Regions That are Best at Using Gastronomy as a Tourist Attraction
Since 2010, the Spanish Federation of Tourism Journalists has presented its Spanish Capital of Gastronomy award to regions most committed to promoting food tourism. Or, more precisely, those who use gastronomy as a tourist attraction for visitors. Pedro Palacios, chairman of the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy award, gives us a brief overview of the award-winning towns.
Pedro Palacios explains that if a tourist destination associates itself with its own gastronomic brand, the result is unbeatable food. He sets out the following “geography of flavours”:
-Logroño/La Rioja (Spanish Capital of Gastronomy, SCG, 2012) exhibited its wine, the flagship product that gives its name to a region, the pinchos on calle Laurel street and quality food products with a designation of origin label.
-Burgos (SCG 2013) consolidated the greatness of its Ribera del Duero wine, prized its Guinness black pudding, roast suckling pig and fresh cheese.
-Vitoria/Gasteiz (SCG 2014) delighted the world with its bars of insinuating tapas and snacks, the record-breaking potato omelette five metres across, and its Pinxo Pote route with a pintxo & drink together at a bargain price.
-Cáceres (SCG 2015) astonished the world by being chosen as one of the tourist destinations of the year and dazzling with its ham from the Dehesa de Extremadura, the Tarta del Casar cheese, and its Iberian black pigs.
-Toledo (SCG 2016) tried hard and won for its unbeatable offer of partridge, either stewed or pickled, the famous carcamusas stew and the legendary marzipan children’s dessert.
-Huelva (SCG 2017) opened its balcony overlooking the sea and flooded us with flavours of white shrimp, choco squid and seafood, Jabugo ham and mojama and tuna dried fish.
-León (SCG 2018) seduced us with its pilgrimage through the Húmedo district where you can throw yourself at the feet of the cecina, the botillo, the cocido maragato or any of the wide range of products from the pantry of the El Bierzo area.
-Almería (SCG 2019) offered us its red prawns from Garrucha, fresh fish from its fish markets, vegetables and greens grown under plastic.
-Murcia (SCG 2020-21) amazed us with the caldero del Mar Menor, its zarangollo, the paparajote pudding and the Asian coffee.
-Sanlúcar de Barrameda (SCG 2022) will fill us with flavours that have travelled around the world.
Pedro Palacios points out that “the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy award helps tourist visitors savour the flavours and treasures of Spain’s diverse culinary cultures. Through tourism, we can discover mills, salted fish dryers, bakeries, oil mills, wine cellars, wine routes, cheese factories, fruit markets, food festivals, fish markets, innovative restaurants and traditional grandma’s restaurants.” And he concludes that “it helps promote Spain’s gastronomic identity.”