HUERTO GOURMET: FINGERLIME AND OTHERS EXOTIC CITRUS CULTIVATED IN ELCHE

Water melon with finger lime or citrus caviar

Calamodin trees

Elche is famous for its palm trees. And in their fields also grow easily almond trees, pomegranates trees, figs trees, olive trees or different vegetables. But sometimes you find innovative people with curious and fascinanting projects, as the case of Huerto Gourmet, a family business growing a bunch of exotic citrus varieties (e.g. fingerlime, Budda´s hand, citron, dragonfly, yuzu, limequat, calamondin, kumquat, bergamot, lemon Meyer or kafir lime).

Yuzu trees in Eche

Yuzu are rarely eaten as a fruit, but the zest can be used to make sweets and to enhance many dishes. Buddha´s hand and bergamota are used to season foods and cocktails. In some of these citrus species are also used the leaves to add a special touch to dishes through the pleasant aromas.

Buddha´s hand tree

Buddha´s hand fruit

For me the more interesting is fingerlime or citrus caviar, similar to a miniature lemon. This citrus fruit contain small pearl-like globular vesicles with a tart juice that tastes similar to lime and very aromatic. It can be used as garnish or as a recipe ingredient, preferible for salads, sauces, desserts and fresh fish like sushi or seafood, to enhance the flavour. 

Finger lime

After the crop they prepare pots with three different fingerlime globular vesicles (with low, moderate or high acidity). Its a creative substitute for lemon, because fingerlime vesicles have the effect of not interfering with the flavour to foods taste until they don't  chew in the mouth.

Citrus caviar: finger lime pearls

One of its most remarkable features is that their thin outer layer doesn't have flavour, and when chewed, burst inside the mouth producing a surprising explosion with an unexpected fresh spicy facet. Finger lime or citrus caviar is a versatile resource not only in the haute cuisine but also for everybody who wants to surprise your guest at home.

More information in

https://www.huertogourmet.com

Salmon wakame with finger lime

Cream of vegetables and fingerlime

EL TENDRE OLIVE OIL MILL: AN EXTRA VIRGIN EXPERIENCE SINCE 1839

In spite of it´s very easy to buy anything in many ways, to do it in the place where it´s produced is always engaging. And more if we speak about healthy food. If besides you find a really charming place, a curious exhibition to visit, the chance of a guided tour with different language options, tasting an extra virgin olive oil, to purchase (or not) ... you have within reach an authentic experience. And that is the question, by far in these places is worth to go for the visit, rather than just only for shopping.

Old machinery 

The entrance of the shop is in a cosy gorgeous porch.

"El Tendre" olive oil mill is not only a factory but also a delightful place, located in the countryside and surrounded by palm trees and olive trees. It´s situated in the outskirts of Elche, and it´s running by the same family since 1839, nowadays with the fifth and sixth generations. It´s remarkable because it´s really hard to find small family companies working steadily for so much time. This circumstance is highly valued for the bulk of consumers, because we use to think that this continuity guarantees the transmission of the gathered knowledge over the years.

Receiving olives.

Storing in cellar, under controlled conditions of light and temperature.

As other olive oil mills here, they have two different activities. On the one hand working for others:  you can bring your olives, pay a fee per kilogram, and get the amounts of liters of olive oil according with the yield of an analyzed sample. On the other hand, they also produce for themselves to sell with their own brand and even export.

In the shop there are olive oils of different types in a wide variety of container sizes. There are for instance extra virgin olive oil cans, very handy for air travel. There are also available beauty products manufactured with El Tendre olive oil, and some local foodstuffs. The staff is friendly and helpful.

Above the shop there is an interesting permanent exhibition of mill instruments that were used in the past, and belongings of the family kept up over time.

If you would like to visit this enchanting corner, either a guided tour or overview+shop+museum by yourself, it´s possible throughout the year (except few bank holidays). Bear in mind if you prefer tranquility or bustle, because roughly to mid October to March is the olive harvest time here, and therefore the ambience change from the idyllic calm to the mill activity (people unloading olives, equipments working, and people picking up their olive oil from the store)

They carry out different types of guided tours, depending on if are included tasting, or an advanced sampling practice. Prices are really affordable, to book or get current information about cost and conditions, contact directly to the mobile phone or email showed in their website
https://www.tendre.es/?lang=EN

Lastly, I have showed this olive oil mill to foreign friends of different countries, and it has always been exciting for them. Having my say, give it a go could be a good idea if you aren't far away.

Behind the scenes: Paquita, El Tendre fourth generation, working in 1990.

“ALMOJÁBANAS”: A CRULLER WITH CENTURIES OF HISTORY.

The “almojábana” is a cake or pastry, a kind of cruller, traditional in the gastronomy of Elche and the South of Alicante province, and also in a few cities and villages in Murcia and Valencia. In the past it was typical to prepare them in certain celebrations, but now it´s possible to buy all the year long.

It´s made with a mass prepared with wheat flour, egss, and depending on the pastry chef olive oil, sunflower oil, lard or butter and milk. After baking the cake is wet with syrup (prepared with sugar or honey). In spite of this variability in the recipe, its flavour is always delicious, with a smooth and tender texture. It´s curious that with so few ingredients and so common, the result is so fine and so popular. 

Baking almojábanas

It is said that almojábenas have Arab origin, more than 500 years ago, because it seems that the word comes from “almuyabbana” (made with cheesse, in old hispanic arab). In the thirteenth and fifth centuries, there are old written references about  “almojabanas”, as a cake made of cheese and flour. This recipe traveled to South America long time ago, because nowadays there are almojábanas with these ingredients in Colombia and Puerto Rico. 

The secret of the hole

Over time somehow the recipe changed in Spain, even there isn´t a unique recipe, and it´s posssible to find different pastries with this name. Maybe the exact recipe was changing throughout the centuries. Or maybe was lost totally, and people called new recipes with this name, that in someway remained in the collective memory. Anyway, is suggestive to taste “almojábanas”, trying to imagine how this name was passing down from generation to generation.

Pictures courtesy of Confitería Castell

https://www.facebook.com/confitercastell/

¿ARROZ OR PAELLA ? THE BEST TRADITIONAL SPANISH GASTRONOMY.

In Alicante province, gastronomy is a matter of great importance, and rice is one of the main basis. In many places is called Paella, but here we simply say “Arroz” (Rice). Although for many people are the same, there are differences between both, but always with traditional cuisine and a spectacular flavor.

Arroz con verduras (arroz with vegetables)

In order to differentiate a Valencian paella from Arroz meal, the main difference is the color. In the paella predominate the vegetables, like the garrofone’s beans and the green beans, along with the meat or the fish, and the color has a more yellowish color. But in Alicante, our rice use to be more reddish, due to a mix of “ñora” (dry pepper), garlic, and tomato. Nevertheless, the name is not important to enjoy the meal, because there are not fixed rules but as many recipes as cooks.

When you come to Alicante, you can ask for the “Arroz” served on a plate, but I recommend you the experience of eating directly from the vessel (called “paellero” or also “paella”). It will be served in the middle of the table so that all the people share it and enjoy it together. We eat it many times in this way.

Arroz con marisco (arroz with seafood)

The most important thing about paella or arroz recipe is the broth or soup made from fish, vegetables and/or meat that will be the basis of cooking. It´s the responsable to give the final taste to the meal. Without a well prepared broth, the paella or arroz will not be good. And the right proportion between broth and rice is critical to achieve a perfect arroz, neither hard nor soft.  Other key question is that it must be eated just some minutes after cooking to get all their qualities. So, it is best to avoid restaurants where paella or arroz is cooked in large quantities and is served along the day.

Some restaurants use industrial ready made arroz/paella, and they only heat it in the microwave oven. How to know it? Taking into account that arroz/paella coocking needs around 25 minutes. If you get it in less time after ordering it, it will be a ready made one, or cooked previously.

Arroz con bogavante (arroz with lobster)

The varieties of Arroz or Paella that you can eat are almost infinite, and are more common the ones with fish or meat. Also are veggies options. One you can not miss is the typical delight arroz with rabbit and snails, sometimes also added chicken. With seafood the most famous is “arroz a banda” (usually accompanied with alioli or garlic mayonnaise), but you can taste also rice of cod, tuna, octopus and anchovies. Also are usual praws, clams and mussles. Some types of arroz are creamy, as the delicious “arroz con bogavante (lobster)”. You also can not miss Arroz con Costra, in clay pot with sausages and beaten eggs, that is cooked in Elche.

Arroz con Costra

Whatever your choice, do not forget to try a good arroz or paella, call it whatever you want. The best rice in the world is made precisely on this land.

Arroz negro (arroz with squid ink and seafood)

CARMEN DEL CAMPILLO: A HIDDEN MOORISH TEA HOUSE.

Carmen del Campillo is a charming and unusual tea house, located about 15 kms from Elche, between Crevillente and Albatera, in the midddle of nowhere. The place is a labyrinthine big old house of Moorish style, surrounded by fountains and dense gardens, iluminated by lanterns and candles at night.

It´s necessary to say that is pretty hard to arrive if its your first visit. It´s absolutely essential to prepare the route, if you don´t want to get lost, and drive before the sundown.

The GPS coordinates are
 38.222414, -0.848973, but I recommend to study previously with satellite images the map showed with this link:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z9shf5OogoVk.kc7whdQKUNNY&usp=sharing

Firstly, turn right off the N340 road heading from Crevillente to Albatera, just before the Cepsa Petrol Station, and drive up this road for about 1.7km. Then, you have 2 closed curves, first to the right, and inmediately the second to the left. After that, you must turn in the first lane to the right, that is really bumpy. The destination is not far away now, but to have in mind the map is needed from this point, although discreet signages showed at the picture below, point the way in the intersections. 

If the first parking is full, there is another one driving to the exit. Once you arrive there and after to cross the first garden, you will have to ring the bell and wait until somebody open you the gate.

Before to choose a place to sit down, enjoy the magical atmosphere going round the gardens, terraces, rooms and nooks, discovering every hidden place and trying don´t miss anything.

There is an entrance fee of 6€ with a tea included (price in December 2017) and arab pastries and milkshakes are also availables.

Timetables: July to September, every day from 6 pm. October to June, Wednesday to Sunday from 4 pm

For more information, visit their website:

http://www.carmendelcampillo.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAlxI0jAFwI