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The food and wine of Extremadura, Spain
One of the best things about traveling around Spain is trying out the various regional cuisines. Here in Extremadura, in the southwestern part of the country, the people are known for the quality of their cuisine.First off, there are these shapely pig legs pictured on the right. Cured and ready to be cut into thin slices, this is called jamón, and is a personal favorite of mine. In a country where people are always saying their regional food is the best, a lot of people seek out Extremaduran jamón. The care and feeding of the pigs is the key.
Spaniards love their pork. While their beef steaks are only OK and their chicken dishes good but unremarkable, they seem to have devised unlimited varieties of pork products. There's lomo (tenderloin), morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (sausage with dried smoked red peppers), salchichon (Spanish salami) and a million kinds of embutido (seasoned sausage). I'm very glad I'm not vegetarian.
One surprise when visiting Extremadura was to discover my favorite cheese comes from there and only there. Torta del Casar is a soft white cheese made of sheep's milk. It comes in a soft cake that is sliced open to reveal the gooey cheese inside. It has a creamy consistency and rich flavor, perfect to put on crackers. Extremadura produces a whole range of good cheeses, but torta del Casar is the most unique.
The region is also well-known for the quality of its paprika, called pimentón in Spanish. Not surprisingly it makes it into a lot of dishes, including cazuela, a paprika butter that's very good on bread. Like every other region, Extremadura also has its own brands of olive oil, preserves, and sweets.
And let's not forget the wine! One good line is Habla del Silencio, a full-bodied, slightly biting red of consistent quality. Another is Theodosius, a Tempranillo/Graciano mix named after the famous Byzantine emperor.
Every town in Extremadura has at least one shop selling local food and wine. If you're in Mérida, check out Serraquesada on Calle José Ramón Mélida 24, close to the Roman museum, where most of the photos in the gallery were taken. This family-owned business focuses on Extremaduran products and stocks pretty much anything you could ask for. The front has rows and rows of jamón, and shelves stuffed with other food and condiments. In the back is a well-stocked bodega with a few tables so you can sit and sample Extremadura's wonderful food and wine. Their website is still under construction but the business offers international mail order via email at ppserraquesada@gmail.com.
Many of Extremadura's better-known products such as jamónand torta del Casar can be found in better shops all around the country.
Don't miss the rest of my series: Exploring Extremadura, Spain's historic southwest
Coming up next: Top five castles of Extremadura!
Gallery: The cuisine of Extremadura
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Food and Drink, Europe, Spain
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John Jan 4th 2011 1:24PM
On Extremadura, I must point out that just about all of the Conquistadores came from Extremadura! From, Cortez to Pizarro to Orellana to Balboa (you get the picture).
Extremadura is short for "Extremely Hard Land" and the people there had been in constant warfare with the Moors for the full 800 years that the Reconquista lasted. Extremadura is also one of only two areas in Europe where wild wolves still roam the woods.
American Expat Jan 4th 2011 2:01PM
You forgot to mention that Extremadura is also the poorest region of Spain and has been so for hundreds of years. That is probably why those explorers were willing to leave that region and sail off into the unknown: they had nothing to loose!
Extremenian Jan 19th 2011 8:39AM
Thanks for your article as an extremenian proud of being born here. Let me remarks that not only "conquerors" went to America or other places abroad: 50000 people migrates only in XVI century, mainly for the reasons that "expat" says. But this is not a "poor land" but poorly developed for many reasons.
Let me tell "John" also that the name meaning is not so obvious: "extremadura" in old spanish means "border" or "limit" or frontier and that is exactly what it means. think that Lisbon region, in Portugal, bears also the name "Estremadura", for this same, old and not so known meaning of the word.
Thanks again and see you soon...