it must be Lasagna, thick pepper and style of all the fairs Leon, but the fame is in the markets of Sahagun, Valderas or Mansilla de las Mulas.
The handy and delicious recipe in the traditional table is cod with potatoes and rice potajera old formula that still dominate the town cooks.
By dint of bread
In this geography, such variety. Travelers can call at ports rather different bakers, and yes in Tierra de Campos (Sahagun) is assimilated Castilian taste for bread and struggled in their different artistic presentations, all the shores and hinterland bread has been in the habit Stamina large loaf day. They have fame, in this sense Montejos breads, Villavente, Navatejera, Flames of the Bank or of Raneros Quintana, to name some of the fifties who earn merit mention.
In the Bierzo, like most of the mountain, the story is written with rye bread, bread spelledOr sometimes mixed with wheat flour. Today they are certainly rare and, at best, made with techniques not resemble formulas honorable craft community as is still done in some people Ancares.
But not here or anywhere else so awful bread and meaty as the furnace, which serves as a loaf full of chunks of sausage, lick, lean meat and bacon. It is the bread of the people who must be long in the field or road. Continues to develop in Laciana and Bahia, and he was born with enough traces of the famous skinny orphan “bollu preñau” Asturian is certainly a bun and only takes a sausage in and surprise.
Finally, the empanadas, the Bierzo, the most famous (it has peppers, cane and an ad libitum in each house), the ancaresa, the most archaic and poor (vegetable garden, crumbled bacon and rye dough).
Cheese
Leon is squarely within the orbit of northwestern Spanish cheese and participates in the Cantabrian and Galician tradition, while cheese coined as rare as proper and horn which grew in the village of Armada (now under water reservoir Vegamián ), made exclusively with colostrum (first milk from the cow just given birth), being the only world in taking this matter popularly negligible.
The cheese with mint and fashion is Valdeón Valley, the end of the day, a cabrales in its making, healing cave, taste and smell is renowned as the best goat cheese, which is produced in Valdeteja and today is made strictly for family consumption in this village and its neighbors, and Curueño Torío rivers.
The León cow cheese has not stopped gaining devotees for centuries and cheese mule leg (also cows) is another culinary marriage with famas Villalon lands of Burgos. In some areas, and Bahia Laciana domestically yet some people still making cheese “Afuega the pitu”, whose capital is the slope of these regions Asturian Leonese.
Pastry convent
Just as Maragatos atavism are presented as the most popular representative of León, Astorga also seem to summarize shortbread pastry Leon. They have a reputation. He says the popular belief that formula was stolen by a lecherous nun who left the convent.
Shared fame with shortbread pastry, ties of San Guillermo (Cistierna) or Nicanor (Boñar) but imported formulas flaky pastry and confectionery popular tradition that can not afford more fanfare than a stove and a shoestring. With flour, egg and sugar are made Frisuelos (afillá Bercianos, feixuelus Babiana)sequillos, bagels or crackers blind “lock the door.” Rice pudding (Asturian brother), fried milk, pasta with cream or milk drunk.
In some villages in the Valderia know chillies make even a nun, although the nuns of Sahagun of Gradefes or San Miguel de las Duenas, who are still doing the amarguillos, beads and other delicacies taste so intense, that it seemed are imbued with a plenary indulgence for the sin of gluttony is compulsory.
Pastries to die without help thinking of resurrecting
Wines abbot of the people Odre
The Lion is sacred wine. What has been or throughout its history, having outrun the Asturian pre-Roman who drank beer with wine is mostly paid the fines imposed by the cancellations and the wine is swirled around the interests of the clergy in their monasteries and vineyards were real and controls of each municipal township.
These wines, of Leon, taught to drink soon, young, sparkling, like the wines of Valdevimbre and Los Oteros, whose tight-beaked grape gives the wine a needle and gassed by stimulating tingling aroma.
The wines of Bierzo, however, are different, as in the strains originate here exiendieron French Benedictine monasteries, saved soul, Hearth and age with increasing ease. Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo are their shrines, but since hitting “appellation of origin” born new wines and new altars for an increasingly winning wine.
castizo menu
Given that the official food festival of the Poetry of Villafranca del Bierzo is reached on one occasion serve thirty-five different dishes, is allowed in quantities and cholesterols transgression. Meet Leon require culinary ancestors sit at the table with a sparkling wine and distracting hunger with inflows of chorizo (Geros The Vecilla, beef jerky Molinaseca …), and maybe omelette cooked with paprika.
You wake up the jaws they continue a fried black pudding (in “tripe”) and tripe stewed asadurilla to Leon, then soup with trout, that is, substances garlic soup with fish fillet.
If the guest does not flinch, then please botillo and not to give, dare lamb stew with a pastoral style (taking it in stride).
For dessert, a choice: pie butter Riaño, Pio Nono of Bahia, maragato marzipan, rice pudding, fried milk or “melt” (stewed manzolla).