catalonia today - january 2012 edition

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Pick ofthe crop

Get to knowCatalonia better

with our 2012guide to the best

of the country’sfood and drink

2 • CATALONIATODAY • January 2012

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January 2012 • CATALONIA TODAY • 3

JANUARY 2012 - Nº 0349

FROM THE EDITORGetting to know Catalonia better .....................................5

WINESInterview: Jordi Bort, General Manager

of INCAVI Catalan wine institut..........................................8DO CAVA........................................................................................10DO Alella.........................................................................................11DO Catalunya..............................................................................12DO Conca de Barberà............................................................13DO Costers del Segre .............................................................14DO Empordà................................................................................15DO Montsant...............................................................................16DO Penedès ..................................................................................17

DO Pla de Bages ........................................................................18DO Priorat......................................................................................19DO Tarragona..............................................................................20DO Terra Alta...............................................................................21

PDOInterview: Domènec Vila,

Director General of food standard quality................24The olives’ liquid gold............................................................26PDO Les Garriges olive oil ...................................................27PDO Terra Alta olive oil .........................................................28

PDO Siurana olive oi ...............................................................29PDO Baix Ebre-Montsià olive oil......................................30PDO Empordà olive oil ..........................................................31PDO Delta de l’Ebre rice.......................................................32PDO Avellana de Reus hazelnut.......................................32PDO Alt Urgell and Cerdanya cheese..........................34PDO Alt Urgell and Cerdanya butter ...........................35DPO Pear of Lleida ...................................................................36PDO Mongeta del Ganxet beans ...................................37

PGIPGI Calçots de Valls .................................................................40PGI Clementines de les Terres de l’Ebre.....................42PGI Llonganissa de Vic...........................................................43PGI Potatoes of Prades...........................................................44PGI El Prat chicken and capon .........................................45PGI Apple of Girona ................................................................46PGI Torró d’Agramunt ...........................................................47PGI Veal of the Catalan Pyrenees....................................48PGI Pa de Pagès Català bread...........................................49

QUALITY LABELSBrand Q Capons ........................................................................52Brand Q chickens ......................................................................52Q labelled Rabbit.......................................................................52

Brand Q pork ...............................................................................53Brand Q oily fish ........................................................................53Lamb with a Q stamp ............................................................53Brand Q Veal ................................................................................53Q labelled chocolates .............................................................54Brand Q stamped torró. .......................................................54Q labelled honey .......................................................................55Q labelled biscuits.....................................................................55Q labelled cheese......................................................................55

TSGTSG Ratafia ....................................................................................58TSG Panellets ...............................................................................59TSG Dry-curated ham............................................................60

Visit us: www.cataloniatoday.catContact us: [email protected] to us: podcast.cataloniatoday.catFollow us: @cataloniatoday (Twitter)

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Spanish Taxman Warning – Have You Submitted Your Tax Returns?By David Franks, Chief Executive,

Blevins FranksDo you own property in Spain? If you are resident

here, have you submitted your Spanish tax return eachyear? If you are not resident, have you submitted yournon-resident tax declaration each year? If not, you needto seek professional tax advice and take action fast toavoid being investigated by the Spanish tax authoritiesand faced with potentially high penalties.

The Spanish Tax Authority, Agencia Tributaria (AEAT),is now aware of everyone who owns property in Spain,regardless of whether they have registered for tax or not.It has been comparing ownership records with tax returnrecords and preparing lists of people who have notsubmitted returns and paid tax in Spain.

The government has become much more determinedto stamp out tax evasion and has been developing newtools to aid its efforts. It has linked up with the LandRegistry to receive property ownership information andnow also receives information on electricity usage andthe account holders’ details for every property in Spainfrom electricity companies.

Local AEAT offices have been writing to Spanishproperty owners warning them that it is aware that theyhave not submitted tax returns for the last few years. Ithas been suggested that around 300,000 letters havebeen sent out so far.

Here’s a translation of some of the letter:

“From the information we have available at the TaxAdministration Agency (AEAT), we believe that for someof the tax years 2007, 2008 or 2009, you held a Spanishproperty, and we note that you have not filed a NonResident Tax Return, an Income Tax Return, or a WealthTax Return (applicable only for 2007).

“If any of the above tax returns should have been filed,we notify you that, before we can proceed with an

enquiry, which could entail penalty charges, you canregularise your tax affairs by filing the missing tax returnor tax returns and paying the corresponding taxes due.”

The letter is basically a warning, giving the recipient abrief opportunity to rectify their affairs to avoid becomingthe subject of a tax investigation. If you have received aletter, or even if you haven’t received one yet but have notsubmitted tax returns for the years in question, youshould not hesitate to seek advice on how to rectify thesituation before it’s too late.

So, what are your tax obligations in Spain?

If you are tax resident here (if you spend over 183 daysa year here, or if your centre of economic or vitalinterests is here), you need to declare all your worldwideincome and gains and pay tax on them each year, even ifthey are not remitted into Spain. You now also need toagain declare your worldwide wealth for wealth taxpurposes.

Non-residents pay tax on any income arising in Spain.If you own a Spanish property that is not your main home(which is always the case if you are non-resident), apurely notional rental income is deemed to arise fromperiods where the property is not let out (even if younever do). The income is normally calculated as being1% or 2% of the valor catastral (official value) of theproperty and taxed at 24% (the rate non-residents pay onSpanish rental income). You need to declare this notionalincome on Form 210 each year (previously Form 214).

The Spanish government is desperate to increase taxrevenue to help reduce its budget deficit. It has alreadyre-introduced wealth tax for a couple of years and whoknows what other tax rises will be imposed as the newgovernment gets to grips with the economy. It will alsocontinue to increase its crackdown on tax evasion - bothto trace past tax evasion and collect unpaid tax plus

interest and possibly penalties, and to prevent further taxfraud. This latest initiative is not at all surprising and wecan expect more in the future.

In Spain serious tax offences are graded and penaltiesrange from 50% to 150% of the unpaid tax. The penaltycan be reduced by co-operation. Evasion of over?120,000 a year will suffer increased penalties andpossibly a jail term. You would obviously also need topay all the back tax plus interest.

There are many property owners in Spain who havenot established exactly what their tax obligations are, andthose who for one reason or another have chosen not todeclare themselves to the tax authorities. Either is a highrisk approach and the taxman is catching up with them.

Do not bury your head in the sand. The Spanish taxauthorities mean business. You should seek immediateadvice from a tax adviser like Blevins Franks who keepsfully up-to-date with Spanish tax regulations and thecompliant tax planning arrangements in Spain. You needto establish if you have been paying tax correctly in Spain(even if you have been paying tax in your home country)and what you need to do to rectify any past irregularities.Waiting until it’s too late could be very costly.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Anystatements concerning taxation are based upon ourunderstanding of current taxation laws and practiceswhich are subject to change. Tax information has beensummarised; an individual must take personalisedadvice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in theoffshore world, check out the latest news on our websitewww.blevinsfranks.com


OPINION

ne can know a country like Catalo-nia by its beautiful landscapes, its

heritage sites, whether Montserrat, Tarra-gona or Besalú, or by the work of its mostrelevant artists (Dalí, Miró), its architects(Gaudí, Domènech i Muntaner), its writers(Monzó, Rodoreda) and even its cooks(Adrià, Roca).

However, if you really want to com-mune with the soul of the country, per-haps the best way is to taste its food. Thenative products – a mix of tradition andmodernity – show the way of life of itspeople and how they make the most of theresources and the climate, while balancing

O respect for the environment.Two years ago, we dedicated the first

Catalonia Today annual digest to 50 Cata-lans you should know about in order tounderstand Catalonia. It was a great suc-cess and quickly sold out. Last year we pre-sented a digest of the companies, organi-sations and NGOs you should know tobetter understand our society.

To kick off 2012 along similar lines, thisyear we have chosen the one topic that webelieve our readers and subscribers wouldall love: the country’s food. In the follow-ing pages, you will find an extensive ex-posé of the Catalan products labelled with

the Protected Designation of Origin, Pro-tected Geographical Indication, QualityLabel and Traditional Specialities Guaran-teed, following the regulations on qualityfrom the European Union. Wines, olive oil,cheese, fish, meat, honey, pastry, rice, andeven the famous calçots and the uniqueliqueur, ratafia.

Yet, allow me to encourage you to gobeyond the pages of Catalonia Today andto experiment with and come to know thetaste of Catalonia. I for one am convincedthat the adage "you are what you eat" willlead you to discovery of the true soul ofCatalonia and its people. Salut!

+FROM THE EDITORGERMÀ CAPDEVILA [email protected]

Discover the taste of Catalonia in our 2012 annual digest

Published by CATALONIA TODAY SL. Carrer de les Tàpies, 2, Barcelona 08001 Tel. +34 93 227 66 20 / www.cataloniatoday.cat / [email protected]: +34 972 186438 [email protected] Subscriptions: +34 902 456 000 [email protected] Letters to the editor: [email protected] Managing Editor: Germà Capdevila. Chief Editor: Miquel Berga.Advertising Manager: M.Àngels Ribas. Staff and Contributors: Neil Stokes,Marcela Topor, Barbara Leonard, Matthew Tree, Martin Kirby, Terry Parris, Nicole Millar, Tony Tysoe, Pere Gifra, Josep Vallverdú, Joe Hogan (text editor). Design: Jordi Molins - Florentí Morante.Deposit Nº GI-322-2004 Printed by Rotimprès. Catalonia Today SL has a co-operation agreement with Grup El Punt on the use of content.


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Photo: Enoturisme Penedès


Jordi Bort talks about the excellence of Catalan DO wine anddescribes the initiatives taken from INCAVI to promote localproducts in Catalonia and abroad

Local wine,key to success

JORDI BORT, GENERAL MANAGER OF INCAVI

hat is the main con-cern for the Catalan

wine industry at the moment?We are trying to do our best to

support local producers to selltheir wine in other countriessuch as China. Each country is adifferent market, and we need todesign specific strategies takinginto account the size of the localcompanies as well as the targetmarket.

Because it’s not only Torresand Codorniu, the US andChina!

That’s where I put my experi-ence in the wine business intopractice. That taught me thatthere is a market for everything,for both big and small wine cel-lars.

There is a potential market forsmall cellars, producing qualitywines but with a sales potentialof not more than 5,000 to10,000 bottles. In Germany forexample, there’s a market forquantity, but also for qualityand higher prices. In order tobetter deal with this and get aclearer picture of the market, wework with Prodeca, especially inorganising fairs abroad, andwith the Departament d’Em-

WM. TOPOR/ G. CAPDEVILA presa i Ocupació and ICEX (In-

stitut de Comerç Exterior).Which are the best foreign

markets for Catalan DOs at themoment?

There are of course the Briccountries, –Brasil, Russia, Indiaand China. Then, for still wines,as well as for cava, the US is agreat market. After that, Brasil,as an emerging market, Canadaand northern Europe. Russia,has an enormous potential thatwe haven’t quite tapped yet,while China offers great oppor-tunities with the condition thatproducers focus on a particulararea; the province of Sichuanalone has 92 million inhabit-ants – it’s like selling to Spain.Other good markets are India,Germany and Belgium, espe-cially for sparkling wines. Itmight seem obvious but wecan’t forget Catalonia itselfeither.

Are sales going well here?It seems that we’ve started to

be more patriotic in this sense,but it’s slow going. Every Em-pordà restaurant should have aproper carte of Catalan wines be-fore offering wines from else-where. There are 24,000 restau-rants in Catalonia, 10,000 only

in the Barcelona metropolitanarea, yet only 500 to 700 have acarte of local wines.

Producers, restaurateurs andconsumers alike need to becomemore conscious of the greatvalue of local products. That is aplus for their business.

How does Incavi help to in-crease the consumption oflocal wine in Catalonia?

For 31 years Incavi has beenorganising the Mostra de Vins iCaves. We have just increasedthe numbers of cellars, from 23to 55, with representatives of allthe 12 D0s: 11 of still wines plus,of course, cava. Visitors have the

The storiesbehind thewine bottleJordi Bort i Ferrando (Tor-tosa, 1974), is the new di-rector of the INCAVI (Insti-tut Català de la Vinya i elVi). Bort was also the gen-eral manager of the com-pany Le Carte de Vins andthe head of the sommeliersof Catalonia. For Bort, it isvital to keep the ancient his-tory of Catalan oenologyalive. "People like stories,and each DO has one of itsown. From Incavi we intendto introduce wine lovers tothe story behind eachbottle of wine. We havetried to make these storieseasy to explain, without un-necessary technical details.After all, our aim is to se-duce wine lovers, not con-fuse them", he claims. DOPla de Bages, for instance,it’s the story of the Picapollvariety, of 140 terracedvineyards in the Manresaregion. The DO Empordàtakes us back to recoveringautochthonous varieties likeGarnatxa and Carinyenaand the ancient wine tradi-tion of Empúries. As for DOTarragona, it’s the story ofsweet and altar wines.

Photo: QUIM PUIG


opportunity to taste all of the 12DOs and find out where they arefrom, which wines they pro-duce, and what’s special abouteach.

What about wine consump-tion in Catalonia compared tothe rest of Europe?

Germany, the UK, Belgiumand Italy are the biggest con-sumers of wine in Europe. Con-sumption in northern Europe isincreasing as well, and Finlandand Norway are becoming moreand more interested in quality,not just in quantity.

Catalonia surprisingly has thesecond lowest wine consump-

tion level per capita in Europe,yet it is the third largest pro-ducer in the world. Norway hasthe lowest annual consumptionof wine per capita in Europe, fol-lowed by Spain.

Catalonia currently con-sumes from seven to nine litresof wine per capita a year, whichis very low compared to the 30litres a year in the 1980’s.

In order to encourage moder-ate consumption , we work to-gether with Incavi in a Europeanprogramme promoting moder-ation in drinking. In Catalonia,although the battle for rec-reational consumption has

been won by beer, we shouldkeep in mind that wine, in addi-tion to our cultural heritage, is anatural product and accordingto its current legal status is con-sidered 'food'. Therefore weshould treat it as such, and al-ways consume in moderation.

Catalan gastronomy is nowfamous everywhere...whatabout wines?

Wine and haute cuisine shouldgo hand in hand to promoteCatalonia. We have a valuableopportunity here, and localwine and food should be pro-moted more by the local touristindustry. Jordi Roca and Ferran

Adrià filled Harvard, talkingabout Catalan gastronomy andthey are eminences of an inter-national level. Wine is the idealcomplement to a great meal,and we need to think of wine as alocal product along with oliveoil, cheese, fruit, fish and meat.There’s still a along way to go tomake people more aware of theexcellence of the local carte devins, but we are taking great stepsin this direction. One of the acti-vities meant to reinforce this isthe Cartavi award, a projectthrough which we hope to dogreat things for the Catalanwine industry.


CAVA DO

Brut Nature: no sugar added.Extra Brut: up to 6 grammes ofsugar per litre.Brut: up to 15 grams.Extrasec: from 12 to 20 grams.Sec: from 17 to 35 grams.Semisec: from 33 to 50 grams.Dolç: over 50 grams.

CATALONIA TODAY

Jewel inCatalancrown

he origin of cava is to befound in the splendour of

Catalan winemaking in the mid-nineteenth century.

The cava designation of origincomprises a total of 156 munici-palities, a 132 of which are inCatalonia. However, it is Sant Sa-durní d’Anoia in Alt Penedèsthat is considered the capital ofcava.

Today, it is one of the most dy-namic and prosperous sectors ofCatalan winemaking, with morethan 225 million bottles pro-duced every year, much of whichis exported all over the world.

Although it is based on theprocess made famous by theChampagne region of France,cava has its own uniquequalities. While cava is madefrom several grape varieties,there are three white grape typesused: Macabeu, Xarello and Pa-rellada. Others, such as Char-donnay, Malvasia, Pinot Noir,Granatxa Tinta,Monastrell andTrepat, are oftenadded to obtainthe perfect cou-page. Trepatgrapes are theonly ones auth-orised for mak-ing rosé Cava.

Cava’s uniquecharacteristicsare the result ofthe soil qualityand the varietyof grape used.Yet, most of all,cava is a Catalanmasterpiece.

T

Cava has become theambassador forquality local produce

Bottles of cava maturing in a Sant Sadurní d’Anoia wine cellar. / GENCAT


Tradition meets modernity in Maresmehe smallest of Catalonia’sDesignations of Origin (DO)

is also one of the oldest and hasprovided Barcelona with wines forcenturies. Regarded for its dry andsweet white wines, the Alella DOarea covers some 500 hectares andincludes over 100 producers.

The white wines are light andaromatic and usually based on thePansa blanca (Xarello) variety ofgrape, which is most often associ-ated with Alella wines, but they arealso not uncommonly blendedwith the Chardonnay or Sauvig-non blanc varieties. However, thissmall wine-producing area close tothe sea also produces rosé and redwines made with Garnatxa, Pansarosada and Merlot varieties and

TCATALONIA TODAY Cabernet sauvignon, Ull de llebre

and Merlot varieties, respectively.Located as it is in the Maresme

area of Catalonia, not far north ofBarcelona, the Alella DO area takesin a number of municipalitiesother than that from which it takesits name, including Argentona, ElMasnou, Montgat, Premiá de Daltand De Mar, Teià and Vilassar deDalt, making Alella DO an authen-tic Mediterranean designation.

In recent times, wine producersin the Alella region have shown awillingness to experiment withother varieties of grape and incor-porate modern techniques as partof a general effort to consolidateAlella DO as the area that best cap-tures the essence of the Mediterra-nean.

ALELLA DO

Registered wine growing area:314 hectares.Wine growers: 137Bottling wineries: 7Qualified wine production:6,137 hectolitres

The Maresme county of Alella has provided Barcelona with wine for centuries. / INCAVI


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Catalonia’s national treasure

ine production has al-ways been a key element

of the culture, history and econ-omy of Catalonia as a whole, andso it is no surprise that the Cata-lunya DO has become one of themost successful. The more than200 wine producers makingwines with this designation,using a complete range of grapevarieties grown in every cornerof Catalonia, sell up to 50 mil-lion bottles of wine all over the

WCATALONIA TODAY world every year. The popularity

of this Designation of Origin canbe seen, in particular, in the Eu-ropean Union (17 millionbottles in 2010) and the UnitedStates and Canada (3.4 millionbottles in 2010). In all, exports ofCatalunya DO wines abroadhave expanded to more than100 countries.

Catalunya DO wines showhuge diversity in terms of bothgrape varieties and geographicalorigin. In total, there are 35

authorised varieties of grapeused in the production of thesewines, from the likes of Cabernetsauvignon, Pinot noir and Syrahin red wines, to Albarinho, Mal-vasia and Xarello in the whites.In general, Catalunya DO redwines have a lot of character andintense aromas, while the whitestend to be much lighter and frui-tier. Included in this designationis also a range of associated wineproducts, such as rosé, dessertand fortified wines.

CATALUNYA DO

Registered wine growing area:54,233 hectares.Wine growers: 9,874Bottling wineries: 116Qualified wine production:466,600 hectolitres

The origin of the magic /INCAVI


CONCA DE BARBERÀ DO

Registered wine growing area:5,600 hectares.Wine growers: 1,300Bottling wineries: 19Qualified wine production:10,000 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

he origins of the wines pro-duced in this DO have

medieval roots associated withthe activities of the 12th cen-tury Poblet Monastery, whichonce represented royal author-ity in the county of Conca deBarberà.

Surrounded as it is by moun-tains and traversed by the Fran-colí River, this area boasts itsown Mediterranean microcli-mate despite being inland andtherefore exhibiting continen-tal influences, something thatcauses sharp differences in tem-peratures between day andnight. Along with soil producedby the erosive power of the river,the area is blessed in enjoyingthe optimum conditions forgrowing grapes.

With some 4,200 hectares ofarable land given over to grapecultivation, the Conca de Bar-berà region produces a widerange of wines that all share adistinctive freshness. In fact,one of the country’s most presti-gious white wines, based on theChardonnay grape variety,comes from this area, as doother light white wines basedon the Macabeu and Parelladagrape varieties.

The range of rosé wines pro-duced in the Conca de Barberàarea depend mostly on thenative grape variety of Trepat,which helps give the wines fromthis DO their singularity. TheTrepat grape variety is also used,along with the Garnatxa negraand Ull de llebre varieties, in theproduction of the area’ssmooth, silky red wines.

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Conca de Barberà’swines all share adistinctive freshness

Royalseal ofapproval

Magnificent view of the lands once owned by the Poblet Monestry / INCAVI


COSTERS DEL SEGRE DORegistered wine growing area: 4,869hectares.Wine growers: 669Bottling wineries: 24Qualified wine production:119,082 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

his is the DO of the Cata-lan region of Lleida,

covering a wide area that in-cludes the counties of PallarsJussà, Pallars Sobìrà, el Segrià,l’Urgell, el Pla d’urgell, les Gar-rigues, la Noguera and la Seg-arra. The designation is di-vided into seven sub-zones:Raïmat, Segrià, Pallars Jussà,les Garrigues, Valls de RiuCorb, Artesa de Segre and Ur-gell. While the various areas inthe Costers del Segre DO sharesimilar climatic conditionsthat include high levels of in-solation and a scarcity of rain-fall, each sub-division enjoysits own peculiar climatic con-ditions, landscape and soilquality. This diversity makesthis DO a varied and inno-vative designation.

The area’s potent red winesare largely based on the grapevarieties of Cabernet sauvig-non, Pinot noir, Merlot andUll de llebre, the last of whichwas originally developed byLleida winegrowers.

The rosé wines are also madewith the varieties mentionedabove but these wines have alighter, fruitier character,while the white wines can beseparated into classic or mod-ern types, the former using va-rieties such as Macabeu, Xa-rello and Perallada and thelatter using Chardonnay, Sau-vignon blanc and riesling va-rieties.

Naturally, a part of the pro-duction of white grape va-rieties goes towards the pro-duction of cava.

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Costers del Segre DOincludes a wide rangeof wines and cava

Lleidaleadsthe line

High levels of insolation and low levels of rainfall give Lleida wines their singularity./ GENCAT


From the mountains to the seauch of Catalan culture isdefined by the harmoni-

ous relationship between themountains and the sea, and theEmpordà DO is a superb exampleof this. With vines grown close tothe ground to avoid the effects ofthe strong tramuntana wind thatsweeps the area, Empordà enjoysan ideal Mediterranean climatewith mild winters and hotsummers. The soil in the area,too, is perfect for growing qualitywines, with acidic soil that drainseasily.

MCATALONIA TODAY Empordà was originally the

gateway into Spain for Greek col-onisers who brought with themthe technique of wine produc-tion and today there are morethan 1,800 hectares ofland given over to vine-yards. The area producesprimarily fruity roséwines, made with Cari-nyena, Garnatxa negraand Lledoner grape va-rieties. As for the red wines in thisDO, Garnatxa, Monastrell, Mer-lot, Syrah, Tempranillo or Caber-net sauvignon varieties are most

popularly utilised, while thearea’s flavoursome white winesare made with a wide variety ofgrape types that includes Maca-beu, Parellada, Xarello, Char-

donnay, Malvasia,Picapoll, Garnatxablanca and negra andeven Carinyena. Em-pordà also producesits own, exceptionalsweet wine that has

become typical of this dry andarid region of the country thathas in recent years seen a boom innew cellers.

EMPORDÀ DOWine growing area: 2,020hectares.Wine growers: 423Bottling wineries: 41Qualified wine production:52,192 hectolitres

Wine has been produced in the area of Empordà since ancient times. /GENCAT


MONSTANT DORegistered wine growing area: 1,884 hectares.Wine growers: 897Bottling wineries: 54Qualified wine production:60,000 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

he youngest of Catalo-nia’s DOs, this desig-

nation is located in the countyof Priorat but also includesareas of Ribera d’Ebre andMontsant.

With its scarce rainfall andsharp changes in temperature,the inland Mediterranean cli-mate of the area makes for va-riety and quality of grape culti-vation.

Despite only coming intoexistence in the early 2000s,the more than 50 wineries inthe area have been very active,managing to carve out a goodmarket position.

The main characteristic ofMontsant DO is powerful redwines but production also in-cludes white and rosé wines,sweet red wines and ranciwines made using a Solera sys-tem (a process of aging wine byfractional blending).

Most wines in this desig-nation are based on Garnatxaand Carinyena grapes, thenative grape varieties ofMontsant, while the soil has ahigh percentage of mineralsalts, a key characteristic of thearea, as are the vineyards, lo-cated at a height of at least 360m above sea level.

While harvests are relativelysmall (total productionamounts to around 27,000hectolitres every year), it is thelimited availability of thesewines that has helped to makethem popular, particularly ab-road, and wines of the Monts-ant DO are currently exportedto more than 30 countries.

T

Innovation andenergy are the marksof Montsant wines

Made fora modernmarket

Montsant DO has become associated with powerful red wines. / ARCHIVE


PENEDÈS DORegistered wine growing area: 27,702hectares.Wine growers: 5,760Bottling wineries: 193Qualified wine production:468,865 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

ossibly the best-known andcertainly one of the most

dynamic wine producing areaswithin Catalonia due to its pre-eminent position in cava pro-duction, the home of PenedèsDO has been a winegrowingcentre since ancient times. Theregion is divided into three mainsubzones: Alt Penedès, the mostinland and mountainous area,characterised by relatively lowyield and high quality, PenedèsCentral, situated to the south-west and responsible for the ma-jority of the region’s total pro-duction, and Baix Penedès, com-prising mostly low-lying, coastalareas.

In all, Penedès DO includesmore than 24,000 hectares ofvineyard and over 180 winerieslocated in a geographical areacharacterised by low-lying hillsthat stretch from the coast to themountain of Montserrat. Theclimate is Mediterranean, tem-perate with low levels of rainfalland seasonal variations in tem-perature; all of which make Pe-nedès ideal for cultivatinggrapes.

The wide diversity of wines is amajor feature of local produc-tion, especially in white wines,which are light and aromatic,and fragrant sparkling and roséwines with intense and persist-ent aromas.

However, in recent years, thearea has begun to produce morered wines that are smooth with alot of body. In total, productionof Penedès DO wines amounts toa considerable 168,000 hecta-litres every year.

P

Best-known wineregion is about morethan just cava

Penedèstop ofthe table

Wine barrels in an Avinyonet del Penedès winery. / MÍRIAM DE LAMO


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New life for an inland oasisocated in the heart of Catalo-nia, the Pla de Bages DO is an

oasis of wine producing in thecountry’s hinterland. The re-gion’s semi-mountainous Medi-terranean micro-climate, whichincludes the ideal winegrowingconditions of scarce rainfall andvarying temperatures, makes Plade Bages (the name Bages comesfrom the Latin, Bacchus) an areathat produces a small but highquality grape harvest every year.

Wine production in the area

LCATALONIA TODAY centres on fruity red wines, made

primarily with the Ull de llebre,Merlot, Sumoll and Cabernetsauvigon grape varieties and, to alesser extent, Garnatxa negra,Pinot noir and Syrah.

In recent years, thedozen or so, largelyfamily-run, wine pro-ducers in this DO have putgreat effort into reclaim-ing the native grape va-riety of Picapoll, a very smallgrape that and can be used foreither red wines but that is most

often the basis of the area’s ex-quisite, light white wines. Therosé wines produced are moremodern in character and utilisemostly the Merlot and Cabernet

sauvignon grape va-rieties in their produc-tion. On a separatenote, in recent years,much work has gonetowards to recoveringand renovating the

traditional dry stone walls andhuts that are an emblematic fea-ture of the area.

PLA DE BAGES DOWine growing area: 550hectares.Wine growers: 100Bottling wineries: 10Qualified wine production:11,800 hectolitres

Pla de Bages DO grapes growing in sight of Montserrat. / INCAVI


PRIORAT DORegistered wine growing area: 1,767hectares.Wine growers: 567Bottling wineries: 81Qualified wine production:24,097 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

he Priorat DOQ has under-gone a revolution in the past

decade, with its red wines gainingwidespread international prestigethanks to the dedication of new wi-neries run by young ambitiousentrepreneurs. The prestige ofPriorat DO wines has been recog-nised through its categorisation asa denominació d’origen qualificada,or DOQ, a superior quality labelequivalent to the French system ofVDQS (Vin Délimité de QualitéSupérieure).

Despite a relatively modest areaof cultivation of some 1,800 hec-tares, there are more than 600 wi-neries working under the PrioratDO, producing some 6,500 hecto-litres of top quality wine every year.Above all, wine production in theregion is associated with red wines,made with Carinyena, Garnatxanegra and Peluda, and, to a lesserextent, Cabernet sauvignon, Mer-lot and Syrah grape varieties.

There are several differentmicro-climates present in the Prio-rat DOQ. Generally, the climate ismore extreme than most conti-nental climate areas, though thereis a marked contrast between thevalleys and the higher areas. Thereare both freezing winds from thenorth (mitigated somewhat by theMontsant mountain) and also thewarm Mistral wind from the east.

Summers are long, hot and drywhile winters are cold. There is theoccasional risk of frost, hailstonesand drought. The average annualtemperature is 15°C, and averageannual rainfall is 400-600mm. Thearea is characterised by its uniqueterroir of black slate and quartz soilknown as llicorella.

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Local top qualitywines becomeglobal bestsellers

Priorattakes onthe world

Priorat DO wines regularly appear on top-ten wine lists around the world. / GENCAT


Millenniain themakingTarragona has beenproducing wine sinceRoman times

he Tarragona designation,which was granted in 1976,

making it the oldest in Catalonia,includes Camp de Tarragona,Ribera d’Ebre and a slice of Priorat.Yet, wine production in this area,with its excellent conditions forcultivating grapes, goes back muchfurther, to Roman times.

The vineyards are locatedmostly along the coastal area andextend inland towards the borderwith the neighbouring province ofLleida. Thus the variety of land-scape, along with a temperateMediterranean climate with conti-nental influences and irregular an-nual rainfall, means that a great di-versity of wines are produced, withwhites predominating.

The white wines of TarragonaDO have a moderate alcohol con-tent with fruity aromas, while therosés are fine, elegant wines andthe reds full-bodied and warm. Thearea is also well-known for its ranciand sweet dessert wines, not tomention Tarragona Classic madefrom extremely ripe Tempranillograpes, which givesit a high alcoholcontent, that is agedin oak casks for morethan a decade.

As for the grapevarieties used, thethree authorisedwhite varieties areMacabeo, Garnachablanca and PedroXiménez, while thered varieties areGarnacha tinta,Carinyena, Tempra-nillo, Cabernet sau-vignon and Merlot.

TCATALONIA TODAY

Tarragona DO is the oldest in Catalonia. / GENCAT

TARRAGONA DORegistered wine growing area: 7,391hectares.Wine growers: 2,289Bottling wineries: 27Qualified wine production:150,000 hectolitres


TERRA ALTA DORegistered wine growing area: 6,500hectares.Wine growers: 1,800Bottling wineries: 42Qualified wine production:60,000 hectolitres

CATALONIA TODAY

he combination of the hillsand the basin of the River Ebre

creates a spectacular landscape inwhich vineyards are to be foundscattered around the low-lying,dry valley areas that provide natu-ral terraces and soil with idealdrainage properties.

The Mediterranean climate hasa strong continental influence,with scarce annual rainfall andstrong levels of insolation. Theseare the optimum characteristicsfor producing quality wines thatTerra Alta is keen to have recog-nised alongside its prestigious localcompetitors, such as the wines ofPriorat DO.

The designation specialises inwhite wines based on the garnatxaand Macabeu grape varieties,which produce powerful yet lightwines that are very Mediterraneanin character.

The flavourful rosés and soberreds are made with the Carinyena,Garnatxa negra and peluda va-rieties, blended with Ull de llebre.

Many of the area’s vineyards,which were replanted between1920 and 1950 after the devastat-ing outbreak of the phylloxeravirus, were the creation of cooper-atives, and today many of the wi-neries in this DO still function ascooperatives.

Terra Alta DO acquired officialstatus in 1982 and there are cur-rently 8,200 ha covered, with1,800 grape growers and 42 wi-neries registered, with a wine pro-duction of 60.000 hectolitres peryear.

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Many vineyardswhich were replantedbetween 1920 and1950 after thedevastating outbreakof the phylloxera

Highlandascension

Priorat DO wines regularly appear on top-ten wine lists around the world. / GENCAT


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Photo: Fundació Alícia


As the head of the Generalitat’s Alimentació, Qualitat iIndústries Agroalimentàries, Domènec Vila, knowsall about guaranteeing food standards and quality

Ensuringexcellence

DOMÈNEC VILA. Director General of food standards agency

he agriculture depart-ment of the Catalan gov-

ernment has implemented afood standards and agricul-ture quality plan. Tell usmore about it?

There are two main officialquality standards, recognised bythe EU and by the Catalan pub-lic administration, that aim todistinguish certain food pro-ducts pertaining to a particularregion that have certain distinc-tive characteristics and an in-imitable flavour. The companiesthat meet these quality levelscan obtain PDO and PGI qualifi-cations, whereby the Catalangovernment promotes and re-cognises the quality and thetraditional way these productsare produced. In Catalonia therange of classification of super-ior quality products also in-cludes the Marques de Qualitat(quality stamp), for foodstuffsuch as chocolates, biscuits, oilyfish, cheese, rabbit, lamb andpork, among others. Then thereare the Especialitats Tradi-cionals Garantides (guaranteedtraditional specialities), such aspanallets, pernil serrà, and oneDenominació Geogràfica (geo-

TM. TOPOR/ G. CAPDEVILA graphical designation): ratafia

catalana.What is the advantage of

having PDO or PGI certifi-cation?

Producers can distinguishtheir products on the market,while offering the guarantee ofquality that consumers sorightly seek, as well as guaran-teeing precise know-how andspecific methods of production.

How is this process con-trolled?

All the PDOs and PGIs have aregulatory body , which includerepresentatives of producersand the administration. Thesebodies are charged with guaran-teeing that all steps of the tradi-tional production process arecarefully adhered to. This is alsocontrolled by a specific law.

How can a product obtaina PDO or PGI ?

Certification takes betweensix and 12 months, or evenlonger because it is often diffi-cult to prove that a 'traditional'method of elaboration or thename itself exists. There maywell be an oral tradition and so-cial recognition, but it is oftenmore difficult to back that upwith documented evidence. The

administration will help witheverything as long as there is aprevious market study and thereis market demand.

There seems to be a grow-ing interest in these pro-ducts.

Indeed, there are over 1,000PDOs and PGIs in the EU andeach week there are two or threemore. A lot of work is done fromArepo (European Association ofGeographical Indications)based in Bordeaux, whose aim isto promote and defend the in-terests of producers and con-sumers of the European regionsinvolved in the evaluation of

Qualitystamps PDOand PGIDOP (Denominacionsd’Origen Protegides) –refers to original productswhose process of produc-tion, elaboration andtransformation follow thetradition of a specific geo-graphical area, and have avery specific local origin.In the case of olive oil, theolives are produced in aspecific geographic areaand the transformationinto oil also takes place inthat same area, giving theoil unique qualities. TheIGP (Les Indicacions Geo-gràfiques Protegides)differ in that although theproduct is not necessarilymade in a specific area oforigin, it’s faithfulness totradition in production iswhat counts. The llango-nissa de Vic, is one ex-ample: while the raw ma-terials do not need to befrom Vic itself, its produc-tion does have to followspecial techniques ofelaboration, which aretraditional to the localgeographical area.


food-processing. Arepo is cur-rently composed of 25 Europeanregions from France, Spain,Italy, Portugal and Germanyand the UK. Other countries,such as China, have started toshow interest in this model ofdifferentiating food products.Thanks to its diversity, Catalo-nia has a long tradition inquality recognition. Les Gar-rigues, for instance, is the oldestoil PDO in Spain.

Does quality help when itcomes to dealing with theeconomic crisis?

We need to make products aswell and as economical as poss-

ible. Quality, recognition, dif-ferentiating the products, this isour slogan. Sometimes the con-sumer wants something special,and this is the meaning of thequality indications. In fact, thePDOs and PGIs only cover 5% ofproduction in Catalonia.

What does the governmentdo to promote these productsabroad?

Through Prodeca, a Catalanentity whose main mission is tohelp local companies to exporttheir products, we promote thelocal culture and know-how ininternational fairs and eventsaround the world. We work in

the Pacific, the US, Asia, SouthAmerica, the Arabian Gulf, and,of course, Europe, which re-mains the main market for ex-porting Catalan products, espe-cially France, Germany, the UKand Russia. Our biggest com-petitors are southern France andItaly.

And the tourist sector?Cuisine and wines are two of

Catalonia’s great ambassadors.An example of our collaborationwith the tourist sector is the Fer-ran Adrià scholarship, whichconsists in inviting well-knownchefs from abroad to spend twoto three months working in re-

nowned local restaurants. Theidea is to introduce them toCatalan products and gastron-omy so they can promote ourway of cooking in their owncountries. The most recent par-ticipant was a chef from an ac-claimed Moscow restaurant .

What about promotion onthe local market?

One of the emblematic eventsin this respect is the Mercat demercats, which takes place everyOctober in Mercat de Santa Ca-terina and the plaça de la Cate-dral in Barcelona. Other eventsinclude Barcelona Degusta, Ali-mentaria and local fairs.

Vila poses for aphotograph

during theinterview.

/ QUIM PUIG


On thebenefitsof liquidgold

CATALONIA TODAY

Catalonia is privilegedto enjoy some of theworld’s best olive oils

ince time immemorial,olive oil has been a symbol

of Mediterranean culture and amainstay in the local economy.For the peoples of the Mediterra-nean, far more than an almostmagical food source with provenmedicinal properties, olive oilhas also been a source of wealthand power. The olive tree is seenas symbol of abundance, gloryand peace. And Catalonia islucky enough to produce someof the best olive oils in the world.

All the way from the heights ofthe Pyrenees to the Mediterra-nean Sea, passing through thegentle valleys of the Empordà,the arid lands of Lleida and thefertile plains of the Ebre, theCatalan countryside enjoys aprivileged landscape, where theolive groves and presses peace-fully intertwine with vineyards,almond trees and pine forests.This is the unique setting for theextra-virgin olive oil certifiedwith the PDO seal of quality.

According to various studies,the Greeks introduced olive oilto the Iberian Penisula throughEmpúries, in Empordà in the 6thcentury BC, although there isevidence that it was known be-fore that, back in the Bronze Age.However, other studies claimthat the oldest groves on the Ibe-rian peninsula are found inCádiz. Whatever the case, theRomans continued this tradi-tion and the medieval Benedic-tine monks perfected it.

Rich in oleic acid, as well as in

s

Vitamin E and various antiox-idants, olive oil possesses awealth of beneficial medicinaleffects which have been re-peatedly endorsed by scientificstudies showing that daily con-sumption of virgin oil con-tributes to the prevention of andreduction in the risk of cardiov-ascular illnesses, among others.

Catalan oils have a widespreadreputation for excellence, differ-ing in colour, flavour and aromaaccording to each region. Cata-lan PDO olive oils have very lowacidity; the European Councilsets the maximum acidity levelpermitted at 0.8º in extra-virginolive oils. However, this para-meter is indicative of the fresh-

ness of the olives it was obtainedfrom, and does not affect the fla-vour of the oil.

In Catalonia there are cur-rently four PDOs for olive oil: LesGarrigues, Siurana, Oli de laTerra Alta, Oli del Baix Ebre-Montsià, and one in the processof being recognised : Oli deL’Empordà.

Olive oil has always been a staple of Mediterranean culture./ JORDI PRADES


ICED TOMATO WITH LESGARRIGUES OILIngredients: Olive oil, 12 ripeplum tomatoes, arbequina olivepurée, salt, ground blackpepper, fresh thymePreparation: Purée thetomatoes, season with oil and alittle thyme. Set a little puréeaside and freeze the rest in acontainer. Put some olive puréein a glass,add theicedtomatoesmixed withthe rest ofthe soup.Top withoil.(F.Alícia)

Les Garrigues PDO, the oldest in SpainLes Garrigues olive oilis mostly pressedfrom Arbequinaolives, which taketheir name from thetown of Arbeca, inthe heart of theregion. These olivesare very small, buthighly aromatic

he first PDO in Spain forolive oil was awarded to the

Garrigues region in 1975 andPDO certification from the EUquickly followed in 1996. Madein the south of the province ofLleida, Les Garrigues extra-vir-gin olive oil is highly appreci-ated in the market for its excel-lent organoleptic characteristicsmainly owed to the use of veryhigh quality Arbequina olives.To a smaller extent, the Verdiell

TCATALONIA TODAY variety is also used. The origins

of this oil date back to the eight-eenth century, when a subject ofthe King Jaime I of Aragonbrought an olive tree from Ma-jorca to the area.

Precise care in production andlocal climatic conditions are themain attributes of this oil; a deli-cious fruity nectar of fresh olive,dense, rich in flavour, with aro-mas of grass and leaves, tomatoand green almond. Oils from thegreener olive are more intense

and boast a slightly bitter, spicytang, but when the olive is riper,it’s milder and sweeter.

The natural properties of thisoil make it an essential part of ahealthy Mediterranean diet. Inthis sense, the Regulatory Boardof the PDO Les Garrigues createdthe brand RestauraDOrs, meantfor the hostelry sector, in an at-tempt to raise awareness amongprofessionals for the need tofoster the use of extra-virginolive oil among consumers.

PDO LES GARRIGUESProduction areaLleida province, counties of LesGarrigues, south of Segrià andsouth of L’UrgellVarieties: Arbequina andVerdiellProducers3,820Mills/ Packagers15/ 26Annualproduction5,501,500lCultivated surface18,560 ha

Les Garrigues olive oil is made in Lleida, mostly from Arbequina olives


CONTRASTS SALAD WITHTERRA ALTA OLIVE OILIngredients: 2 potatoes, mixtureof green leaves, 8 greenasparaguses, 4 tomatoes, 4 springonions, 4 young garlics, 1 carrot, 1courgette, 50g cauliflower, 50gbroccoli, 25g French beans, peas,50g cooked pulses, 1 small tub ofedible flowers, aromatic leaves,50g raspberries, 10g hazelnuts,salt crystals, oil, balsamic vinegar.Preparation: Confité the potatoesand cut them up. Blanch thevegetables with water and salt andcut them into slices. Prepare the saladwith the green leaves, place the reston top, decorate with aromaticflowers and leaves and season withsalt, vinegar and oil. (Fundació Alícia)

Tribute toEmpeltrevarietyThe Tarragona regionhas given rise to topquality virgin oils

Terra Alta Olive Oil has beenknown in the European Com-minity as a Protected Desig-nation of Origin since 2005. Theextra virgin olive oil protectedby this PDO uses varieties suchArbequina, Morruda and Farga.However, the most common isthe variety Empeltre which is infact the real sign of identity ofthis oil. Its presence in the regionis so common that it sometimesis the only olive variety presentin most areas of the Ebre valley.

Its name comes from the Cata-lan word empelt, which meansgraft, a reference to the most wi-despread propagation tech-nique used in the area. This va-riety is deeply rooted allover theEbre valley and the Balearic Is-lands and is also known underthe names of Terra Alta, Ara-gonesa, Llei, Mallorquina, Nav-arro, Payesa or Zaragozana.

Most of the crops are tradi-tionally cultivated andsome of the olivegroves are organic. Theoil is made only fromolives collectedstraight from the treeand pressing takesplace in the 24 hoursfollowing the harvest.All of this guarantees amaximum acidity of0.5 degrees and en-sures that all the fruit’squalities are preserved.The oil is limpid, yel-lowish, sweet, slightlybitter and spicy, withan aroma reminiscentof almonds and greennuts.

CATALONIA TODAY

The olive oil made in the Terra Alta region has aromas reminiscent of almond and green nuts.

PDO OLI DE TERRA ALTA

Production areas: Terra Altaand Ribera d’Ebre countiesVarieties: Empeltre, Arbequina,Morruda and FargaMills/ Packagers: 8/ 15Producers: 2,200Annual production: 20,000lCultivated surface: 2,900ha


BREAD WITH SIURANAOIL, CHOCOLATE ANDHAZELNUTSIngredients:4 slices of farmhouse bread, oil,50g of Reus hazelnuts, roastedand peeled, 100g gratedchocolate, salt flakesPreparation:Dip the slices of bread in oil,sprinkle the bread with gratedchocolateandchoppedhazelnuts.Sprinklelightlywith salt.(F.Alícia)

Siurana, the powerhouse of olive oil

lesser extent, the Rojal and Mor-ruda varieties.

Siurana is a complete oil, full-bodied with a distinctive linger-ing taste, balanced and verypleasant on the palate, with agreen almond and apple fra-grance. According to the time ofharvest, two oils can be distin-guished: fruity, green, thickeroils with a bitter almond flavourfrom the earlier harvest, andsweet, yellow and lighter oilsfrom a later harvest.

Most olive groves in Siuranaapply traditional techniques ofmanufacture. The olives arepressed within 24 hours of har-vesting, thus preserving theirwealth of vitamins and nu-trients. The result is an oil that isfresh, healthy and with the suit-able maturity index.

In recent years, cooperativessuch as St Jaume Apostol in Ull-demolins and Cabaces havestarted to produce 100% organicolive oils.

CATALONIA TODAY

he production area of thePDO Siurana olive oil

stretches along the coastal stripof the province of Tarragona andincludes the Priorat, Baix Camp,Ribera d’Ebre, Tarragonés, AltCamp, Baix Penedés and Concade Barberà counties.

The oil comes from the directand manual harvesting of Arbe-quina olives, one of the mosthighly appreciated of all olivesused in oil production, and to a

TAppreciated aroundthe world for itsexcellence, the PDOSiurana boasts thelargest amount of oilproduction of allCatalan PDO oils

Siurana olive oils are mademostly from Arbequina oliveswith Rojal andMorruda varieties. / ARCHIVE

PDO SIURANA OLIVE OIL

Production areas:Priorat, Baix Camp, Riberad’Ebre, Tarragonés, AltCamp,Baix Penedés, Conca deBarberàVarieties:Arbequina, Rojal, MorrudaProducers: 7,477Mills/ Packagers: 36/ 40Annual production: 7,301,000lCultivated surface: 11,522ha


HEAD OF VEAL WITH OILVINAGRETTEIngredients: 600g of cooked headof veal, olive oil, seed mustard,sherry vinegar, salt, ground blackpepper, 2 spring onions, 1 greenpepper, 4 green tomatoes, 2carrotsPreparation: Cut the veal intocubes and marinate with thevinegar for half an hour.Wash and chop the greens finely,add salt and pepper and blend inthe olive oil.Dissolve the mustard with a littleoil to make a vinaigrette.Mix the greens with the veal, saltand dress it all with the vinaigrette.Serve cold.(Fundació Alícia)

Treasureof Terresde l’EbreStrong winds andpoor soil favour anexcellent olive oil

Producing and selling olive oil isone of the main industries of theTerres de l’Ebre region, in parti-cular in the Baix Ebre and Mont-sià counties. Tortosa itself be-came the oil capital of Spain atthe beginning of the 20th cen-tury.

The lack of nutrients in thesoil, the gentle winters and thedry windy climate – the persist-ent mistral wind, strongest in au-tumn and winter, strengthensthe growth of the olive trees –causes an increased percentageof polyphenols in the fruit. As aresult, the PDO Baix Ebre-Mont-sià oil, made from the local va-rieties Morruda, Sevillenca andFarga, is limpid, transparent,free of clouds and impurities,rich in secondary flavours with amoderately astringent, bitterand at times fruity taste.

The Consell Regulador (Regu-latory Board) of the Baix Ebre-Montsià PDO oliveoil includes 12 coop-eratives, which havecombined their ef-forts to promote andsell their productsunder the genericname Acobem.Among the oils pro-duces there are ex-cellent brands suchas Cabra Freixet, La-crima Olea and Iller-cavonia. AureumMilenium and Ibe-rolei Mil.lenari aremade with olivesfrom thousand year-old olive trees.www.acobem.com

CATALONIA TODAY

Aureum Milenium and Iberolei Mil.lenari are made with olives from thousand year-old trees. /DOP

PDO OLI DEL BAIXEBRE-MONTSIÀCultivated areas: All themunicipalities within the BaixEbre and Montsià districts

Varieties: Morruda (also calledMorrut)(50%), Sevillenca(30-35%) and Farga (10-20%)

Producers:3,389Mills andpackagers:12/ 5Annualproduction:92,200lCultivatedsurface:12,111ha


SMOKED SARDINE WITHRAW SAUCEIngredients: 8 cured andsmoked sardines, 1 smallFigueres onion, 2 tomatoes, oil,wild leek, salt, pepperPreparation: Fillet the sardines,add salt and then coat themwith oil. Blanch, seed and chopthe tomatoes, grate the onionand blend. Lay out the sardineson aplate,coverthemwith thesauce andjulienneleek.(F.Alícia)

The taste of the tramuntanaLimpid andtransparent, the oliveoils made in theEmpordà are fruity,spicy, aromatic, andslightly astringent

CATALONIA TODAY

he Oli de l’Empordà, pre-sently in the process of

being recognised as a ProtectedDesignation of Origin, is madein the northernmost olivegroves of the Iberian peninsulafrom local varieties such as Argu-dell, Corivell or Verdal, Llei deCadaqués (only in Cadaqués andPort de la Selva) and Arbequina.

The Empordà, a historic partof the province of Girona, lo-cated near the French border, is

Tdefined by constant orographiccontrasts and swept by the Tra-muntana wind, which gives theoil its specific qualities andrequires the olives to be har-vested by hand when they arenot yet fully ripe.

The oils made in the Empordàregion are very pleasant to thepalate, tasty and aromatic:slightly astringent with a bitter-ness and piquancy in balancewith the fruity notes, and anaroma reminiscent of almond,

tomato, anise, fennel and arti-choke. These varieties yield extralimpid, transparent, pure oliveoils, neither cloudy nor turbid ifthey are marketed filtered.

The Empordà oil is perfect forpà amb tomaquet, for making al-lioli (garlic mayonnaise), to addthat special flavour to the sofregitsauce, and for making meat orfish casseroles.

The PDO Oli de l’Empordà hasa maximum parameter of acidityof 0,8 degrees.

PDO OLI DE L’EMPORDÀProduction areas: Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà,Gironès (Viladasens, Sant JordiDesvalls, Flaçà, Madremanyaand Llagostera), Pla de l’Estany(Crespià, Esponellà i Vilademuls)VarietiesArgudell, Corivell,Verdal and Arbequina,Producers: 525Mills: 4Packagers: 2Annual production: 178,576lCultivated surface: 850ha


ARRÒS A LA CASSOLAIngredients: 2400g rice, 150g finely-choppedpork ribs, 1/4 finely-choppedchicken, 200g mussels, 4 largeprawns, 2 sliced onions, 2 gratedtomatoes, 100g peas, 1 1/4l water,salt, oil. For the picada , a fewstrands of saffron, 1 clove of garlic,parsley.Preparation: Sauté the prawnsand reserve. Fry the chicken andthe ribs and set aside. Make asauce with the onion, garlic andtomato, add the meat and therice, stir for a few minutes and addboiling water. After a moment addthe peas and the picada. Allow tosimmer for 15 min and add themussels towards the end. (F.Alícia)

The riceparadiseDelta de l’Ebre is thehome of Catalan riceproduction

With an area of 320 km2, Terresde l’Ebre is the largest wetland inCatalonia, and one of the mostimportant in the Mediterraneanregion. The estuary of the riverEbre forms a first class nature re-serve, a tourist attraction knownfor its great variety of landscapesand a rich gastronomy.

One of the products most inti-mately connected to the regionof the Ebre Delta is the rice.

Rice has been grown in thearea since the 15th century, butit wasn’t until the 19th century,however, that rice cultivationbecame a tradition of the region.Nowadays, the rice productionin the Delta de l’Ebre represents98,5% of the total production inCatalonia and 20% of the pro-duction in Spain.

The rice cultivated in the area,belongs to the Bahía, Tebre,Sénia, Fonsa, Bomba and Mont-sianell varieties, all of whichenjoy a prestigious reputationamong consumers thanks totheir overall pearl-white colour andtexture, with grainsthat do not stick, af-fording them greatcooking properties.

Moreover, thegrains have highconcentration ofstarch in theircentre , known as'pearling', which isresponsible for theabsorption of theflavours of theother ingredientsused in the disheswhich make thiscrop an excellentchoice for chefs.

CATALONIA TODAY

The PDO Delta de l’Ebre rice is highly appreciated for its cooking properties. / GENCAT

PDO DELTA DE L’EBRE

Production areas: Municipalities of the Deltabreand Sant Juame d’Enveja,Amposta, Camarles, L’Ampollaand Sant Carles de la Ràpita.Varieties: Bahía, Tebre, Sénia,Fonsa, Bomba and MontsianellProducers: 7,077Packagers: 2Annual production:66,371,000kgCultivated surface: 11,917 ha


HAZELNUT MILK WITHCRABIngredients: 500g hazelnuts,600ml mineral water, 1 crab, 1lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper.Preparation: Blend the roasthazelnuts with water until theyform a smooth paste, season.Boil the crab, scoop out themeat, add a little oil. In acocktail cup, put two spoons ofhazelnutmilk, addthe crab,andgratedlemonzest.Servechilled.(F.Alícia)

Reus, the kingdom of hazelnuts

CATALONIA TODAY

he cultivation of hazelnutshas a long tradition in Cata-

lonia, especially in the area ofTarragona, where hazelnuts pro-duction dates back at least sixcenturies. Trade in hazelnutswas first regulated on the Barce-lona exchange in the 13th cen-tury. In the late 19th century,when winemakers in the areastruggled to cope with the phyll-oxera plague, many decided re-place the vines with hazelnuts

TEating a handful ofraw hazelnuts a dayhelps reduce the levelof cholesterol andavoid the risk ofcardiovasculardisease, say studiesled by health expertsand nutritionists

trees.The reputation and quality of

this nut (Corylus avellana L andCorylus máxima Mill) haveearned its well-deserved PDOquality status. Spain is currentlythe third largest producer in theworld and 80% of the country’shazelnuts are grown in the Reusarea.

Hazelnut varieties covered bythe PDO Avellana de Reus arethose traditionally cultivatedlocally: Negreta (the most com-

mon), Pauetet, Gironella,Morella and Culplana.

Nuts in general either raw orroasted, are an important ingre-dient in the Mediterranean diet,and are a valuable source of vita-mins, minerals and energy.Health experts say that hazenutsare rich in unsaturated fats, andone of the best ways to reducecholesterol levels in the bloodand avoid cardiovascular diseaseis to eat a handful (about 25) ofraw hazelnuts a day.

PDO AVELLANA DE REUSAreas of cultivation: Provinceof Tarragona, in the counties ofBaix Camp, L’Alt Camp, ElTarragonès, El Priorat, La Concade Barberà and La Terra AltaVarieties: Negreta, Pauetet,Gironella, Morella and Culplana.Producers: 3,981Companies: 10Annual production: 160,000kgCultivated surface: 8,241ha

Reus hazelnuts may be sold in three forms: shelled, whole and roasted.


CHEESE LASAGNE WITHROCKET AND ANCHOVIESIngredients250g sliced cheese, 70g tenderrocket leaves, 8 clean anchovyfillets, 4 tomatoes, olive oil, 1/2bunch of basil, salt and pepperPreparation:Place a slice of cheese on a hot plate,cut the tomato, season it and spreadit over the cheese, add another sliceof cheese, followed by the anchovyfillets and the rocket seasoned withsalt and oil, sprinkle with thechopped nuts. Cover with anotherslice of cheese and grill until melted.Grind the basil with oil and salt, anddribble the basil oil over the lasagne.Season with ground, black pepper.(Fundació Alícia)

Bounty of thePyreneesA unique cheese ismade from the milkof Friesian cows

The hills and high-mountainvalleys of Alt Urgell and La Cerd-anya, crossed by mountainstreams and small rivers, are theperfect places for raising live-stock. The climate and the natu-ral conditions give the plantspecies in the pastures specialcharacteristics that are ideal forcattle. Cattle, along with sheepand goats, are raised in this partof the Catalan Pyrenees to pro-duce quality cheeses that arehighly regarded throughout thecountry, to the point that Cata-lonia has become the regionwith most cheese shops in Spain.The rich grazing the cattle enjoygives the milk a distinctive bou-quet, and this, together with thecuring process, determines thecheese its characteristic tasteand appearance.

In the 1940-60s, cheese fromthe Alt Urgell and Cerdanya wasthe top seller in Barcelona, andacquired a reputation whichlasts to this day.

The cheese pro-tected by this PDO ismade from the pas-teurised, full-fat milkof Friesian cows and ismatured and made ofpressed, uncookedpaste. It is cylindrical,with a diameter of195-200mm, andweighs about 2,5kg.The crust is natural,nd the paste is creamyor ivory, with small,uneven holes. It has asweet, penetratingaroma and a characte-ristic flavour.

CATALONIA TODAY

The cheese protected by this PDO has a creamy colour and a distinctive fresh bouquet. / GENCAT

PDO L’ALT URGELL ANDLA CERDANYA CHEESEProduction areaThe counties of L’Alt Urgell andla Cerdanya (province of Lleida)Producers: 133Packagers: 1Annual production: 223,054kgRegulatory board:www. cadi.es/ [email protected]


SPONGE CAKE WITHBUTTER AND SALTCRYSTALSIngredients: 1 sponge cake,25g butter, 100g apricotcompote, 100g sugar, 5g coffeegrains, cinnamon, lemon, a fewdrops of black rum, 25g slicedalmonds, salt crystalsPreparation: Cut the cake intocubes, and stuff them withcompote. Make a syrup withsugar, coffee, cinnamon andrum. Steep the cake in it. Dilutethe compote with syrup, pourthis saucearound thecake, anddecorate withbuttershavings,almonds andsalt crystals.

The crème de la crème of butterProduced usingtraditional methodsby the Cadícooperative, thisbutter is made withthe pasteurised milkof Friesian cows fedon the lush grass ofPyrenean meadows

CATALONIA TODAY

ogether with their cheeses,the butter of Alt Urgell and

Cerdanya is another prime dairyproduct from the Pyrenees. Thisbutter is the first in Spain, andone of the few in Europe, to beaccredited with a PDO qualitymark.

Made with the cream from thepasteurised milk of Friesian cowsfed on the fresh lush grass of thePyrenean meadows which wereonce covered with grape vines,

Tthe butter protected by this PDOis a true delight for the palate. Itsspecific characteristics are duemainly to the climate, the pureair of the Pyrenees, the manufac-turing and aging process of thebutter, as well as the flora andvegetation of the region onwhich the cows feed.

Its most singular qualities areits flavour, its natural freshness,an intense, slightly acid taste,and its light nutty bouquet,reminiscent of hazelnuts. It has a

natural, bright yellow colourand a solid, uniform consist-ency. It is easy to spread and isnaturally rich in carotenoids(pro-vitamin A).

The butter protected by thisPDO is made by the Cadí cooper-ative, which has been producingit using traditional methodssince 1915. Butter productionbegan with only 200 litres ofmilk daily, and increased underthe trademark CADÍ, until itgained market supremacy.

PDO ALT URGELL ANDCERDANYA BUTTER

Production area: Alt Urgell andCerdanya counties.Producers: 133Companies: 1Annual production:380,640 kg

The butter protected by this PDO has been produced by the Cadí cooperative since 1915. / ARCHIVE


ROAST DUCK WITH PEARSIngredients: 1 duck, 4 pears, 2chopped onions, 2 sliced leeks, 2carrots, peeled and sliced, 2 tomatoes1 bouquet garni, 1 cup of brandy,flour, olive oil, salt, pepper, water. Forthe picada: 2 cloves garlic, almonds, 2biscuits.Preparation: Season the duck withsalt and pepper and roast it in a panuntil golden brown, drain off the fat and reserve. In the same pan add theonions, carrots and leeks and cook until golden then add the tomatoes.Once soft, flambé them with the brandy and let the sauce reduce. Place theduck back in the pan, cover it with water and add the aromatic herbs. Peel,slice the pears in quarters, coat them with flour and fry them. Add the pearsto the pan when the duck is tender and let them cook together for a whileat a low temperature. Ten minutes before it’s done add the picada sauce.(To make the picada, pound the garlic, almonds and biscuits in a morta,with a pestle, to make a thick, smooth paste ). Serve on a heated plate, theduck in the centre surrounded by pears and sauce on top. (Fundació Alícia)

Heavenlypears:Edenia

CATALONIA TODAY

Pera de Lleida;Catalan fruit that rulein Spain

Lleida has earned itself a greatreputation as a land with excel-lent natural products. In addi-tion to olive oil, cheese, wineand snails, Lleida produces ex-cellent fruit, especially pears. Infact, half of the pears grown inSpain come from the Lleida area.The protected designation of ori-gin (PDO) Pera de Lleida coversthree varieties: Llimonera, Blan-quilla and Conference pears.

The characteristics of the localsoil and microclimate, especiallyLleida’s extreme temperatures,in addition to the thorough cul-tivation and selection processgive these pears great tastequalities. Indeed, they have aparticularly rich flavour thanksto their high level of sugars,juiciness and aroma. Yellow orbright green in colour or with alight layer of brownish russet-ing, the pears produced in Lleidaregion are a delight for the pa-late.

The Llimonera is harvestedaround early July, the Blanquilladuring the first week of Augustand the Conference in mid-Au-gust. Blanquilla, the most deli-cate, is packaged by hand,whereas the others are machinepackaged.

Pera de Lleida’s regulatorycouncil and regional promotio-nal body Catalonia Qualitathave jointly launched the newbrand name Edenia for denomi-nation of origin pears, whichwill cover the three varieties offruit produced in Cataloniaunder the Pera de Lleida pro-tected denomination of originstandard.

Llimonera, Blanquilla and Conference, the three varieties of PDO Pera de Lleida .

DPO PEAR OF LLEIDA

Production areas: Lleida and Segrià, Noguera,L’Urgell, Pla d’Urgell, LesGarrigues countiesVarieties: Llimonera, Blanquilla andConference

Producers:764Packagingcompanies: 10:Annualproduction:26,166,000kgCultivatedsurface:1,671,95ha


BEAN 'EMPEDRAT' WITHVENTRESCA TUNAIngredients: 600g boiledbeans, 8 plum tomatoes, 150gcanned ventresca tuna, 8 finespring onions, 6 quail eggs,black olive purée, wild leek,olive oil, vinegar, salt, blackpepperPreparation: Crush half thebeans to a fine cream, seasonwith salt, pepper and vinegar.Cut the tomatoes into quarters,chop the onion and the boiledeggs. Mix,add thecream, oil,decoratewith wildleek.

Humble bean that conquered CataloniaMongeta del ganxet isa unique variety ofbean originallybrought from CentralAmerica in the 19thcentury but todaygrown exclusively inCatalonia

ecognised by many foodiesas one of the best beans in

the world, the mongeta del ganxetis a variety of bean with uniquequalities, which is today culti-vated only in Catalonia, in allthe municipalities of El VallèsOccidental and Oriental, andsome areas of Maresme andSelva. The popular beans arecurrenly in the the process of ob-taining the EU’s PDO qualityclassification.

RCATALONIA TODAY The beans are flat and a similar

shape to the kidney bean, with atypical hook shape at one end,which is where the bean gets itsname in Catalan.

On the palate the cookedbeans are creamy, with a mild,delicate and lingering taste,which is reminiscent of chest-nuts or sweet potatoes. The skinis very thin and barely percep-tible when eaten.

Mongeta del Ganxet beansoriginally arrived in Catalonia

from Central America in the19th century. Their characte-ristics of taste and appearancederive from the combination ofthe climate and the soil. So suc-cessful have the beans proved tobe that they have all but dis-placed other types of bean thatpreviously existed in the area.The beans are also the main in-gredients in many traditionallocal dishes, such as mongetesamb butifarra, empedrat de bacallàand mongetes amb cloïsses.

DOP MONGETA DELGANXET

Production area: All themunicipalities in the counties ofVallès Occidental and VallèsOriental, Maresme and La SelvaVarieties:Phaseolus vulgaris L. of theGanxet varietyProducers:17

Packagers: 8

Annualproduction:4,800,000kgCultivatedsurface:14,50ha

Ganxet beans are much appreciated for their creamy texture and thin skin. / ARCHIVE


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The new year in Vallsand Camp deTarragona is calçotseason and the timeto meet up withfriends, don a bib andhave some fun

Tradition and fun in the formof long, slender calçot onions

CATALONIA TODAY

he long, slender greenonions known as calçots are

among the most popular foodproducts in Catalonia. Calço-tades, specially organised groupmeals held in restaurants andcountry houses in Valls andCamp de Tarragona, are also oneof the most popular ways of en-joying calçots. In Valls, larges-cale production of the vegetableis well established and the calçotis now covered by a ProtectedGeographical Indication (PGI),which is a guarantee of qualityand protection of traditionunder the auspices of the EU.

Calçots are in fact the shootsfrom fully grown onions that arereplanted, or 'shod', hence thename in Catalan which comesfrom the verb calçar. However,the process of growing calçots isnot a quick one and takes almosta year. The result is a cylindrical,tender, white sweet spring onionready for roasting.

The products protected by theCalçot de Valls PGI are shootsfrom bulbs of the Blanca GranTardía de Lleida variety of thespecies Allium cepa.

Currently, Calçots de Valls arecultivated in the counties of BaixPenedès, Tarragonès, Baix Campand Alt Camp, which have thesuitable environmental charac-

Tteristics for the production ofcalçots, according to the de-mands of the regulatory agency.The area has a Mediterraneanmaritime climate, with mildtemperatures and, most import-antly, is free of frost for morethan nine months of the year. Atthe end of the process of culti-vation, the calçots, which have awhite tail of 15 to 25cm in lengthand an average diameter of be-tween 1,7 and 2,5 cm, are tiedwith a blue ribbon bearing thePGI label, in bunches of 25 or 50.

These production methods,together with the water, soil andclimatic conditions, give calçotstheir distinctive look and taste.

Calçots are usually eaten in Ja-nuary, February and March. It isusually a long-awaited meal,often associated with traditionalcelebrations, village festivals orgatherings of friends in countryhouses and restaurants. As thecalçot is lowered into the openmouth, eating them is above alllots of fun.

Calçots are usually roastedover a wood fire and dipped intoa sauce known as salvitxada, akind of romesco sauce before eat-ing. The salvitxada is an elabor-ate sauce made with driedpeppers, ripe tomatoes, virginolive oil and dried nuts, mainlyhazelnuts.

PGI CALÇOTS DE VALLS

Areas of cultivation: Region ofValls and Camp de Tarragona.Varieties: variety Blanca GranTardía de Lleida of the speciesAllium cepa L.Producers: 49Companies: 3Annual production: 920,000kgCultivated surface: 55 ha

CALÇOTS WITH ROMESCOAND ANCHOVIESIngredients: 24 IGP Calçots, 3tomatoes, 12 anchovies, 8 slices ofbread, olive oil, romesco sauce.Preparation: Cook the calçots andthen cut off the roots, remove thefirst leaf and greenest part. Setaside. Blanch the tomatoes, peel,empty and cut them into quarters.Toast the bread in the oven.Combine the tomato slices, thecalçots and the anchovies, add theromesco sauce and a few drops ofoil. Serve on the toast. (F.Alícia)


Sharing a table with friends and calçots has become a modernCatalan tradition.


CLEMENTINE SEGMENTSAND RIND CONFITÉD WITHFRESH MINTIngredients: 8 IGP Clementines,1 plain yoghurt, a bunch of freshmint and 50g sugar.Preparation:For the confitéd rind: take the zestof two clementines, slice in finejuliennes. Squeeze the juice fromthe flesh and put it in a dish withsome of the zest, the sugar andconfité very slowly until a syrupforms. Set aside.Lay out segments of the otherclementines, alternating them withthe yoghurt. Cover with theconfitéd zest. Serve with juice niceand cold.(Fundació Alícia)

Ebre’sdarlingcitrusClementines standout among the fruitof Terres de l’Ebre

The soil and climate of the fertileEbre and Montsià regions, areideal for growing citrus fruit.One of the star products of thearea is the Clementina de LesTerres de l’Ebre, Their highquality which has led them tostand out among the citrus fruitgrown in the area has earnedthem a distinction of ProtectedGeographical Indication (PGI).

The clementine is the fruit ofthe clementine tree (Citrusclementine), a hybrid between amandarin (Citrus deliciosa) andorange (Citrus sinensis). As it is asterile hybrid and so has no pips.It also has a thin skin that is easyto peel and a bittersweet taste.

The distinguishing characte-ristics of the Clementines de lesTerres de l’Ebre are a lengthy ri-pening period and a bright or-ange colour to the flesh and peel.The skin is thin and elastic butfirm. Clementines have high nu-trient content andare full of vitaminsand minerals. Twoclementines a dayprovide all of theRecommendedDaily Amount of vi-tamin C.

Since October2008, the town ofBitem (Tortosa,Baix Ebre) has heldthe annual Fira de laClementina, thatpays homage to thisunique fruit thathas a key role inboosting the localtourism and econ-omy.

CATALONIA TODAY

Clementines are a hybrid between a mandarin (Citrus deliciosa) and orange (Citrus sinensis). / ARCHIVE

PGI CLEMENTINES DELES TERRES DE L’EBRE

Areas of cultivation: Terres del’Ebre and MontsiàVarieties: Clementina Fina,Hernandina and ClemenulaProducers: 210Companies: 9Annual production: 45,000 kgCultivated surface: 1,833 ha


TOAST WITH TOMATOPULP AND IGPLLONGANISSA WITH DOPEMPORDÀIngredients: IGP llonganissa,thin and long flat bread, 8 ripesalad tomatoes, DOP Empordàolive oil, salt.Preparation: Cut and toast thebread. Cut the tomatoes andremove the pulp. Smear thepulp on the bread and saltlightly. Place the llonganissa inthin slices on the bread.(Fundació Alícia)

An age-old favourite still going strongThe PGI Llongonissade Vic owes its easilyidentifiable flavourand appearance to afungus flora particularto the region

CATALONIA TODAY

he Llonganissa de Vic is themost popular dry-cured

pork sausage in Catalonia, an ex-cellent product from the Vicplane regulated by a PGI qualitystamp.

The first historic record of thissausage takes us back to 1456, al-though references to the produc-tion of this kind of sausage canbe found in far earlier in writingsfrom the fourth century.

The Llongonissa de Vic com-

Tbines minced pork (ham,shoulder or top quality leanmeat), cubed bacon, salt andblack pepper. These ingredientsare mixed together and the re-sulting paste is cold-stored andleft to macerate for 48 hours. Thepaste is then used to fill naturalintestinal casings and cured for aminimum of 45 days.

The special climate of the Vicplane, isolated between themountains ranges of Guilleries,Collsacabra and Lluçanés, and

the savoir-faire of a generation ofartisans, favour the develop-ment of special fungal florawhich, during the maturing anddrying stages, provides this llon-ganissa with its exclusive, pecu-liar bouquet.

The sausage is roughly cylin-drical in shape and reddishwhen cut, revealing the dicedbacon and the grained pepper.The outside is a whitish colourdue to its characteristic externalflora.

PGI LLONGANISSA DE VIC

Production Area: Osonacounty.Producers: 8Annual production: 85,750kg

The llongonissa de Vic, the perfect accompaniment for pà amb tomaquet. / ARCHIVE


POTATOES, COD, ONIONAND GARLIC MAYONNAISEIngredients:1kg of thick-sliced potatoes, 2onions cut into julienne strips,400g of desalted cod, 1 laurel leaf,water, garlic mayonnaise, parsleyPreparation:Boil the potatoes, onion and thelaurel in water just enough tocover them. Add the cod in piecesor strips. Serve with the broth fromthe cooking and with a spoonful ofgarlic mayonnaise with parsley.Suggestions:You can make baked potatostuffed with cod and onion or in acasserole with confitéd cod andonion, topped with potato foam.(Fundació Alícia)

King ofpotatoesThe altitude and soilof Prades favourpotato growing

The town of Prades (Tarragona)is mostly known for its high-quality potatoes, the PGI Patatesde Prades, of the Kennebec va-riety of this tuber. In this areathese plants thrive in the highlyfertile soil, and from the factthey are grown at an altitude of1,000m. Moreover, the low rain-fall and temperatures, the moistwinds blowing in from the sea,combined with the localfarmers’ long tradition in po-tato-growing, makes these parti-cular potatoes stand out fromthe rest.

The Patates de Prades have athin, smooth skin and the fleshis whitish, with a firm, flourytexture, a sweet taste and a slightsmell of chestnuts.

On the third Sunday in Sept-ember Prades holds its annualPotato Festival, a perfect occa-sion to buy a sack from the localcooperative.

CATALONIA TODAY

Patates de Prades are grown at the foot of Prades hills, in Baix Camp, Tarragona

PGI PATATES DE PRADES

Production area:Baix Camp county (Prades,Capafont, La Febró and Arbolí)Varieties: KennebecProducers: 18Packagers: 1Annual production: 120,000kgCultivated surface: 12,68ha


CHICKEN WITH PRUNESIngredients: 1 IPG Chicken,150g prunes, 100g pine nuts, 2onions, 1 head of garlic, 1 glassof brandy, oil, salt, pepper.Preparation: Add salt andpepper to the chicken andbrown it in a pan with oil. Addthe onions and garlic. Leave itto brown all together. Add thebrandy, flambé, reduce. Coverthe pan and cook over a lowheat. 15 minutes before serving,add the prunes and the pinenuts. (Fundació Alícia)

El Prat poultry flying highThe Prat breed ofpoultry is protectedby the GPI seal andguarantees fine,white, tender meat

CATALONIA TODAY

he Protected GeographicalIndication for poultry from

El Prat is the only classificationof its kind in Spain. The Raça Pratbreed of poultry, which is nativeto the county of Baix Llobregatand which was recovered in the1980s, is characterised by itsgreen plumage, with metallicflecks for the cockerels and withblack markings for the hens. An-other feature is that the birds’feet are blueish in colour. These

Tbirds also have a deep red crestand dark beak.

Poultry from El Prat are fedwith 70% cereals and undergo arearing period of at least 90 days(for the cockerels) and 182 days(for the capons). The use ofgrowth hormones is prohibitedand the poultry is reared in morespace than is common, whichcannot exceed eight birds persquare metre. The resulting meatis lean and tender.

Capons can be distinguished

from normal poultry by theirstrong flavour and especiallytender meat. This tenderness isdue to the fat content - higherthan in regular chickens - that islocalised in between the muscletissue. El Prat poultry shares thecharacteristics common to allpoultry, in that the meat is agood source of protein. As for thevitamin content, poultry is richin vitamins B3 and B9, and hasmore phosphorous and potas-sium than other similar meats.

PGI EL PRAT CHICKENAND CAPON

Production area: ‹Baix Llobregat.Producers and farms: 5Annual production: 12,920 kg

El Prat poultry is characterised by a deep red crest and blueish feet. / ARCHIVE


BAKED APPLES FILLED WITH CUSTARDIngredients: 4 apples, 100g sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 small glass ofmoscatell, lemon zest. For the cream: 250 ml milk, 1/2 cinnamon stick,

lemon zest, 50g sugar, 2 eggyolks, 10g corn starch.Method: For the custard,infuse the milk with thecinnamon and lemon. In abowl, mix the yolks and thesugar, add the drained milkand the corn starch. Warm themilk in a saucepan overmedium heat and stirconstantly, until the custardthickens slightly; let it cool inthe fridge. Core apples andbake in the oven at 170degrees with sugar, moscatell ,

lemon and topped with cinnamon until soft. Pour over custard andcaramelize before serving. (Fundació Alícia)

Girona,the bigapple

CATALONIA TODAY

Girona’s privilegedclimate makes it idealfor growing apples

Apples have long been one of thetraditional crops of the Gironaarea. The soil and climatic condi-tions of the counties of La Selva,Baix Empordà, Alt Empordà, Gi-ronès and Pla de l’Estany favourthe cultivation of top qualityapples, known under the genericname of Poma de Girona, pro-tected by the PGI seal of quality.Girona also enjoys a privilegedlocation thanks to the proximityto the Mediterranean and thePyrenees. These factors providesthe Poma de Girona with verymarked characteristics of fla-vour and hardness, perfect col-our and high sugar content, thatare widely recognised and ap-preciated by consumers.

The PGI Poma de Gironacovers four varieties of apples:Golden and Red Delicious, Galaand Granny Smith. The applesmust be cultivated using the In-tegrated Production method, anenvironmental-friendly systemthat guarantees highest-quality,healthy and sustainable fruitthat is harvested with care whenit is just ripe. TheGolden variety isyellowy green,firm, with whiteflesh. The RedDelicious is red,firm, andslightly sweet.The Gala is two-tone, mediumslightly sweet,with very firmwhite flesh. TheGranny Smith is bright green,with white flesh and a a slightlyacidic taste.

There are four varieties of geographically protected apples grown in Girona. / ARCHIVE

POMA DE GIRONA

Areas of cultivation: Provinceof Girona.Varieties: Golden and RedDelicious, Gala and GrannySmith.Producers: 110Companies: 3Annual production: 42,800tnCultivated surface: 1,430ha


TORRÓ WITH RASPBERRIESAND CREAMIngredients: 400g fresh cream,150g IPG Torró, 300 g wholestrawberries, 150g sugar, 125gfresh raspberries, 1 lemon.Preparation: Wash and removethe green part from thestrawberries. Freeze. Beat thecream while it’s cold. Microwavethe strawberries with the sugarfor 30 minutes a very low settinguntil a syrup is formed. Cut upthe torró. Place a spoonful ofstrawberry juice on the bottom ofthe plate, add four spoons ofcream, cover with torró, placeraspberries around and gratesome lemon rind on top.(Fundació Alícia)

Historicalholidaydessert

CATALONIA TODAY

orró, a dessert similar tonougat, is the traditional

Christmas sweet in Catalonia.Torró d’Agramunt, which hasobtained a Protected Geographi-cal Indication quality mark, isproduced and packed in the vil-lage of Agramunt, in the countyof Urgell in the province ofLleida. It is the oldest docu-mented torró in Catalonia, ac-cording to a 1741 source aboutthe activities of turronaires (nou-gat-makers) and it is possiblethat it is even much older.

Turró d’Agramunt is madefrom a a delicious blend ofpeeled and roasted hazelnuts oralmonds, sugar, honey and egg-white, and is presented in roundor rectangular pieces coveredthin white wafers (pa d’àngel,which makes it look like astrange, sweet sandwich. Itcomes in different sizes andweights and has a light golden-brown colour. In terms of tex-ture, it is irregular, coarse andporous. While it is firm, it breakseasily and is starts off crunchybefore melting in the mouth.

The minimum percentage ofalmond or hazelnut is 46% to60%, depending on whether thecommercial type of the torró isextra or supreme category.

The Agramunt nougat indus-try directly provides a largenumber of jobs and attracts alarge number of visitors everyyear. Since 1989, the Fira delTurró d’Agramunt (AgramuntNougat Fair) has taken placeevery October. It draws crowdsof visitors and has become one ofthe biggest fairs in Lleida.

T

Torró d’Agramunt isthe oldest of itskind in Catalonia

The Torró d’Agramunt is the traditional dessert for Christmas and

IGP TORRÓ D’AGRAMUNT

Production area: The town ofAgramunt.

Producers: 4

Annual production: 157,284kg

Regulatory Board:www. igp-torrodagramunt.com


VEAL CARPACCIOBUNDLES STUFFED WITHCHEESE AND OLIVE OILIngredients: 180gr IGP vealfillet, 75g mixture of lettuces, 2artichokes, 25g raisins, 125gcured cheese in slices, 100gliquid cream, olive oil.Preparation: Cut the veal inthin slices, wrap with lettuce.add sliced artichoke and raisins.

Boil the creamand add thecheese to meltand olive oil.Add the sauceto the veal.(FundacióAlícia)

Veal of the CatalanPyrenees is aclassification thatprotects theproduction of qualitymeat from specialisedcattle breeds bornand reared in thehighlands of thePyrenees

he climate and environ-ment of the Pyrenees is

ideal for producing the best vealand beef from selected breeds fedon natural pastureland. Thismakes the meat from these ani-mals a candidate for a ProtectedGeographical Indication (PGI)seal, something that the Catalangovernment has demandedfrom the EU under the name Ve-della dels Pirineus Catalans.

Within this classification are

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Mountain-reared veal a cut above the rest

CATALONIA TODAY different specialised breeds ofcow, including the Bruna delsPirineus breed, the Charolaisand Limousine breeds and crossbreeds between them, that areborn and raised in the geo-graphical area made up of thePyrenean counties.

The calves are reared accord-ing to both extensive and semi-extensive feeding regimes basedon pasture. The animals arereared outdoors and are allowedto suckle for a minimum of four

months until they are weenedand turned out to natural pas-ture. During the fatteningperiod that follows, the animalsare fed on natural fodder andother nutrients, such as cereals.

The colour of the resultingmeat goes from pink to brightred, with creamy white fat. Theseven-day aging process ensuresthat the meat is tender and thatit has those features that distin-guish the product from othertypes of meat on the market.

PGI VEAL OF THECATALAN PYRENEES

Production areas:Alt Empordà, Alta Ribagorça, AltUrgell, Berguedà, Cerdanya,Garrotxa, Pallars Jussà, PallarsSobirà, Ripollès, Solsonès, Vald’Aran.

Breeds: Brunadels Pirineus,Charolais andLimousineProducers:83Annualproduction:281.000 kg

Naturally reared Catalan veal is characterised by its tenderness. / IPG VPC


CATALAN COUNTRYBREAD CRUMBS WITHLAMB AND TOMATOIngredients: Day-old IGP Pa dePagès Català, 4 lamb ribs, 4tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt andpepper.Preparation: Break the inside ofthe bread into largish crumbs anddampen with a little water. Peeland chop the tomatoes. Bone theribs. Heat some oil and fry thegarlic, then add the ribs. Setaside. Brown the breadcrumbs inthe same pan.Serve with the tomato, wellseasoned with salt, virgin olive oiland a little chopped wild leek.(Fundació Alícia).,

Give usour dailybread

CATALONIA TODAY

here are many kinds ofbread in Catalonia, but

probably the best known type ofbread is Pa de Pagès Català, around farmhouse loaf that canbe found in most bakeries. Cata-lan bakers have followed thetradition and passed the secret ofbread-making from generationto generation. Now its fame andquality are in the process of get-ting EU recognition through theProtected Geographical Indi-cation (PGI).

Crusty on the outside and softinside, with a great taste andaroma, the bread stays fresh for8-9 hours after baking. The crustis thick and crunchy, crackedand golden. Inside it is spongy,with large, irregular holes.

The loaf is made according totraditional methods and en-tirely by hand, long to rise, andbaked slowly in an oven with re-fractory shelves. The characte-ristic finish of the crust requiressteam at a certain time duringthe baking process.

Catalan farmhouse bread isthe most representative breadspeciality in Catalan bakeries tothe point that it is an indispens-able element on the Catalandinner table and holds a specialplace in the local gastronomy.This is proven by the fact that thedish Pa amb tomàquet (made byrubbing tomatoes on the bread,adding olive oil and a pinch ofsalt) is one of the staples of Cata-lan gastronomy. Pa de pagès isalso excellent toasted and whilestill hot, with a piece of choc-olate on top , a drizzle of virginolive oil and a pinch of salt.

T

Pa de Pagès Català,holds a special placein local gastronomy

Pà de pagès català is in the process of receiving the PGI quality seal from the EU. / ARCHIVE

IGP PA DE PAGÈSCATALÀ

In the process of getting EUrecognition through theProtected GeographicalIndication (PGI)


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CATALONIA TODAY

Mediterraneandiets are rich inmeat and fish,which is why thegovernmentintroduced the Qstandard toguarantee quality

eef, chicken, fish, rabbitand lamb, eaten in moder-

ation, have always been a keypart of the Mediterranean diet.To assure increasingly health-aware consumers of the highestquality during all stages of pro-duction, the government ofCatalonia created the "Q" stan-dard. This quality classifi-cation, which appears as a redseal with a golden letter 'Q' inthe centre, is given to food pro-ducts with specific characte-ristics that adhere to stringentregulations about the breed-ing, rearing and processing ofanimals. Superior food qualityis ensured by external labor-atories and food standardsauthorities.

Brand Q CaponsQ labelled capons are se-

lected from only certain breedsand are surgically castrated, asthe birth and fattening of thesecapons is strictly controlled bylaw. The capons are fed on highquality nutrients, such as cer-eals, with corn being a majordietary component in the twomonths before they areslaughtered. The birds mustreach the 150-day mark beforethey are slaughtered. The re-sulting meat is rich in flavour

Band firmer and more tenderthan that of uncastrated birds.The meat sold from these ca-pons falls into category A andbears the relevant certificate. Itis either sold gutted or ready tocook in poultry stores all overCatalonia.

Brand Q chickensThese pedigree chickens are

appreciated for their slow ma-turing and for the tight regu-lation of the breeding and rear-ing, which ensures superiorquality meat. They are eitherfree range (in which case thelabel states pollastre criat a l’airelliure) or bred indoors, whiletheir diet must be at least 70%cereal. No growth hormonesare used and the minimumslaughter age is 77 days. Themeat is firm and tasty.

Q labelled Rabbit After a severe crisis that re-

duced the number of farmsaround Catalonia in the 1990s,rabbit production is making acomeback and once again of-fering high-quality meat.

Rabbits marked with the Qstandard must weigh betweenone and one and a half kilosand be bred on farms exclus-ively devoted to the rearing ofrabbits. Breeding and feeding

THE Q LABELThe Q label is a red seal with agolden letter "Q" in the centreand surrounded by the words'Qualitat Alimentària'.

Meat and fish jo


are controlled by regulationfrom start to finish and the ani-mals are slaughtered with a liv-ing weight of 1.750 to 2.250kg.They must not have beentreated with any kind of drug inthe 20 days leading up to theirslaughter.

Brand Q pork Pork has been a staple fare in

Catalan houses and farms forcenturies, especially at cel-ebrations and family gather-ings.

The monitoring of breedingconditions (including a closedproduction cycle, controlledfeed formulas and regulatedslaughter process) guaranteesthe quality of the pork meatproduced in Catalonia underthe Q label. Pork breeds such asDuroc, Large White, Landrace,Belgian White, Pietrain andHampshire are included in theQ label certification and amaximum of 30% of BelgianWhite and Pietrain pigs areallowed in derivative products.

The pigs must reach the 150-day mark before being slaught-ered and they must have aminimum weight of 110kg.The meat from these animals ispink with creamy white fat,and must be firm and tender.

Brand Q oily fish The species of fish caught off

our coasts and guaranteedunder the Q certification are:sardines, anchovies, mackerel,chub mackerel, bogue andhorse mackerel.

In order to obtain the Q cer-tification the fish must adhereto specific minimum lengths:sardines, 12cm; anchovy,11cm; mackerel, 18cm; chubmackerel cm; bogue, 11cm;horse mackerel, 12cm. The fishmust be netted with a seine no

longer than 300 metres.The fish are kept alive in the

net until they are packed withcrushed ice in the proportionof two parts fish to one part ice.The fish can be consumed inmany ways, whether fresh,stewed or grilled, or preservedin oil or salt.

Lamb with a Q stampThe lambs protected under

the Q quality seal are from offi-cially approved breeds andreared under controlled condi-tions that favour the produc-tion of top quality meat.

Xai remat is fed exclusivelyon top quality fodder (in addi-tion to straw and forage) andmaternal milk.

In the case of xai d’engreix,the animal must have beenbrought to the farm aged be-tween four and seven weeksold, and the fattening period(using only with top qualityfodder) must last at least 30days. The meat from theselambs is thus tastier and betterwithstands cooking due to itsconsistency.

Brand Q Veal Veal is perhaps the most

popular of all Catalan meatsand consumers expect only thehighest quality. The vealcovered by the classificationcomes from farms dedicatedexclusively to the productionof meat with the Q qualitylabel. The animals are fed froman age of less than two monthsto 12 months maximum, untilbeing sent to the slaughterhouse.

The cattle is fed on premiumquality fodder, and, onceslaughtered, the meat is left toage for at least four days. Theoverall result is meat that is par-ticularly rich and firm.

oin the Q


CATALONIA TODAY

The Marca Qclassification is anessential tool foridentifying andpromoting thecountry’s bestdelicatessen foodproducts

he Generalitat’s Marca Qclassification guarantees

the quality of food products thathave specific characteristics laiddown by regulation and that ful-fill stringent quality controlcriteria. Apart from the meatproducts detailed in the pre-vious pages, the Marca Q alsocovers some of the most highly-considered delicatessen pro-ducts.

Q labelled chocolatesAs a key product in the

country’s long tradition of choc-olate-making, chocolates arespecialised products undergoingconstant innovation by thecountry’s chocolatiers.

The process of making choc-olates requires the use of ex-tremely high quality ingre-dients. For the coating of thisluxury confectionary, darkchocolate, milk chocolate andwhite chocolate are all used;along with fillings based on suchingredients as truffle, liqueur,dried fruits and praline (thelatter must contain at least 45%dried fruit). The use of additivesin Q labelled chocolates is notpermitted.

Even the packaging of choc-olates is carefully regulated toprovide good protection and

Tpresentation of the products.The labels of such chocolatesmust detail, apart from the de-tails of the regulations, the Qlabel and the name of the bodyproviding the quality control.

Brand Q stamped torróA longstanding product made

by the traditional Catalan tor-ron-makers, these specialitiesare especially consumed overthe Christmas period.

The torrons are characterisedby the use of extremely highquality ingredients in their fabri-cation. As a minimum, the com-position of these products mustcontain 50% chocolate anddried fruits and the use of addi-tives, such as lecithin emulsi-fiers, is forbidden. With theirflat, rectangular shape, these tor-rons resemble a thick bar ofchocolate and are consumed asdessert after Christmas meals.

The label on each package hasto contain all the informationrequired by law, as well as theproducts designation, whetherit be torró of praline chocolate ortruffle chocolate torró. Natu-rally, the products also exhibitthe Marca Q and the name of theregulatory body. The productdesignation also includes in-formation about complemen-tary ingredients, such as liqueur,

THE Q LABELThe Q label is a red seal with agold letter Q letter in the centresurrounded by the wordsQualitat Alimentària.

Putting the Q in


coffee, and so on.

Q labelled honeyThe types of honey protected

by the Q stamp may be different,according to their botanical ori-gin – either wildflower honey(Mel de flors) or honeydew honey(Mel de melat) – as well as accord-ing to their presentation. Wild-flower honey can be polyfloralor monofloral, depending onwhether the nectar source is onetype of flower or many, whilehoneydew honey is made fromthe sweet secretions of aphidscollected by bees.

The way the honey is obtainedmust be according to traditionalbeekeeping procedures andfrom flowers native to Catalo-nia. Also, honey bearing the Qstamp must not be pasteurised.

Honey labelling must refer tothe legislation underlying theregulations but must also con-tain the product type, the MarcaQ and the name of the regula-tory body in question.

Q labelled biscuits All over Catalonia artisanal

biscuits bearing the Marca Qstamp can be found, despitegreat variety in terms of the dif-ferent designations in existence.

Biscuit recipes show great va-riety but all of these productsshare certain characteristics inthat they must be oven-bakedand use common ingredients,including only the highestquality flour, sugar, butter orfruit. Additives are not allowed,except for emulsifiers.

Marca Q biscuits go from thewell-known Maria type, whichare thin, round biscuits withadded fats, to the thin, rolled-upbiscuits known as neules. Thosebiscuits that contain ingredientssuch as almond or walnut mustbe made up of at least 20% of

these fruits, while ametllat andcrocant biscuits must be at least40% and 45% almond, respec-tively. The designation also in-cludes chocolate biscuits.

Marca Q biscuits are sold insealed packages with labels thatshow the Q stamp and the nameof the product’s regulatory body.

Q labelled cheeseThe production of artisanal

cheeses in the Pyrenees goesback to the 1980s and today isone of Catalonia’s most estab-lished categories of luxury food.

The types of cheeses with thisclassification are the soft,creamy, unaged white cheeseknown as formatge fresc, as well asmature, uncooked cheeses.

In the case of formatge fresc,the process of fabrication in-cludes the pasteurisation of themilk and the optional use of in-gredients, such as fermentedproducts or coagulatingenzymes to complete the curd-ling process. For mature cheeses,pasteurised milk is also used,along with fermentation andcurdling with animal enzymesbut with the emphasis on the re-duction of moisture content.These cheeses are generallypacked into moulds under morepressure and aged for a muchlonger time (6-12 weeks or over12 weeks). While pasteurisedmilk can be used for both types,as can animal enzyme and salt,only with formatge fresc is pow-dered milk allowed to be used,and even then the content mustbe limited to no more than 2%.

Cheeses that bear the Marca Qstamp are sold either entire ormay be cut into pieces in the es-tablishment in which the pro-duct is sold. As with all Marca Qproducts, the labelling of thecheeses must carry the Q classifi-cation stamp.

nto quality


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COMMON FIGSWITH RATAFIA

Ingredients:-12 common figs collde dama-250ml ratafia-50g butter-100g sugar-200g ice-cream

Preparation:Peel the figs and putthem in a bowl withthe ratafia to maceratefor 24 hours in thefridge.Heat the butter andthe sugar in a panuntil it is liquid. Addthe figs for a couple ofminutes and thenoven-heat for threeminutes, 180 degrees.Serve with ratafia as asauce, along with aball of ice-cream.

his much appreciatedliqueur is distilled from

tender walnuts and various aro-matic plants. The mixture ismacerated for at least twomonths and the resulting nectaris then decanted and sugar, alco-hol and water are added. This isthen left to age in wooden con-tainers for at least three months.The alcohol content is 26-29%.

Traditionally, Catalanfamilies make home-made rata-

TTradition has it thatback Middle Ages,when somedignitaries andbishops called for abeverage to seal anagreement with atoast, shouting inunison: rata fiat(agreed, in Latin),while drinking.

Ratafia, the perfect liqueur to seal a deal

CATALONIA TODAY fia during Saint John’s day onJune 24, when the herbs are attheir best for picking. The bottlesof home-made ratafia areopened at Christmas for a familytoast.

The herbs chosen herbs varydepending on the area where theliqueur is being made, adding adistinct local taste to the fin-ished product.

Catalan tradition has it thatafter the signing of a treaty insome small Catalan town in the

Middle ages, the dignitaries andbishops called for a beverage toseal the agreement with a toast,shouting in unison, while theytosated, rata fiat (agreed, inLatin). Ratafia has enjoyed itsgrandeur since that day.

The liqueur is sold in glassbottles so that its typical caramelcolour is visible to all. The labelmust bear the name RatafiaCatalana, Denominació Geo-gràfica along with its logotype. Itcan be found all over Catalonia.

Ratafia Russet is one of the mainproducers of the Catalan liqueur / LLUIS SERRAT



Marzipan morsels fit for a saint

anellets are the traditionaldessert of the All Saints holi-

day, the Castanyada, in Catalo-nia and other Catalan-speakingregions, together with chestnutsand sweet potatoes. Panellets areoften accompanied by a sweetwine, usually moscatell, mistela,vi de missa or vi ranci. Panelletsare small cakes in differentshapes, mostly round, mademainly of marzipan (a pastemade from almonds and sugar).

PDating from thereligious rituals of the18th century,panellets are now themust-eat cakes forany castanyadacelebration

CATALONIA TODAY Most popular are the panelletscovered with pine nuts, consist-ing of the panellet dough ( mar-zipan) rolled in pine nuts andglazed with egg white.

Made into various shapes, theprimary ingredients are marzi-pan with almond flour, sugar,eggs and, on occasion, water.This dough is left to rest for 24hours before being made intodiffering shapes and flavours byadding further ingredients (pinenuts, coffee, crystallized fruit,

coconut and so on).The delicious morsels date

back at least to the 18th century,when they were used as blessedfood to share after some churchcelebrations (Panellets de SantMarc and Panellets de la SantaCreu).

Nowadays, panellets are of-fered by local pastisseries all overCatalonia and are protected byEuropean regulations as a Tradi-tional Speciality Guaranteed(TSG)

PINE NUT PANELLETSIngredients:600g - pine nuts3 eggsFor the marzipan:500g - ground almonds500g - sugar100g - cooked yams75 g- egg white

Preparation:Make a dough from all theingredients and kneadwell.Chill, covered with a dampcloth, for at least 24 hours.Make marzipan balls ofabout 20 g each, roll in oiland gently press in thepine nuts.Brush the panellets withegg white.Baked on a greased bakingsheet at 230º- 250ºC forabout 10 minutes, untilbrowned.

Sweet and irresistible / JUDITH FERNANDEZ


ENTERTAINMENT

Cured ham of a tender age

SG Catalan pernil serrà (dry-cured ham), protected by

European regulations and con-trolled by the Catalan govern-ment, comes from healthy pigs.

The piece (with a minimumweight of 9.5kg with hoof and9.2 without) is pressed to removethe blood and then heated to30ºC. Immediately afterwardsthe aging process of the ham be-gins, a period that must last atleast 210 days.

TThe method ofpreserving ham withsalt comes from theRoman Empire, andthese traditionalprocessing methodsare still used today.

CATALONIA TODAY First, the ham is salted until itis dehydrated correctly. Then iswashed, and it hangs for a mini-mum period of 40 days, when itbegins to dry and mature for afurther minimum of 110 days.Finally the ham is aged untilready to be sold. The ham isusually consumed accompaniedby bread or appetizers, but is alsoan ingredient found in manyculinary preparations in Catalanand other Mediterranean cui-sines.

BROAD BEAN, CUREDHAM AND MINT SALAD

Ingredients:600g - Tender fava beansSprigs of mintCured jam, slicedLettuce, Vinaigrette, Salt

Preparation:Boil the broad beans with themint, drain and cool them in abowl of cold water. Julienelettuce leaves and the ham.Prepare the vinaigrette in amortar, incorporating somemashed mint leaves. Combineeverything and dress with thevinaigrette.

Hams ageing in Sant Aniol de Finestres. / LLUIS SERRAT


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