gastronomy & wine
Gastronomy and Wine
The Spanish have long appreciated Sorian produce and cuisine. Many of the foods grown and produced in Soria form part of the healthy Mediterranean diet.Creamy butter, cheeses, fresh milk, cured hams, chorizo, honey, wild mushrooms, game, Ribera del Duero wines, truffles, fresh trout, wild herbs, dulces (small pastry like sweets), cereals, pulses, breads and salt cod make up Sorian Gastronomy.
Fresh Sorian Produce:
What features in Soria's cuisine is a reflection of its agriculture capabilities and wealth of its land. Soria is awash with fresh local produce. The province has a large number of artisan food producers who still follow in detail the recipes of their ancestors. These artisans use low scale production methods and fresh Sorian ingredients which guarantees you high quality locally produced cuisine.
Despite being a distance from the coast, seafood is present. You can readily enjoy ‘Cangrejos del Rîo’ (fresh water crayfish) and fresh trout, both caught in Soria's rivers. The forests in the province are the natural habitat of wild boar, deer, partridge, quail and hare, so game features regularly in Sorian cuisine.
Traditional Spanish Cuisine:
‘Migas’ (breadcrumbs fried with garlic) a simple dish of the Spanish Shepherd can be found on many Sorian menus.
Roast suckling lamb, pig and kid, are outstanding in Soria. Simply placed in an earthenware dish and into a wood burning oven, the results, mouth watering. Here you will find the most succulent roast meats that Spanish cuisine offers.
Cured hams, ‘chorizo’ (cured pork sausage, flavoured with smoked red peppers) and ‘salchichon’ (similar to salami), typical Spanish fare, are also a speciality of Soria. The best produced, by the small family run artisan factories you find throughout the province.
Soria has a long history of baking. Many forms of bread and ‘dulces’ are readily available. Whether purchased from one of the many local bakers or via the turnstile of the cloistered nuns these delectable treats will not disappoint.
Wild Mushrooms
Chanterelle, champignon, cep and truffle are just a few of the many edible species of wild mushroom and fungi found in Soria.
During autumn and spring many restaurants and bars feature wild mushroom degustation menus inspired by these treasures of Soria. Are you a lover of wild mushrooms? Simply look out for the gold plaque featuring a mushroom outside many of Sorias food establishments to indulge your taste buds.
Collecting wild mushrooms is just one of the many activities we can arrange for you on one of our Custom Made Journeys.
Ribera del Duero Wines:
Vineyards and bodegas (wine cellars) in the west of the Soria province form part of the Ribera del Duero wine region. Ribera del Duero is considered one of the finest Spanish wine regions due the high quality of its red and rose wines, including:
Vega Sicilia- Highly prized and priced Spanish red wines.
Tinto Pesquera- world famous wines. Aged a minimum of 18 months in oak, with selected Reservas and Grandes Reservas remaining in the barrel for 24 months or more.
Viña Sastre- outstanding wines produced by a Spanish winery committed to organic farming and biodynamic agriculture principles. The majority of production in Ribera del Duero is devoted to Tempranillo (also known as Tinto del Pais or Tinto Fino) which gives colour, aroma and body to Ribera del Dueros excellent wines.
The towns of Atauta and Langa de Duero, both in Soria, are known for having the best preserved groups of traditional bodegas (wine cellars), a testament to Ribera del Dueros long history of wine production.
