Valenciagastronomic: Do you know the tomatina festival in Valencia?

La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol near Valencia happens every year on the last Wednesday in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day. The event has become one of the highlights on Spain’s summer festivals calendar with thousands of people flocking to this little Valencian town for this chaotic event.

Such are the numbers going to La Tomatina that the event has become a victim of its own success. The sheer number of people means that it’s extremely difficult to get anywhere near the central area where the tomato lorries arrive so you may well find yourself a few streets away from the main action. Never mind, there are plenty people in the same boat and the street partying goes on no matter where you are.

Rules of La Tomatina

In spite of the mayhem there actually are a few rules and regulations that need to be adhered to during La Tomatina in order to ensure that the maximum number of people get the maximum enjoyment from the day. These rules are set out by the Bunyol Town Council:

It is illegal to bring any kind of bottles or other objects that could cause an accident.

You must not tear t-shirts.

Tomatoes must be crushed before throwing so that they don’t hurt anybody.

You must be careful to avoid the lorries which carry the tomatoes.

As soon as you hear the 2nd banger you must stop throwing tomatoes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Had8to1Hr3M

The cuisine from the Region of Valencia enjoys great prestige at both a national and international level. Its traditional recipes are prepared using natural ingredients such as oil, vegetables, spices, fruit, fresh meat or fish and has come to be known as "the Mediterranean Diet". The incredible variety of rice dishes and desserts is outstanding. All this without forgetting the great variety of fruit which the Region of Valencia produces in abundance. Its traditional soft drinks have also become well-known, such as tiger nut milk ("horchata de chufa"). Its long wine-growing tradition has given rise to a delicious range of wines with their Denominations of Origin, which when added to the local soups comprise some of the most exquisite recipes of Valencian cooking.

For those that want to follow the gastronomy trail and seek out some of the new, quirky and traditional food and drink attractions in the city here are some of the highlights of the gastronomic culture in Valencia:
Many tapas restaurants have re-invented themselves, leading to the birth of ‘gourmet tapas’, probably best described as similar to the modern day tasting menu.

There are many tapas bars in the historic centre that offer "Tapas de Valencia" Do you want to know them?

http://valenciagastronomic.blogspot.com/2013/09/aperitivos-y-entrantes-valencianos.html

Paella in Valencia

Paella is the dish that is typical Valencian. Find out everything about this dish. Valencia is not only known for the Horchata, but also for its most famous dish: paella. A delicious dish of which the main ingredient is rice. The rice that needs to be used for paella is the so-called bomba rice and is grown in big orchards around the city of Valencia, including Albufera.

How to pronunce "paella"?

It is pronounced as “pah-eh-yah”.

The word paella (comes from “patella” in Latin – a pan) in Valencia is the name given to the large & shallow round pan – the traditional vessel for Valencian rice.

The Paella is, above all, a social act in which family or friends meet, usually on Sundays, around a fire. Thus, if a suitable place is available, outdoors, with space for firewood and fireplace (paellero), this social act takes on a celebration character.

The world of paella is surrounded, as you can see, with many topics and paradigms, although we like to call them “tradition”. Among them are the fact of eating the paella with a spoon – if you want to be very purist, made of wood, although not usually done-, and paella must be placed in the center of the table so the diners could eat straight out of the pan.

http://valenciagastronomic.blogspot.com/2012/11/la-paella-valenciana.html

There are other types of dishes made in pan, which also have great acceptance in Spanish gastronomy. Do you want to know them?

Mediterranean chicken and shellfish paella (click on the name)
Paella rice with spiny lobster (click on the name)
Paella from Alicante (click on the name)
Sea food paella (click on the name)
Fideuà (click on the name)

Spanish food is often recognized as one of the top cuisines in the world, and some traditional Valencia dishes and recipes date hundreds of years. Food has become as integral to Valencia as its rich and tumultuous history.

Other recipes from the Region of Valencia.