The food of Castilla La Mancha

In my continuing culinary journey around the vast expanse of the country that is Spain, I look next at Castilla La Mancha. A region more famous for Don Quixote than for food. But, while the former may be the figment of a lively imagination, the latter is very much real.

Saffron, Manchego Cheese, Garlic, Vegetables - they are all signature products of the region.

Right now, in October, the ubiquitous Spanish spice that is saffron (azafrán) is being celebrated. It grows aplenty here and the Saffron Rose Festival, or Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán, is underway. October usually sees the flower open up in the dark, and the red light of dawn shines on a purple carpet, the so called manto.

To give it its proper name, crocus sativus; saffron has long been an expensive commodity. Worth more than gold at some points in history. Today it is estimated that seventy per cent of the saffron produced worldwide, is produced on the high Castillian plateau of Spain. Saffron is a spice that is used often in Spanish cooking.

From Toledo in the west of Castilla La Mancha to Albacete in the far east; azafrán is picked in one day to ensure that the valuable threads do not lose their flavour. The entire harvest is over within a week or ten days. The men pick the flowers. The women sit and separate out the reddish stigma. Thereafter, the stigma is roasted on a sieve.

The region is famous for hunting. It seems there is a season for hunting almost anything that roams the vast expanses of Castilla La Mancha. Wild boar, stag, rabbit and a range of birds are killed for food. The partridge is marinated and served in hearty stews with beans, vegetables and spices. Stews here are stupendous.

The chances of you going hungry in Castilla La Mancha are nil. Not least to keep out the cold in winter, home cooks and restaurant chefs specialise in filling food. Hearty fayre that is sure to warm your inners and result in you knowing that you have eaten good quality, locally produced or caught food.

Garlic is crucial to the economy of many parts of Spain, None more so than in Castilla La Mancha where, in the last fifty years, the area in which garlic is grown has quadrupled. Many a local family will own acres of land that yield, on average, 50.000 pounds of garlic.

Vegetables are plentiful and varied in this region. They are often served from the distinctive clay pots that are churned out in their thousands by the talented craftsmen for which La Mancha is also famous. Turnips, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini are regularly served here.

In Almargo, close to the wine producing area of Valdepeñas, the eggplant (aubergine) rules supreme. One variety grows only in this region. Its botanical name is Solanum melongena var depressum.

It is small, oval and flourishes on the plains of La Mancha. It is picked when its is at 3-4 inches long and between one and a half and two inches thick. The harvest goes on for months between July and November. Fresh eggplants are cooked within 48 hours before being preserved in water, salt, garlic, salt, caraway seeds and peppers.
Berejenas de Almargo is sold locally in clay jars but they are consumed across Spain. They are particularly popular in Madrid. There are very many Spanish meals made using the eggplant.

The mushroom is another excellent export from Castilla La Mancha. It grows around the town of Villanueva de la Jara in the north of the region. Here, in Cuenca province, over fifty thousand tons of mushrooms - half of the entire number of mushrooms produced in Spain - are kept in huge sheds. These mushrooms have a very delicate texture. Roughly half the total grown are exported.

Then, of course, there is the food for which La Mancha is renowned throughout Spain and further afield.

Genuine Manchego cheese is based on the use of pure milk from the sheep of La Mancha. The sheep there are sturdy, tough and can cope on harsh pastures in often exceptionally dry conditions. They yield around 45 million litres of milk per year. It is high in fat and very aromatic. 80% of this milk goes towards producing the delightful Manchego.
Just one of the reasons that Castilla La Mancha will remain loved for centuries.

Just like Don Quixote, who said of Spanish food, "While I am eating I know nothing. But when I have finished eating, I begin to understand."