The Region of Valencia’s cookery is fruit of its climate and diversity, its fertile lowlands and orchards, its sea and its sun and a testament to this is the spectacular Mediterranean cuisine made at home with the traditional popular dishes of this Region that you have the chance to know and enjoy through our programs of Homestay, specially in Valencia.
The Mediterranean diet is now part of the UNESCO as Intangible cultural Heritage, characterized by a nutritional model with its mix of fresh fruit and vegetables, grilled fish and meat (modetare in its amount) olive oil, cereals, dried fruits, and many condiments, herbs and spices, all accompanied by wine or infusions, respecting the beliefs and preferences of each community.
The Mediterranean cookery “made at home” in Valencia is a set of all of these ingredients, all presents in daily food close to a traditional practices about how cooking the meals, the stewpan and casseroles used, the importance to use the seasonal food (so importants for the canneds)… knowledges and skills full of wisdom passed on from generation to generation thanks to the important play of grandmothers and mothers whom (in my opinion) have known to do of the seasonal fresh ingredients, the daily cookery, a Cultural World Heritage.
In Valencia is very easy to appreciate the close relation from the landscape to the cuisine, the rice grown in La Albufera with vegetables from the orchards, the delicious Paella originary from Valencia, is the clearest and most popular example of the Mediterranean diet, cooked with with meat or fish and seasonal fresh vegetables. Cooked specially on Sundays to join the family after the working days of the week… the glass of wine joining the family, while is the man who usually cooks the Paella on Sundays… a tradition full of symbolism based on food practice.
The khaki in Autumn, orange and grapes in winter, strawberries, peaches, apricots in Spring and water melon in Summer as desert… the coffee or an infusion of herbs from the mountains…the sweet made at home of Arab roots…a social practice in many towns of Valencian province.
The culinary heritage in Valencia encompasses more than just food, promotes social interaction, social customs, and a large range of festive events, stews and paella contests, celebrations…. have survived for generations.
