GASTRONOMY
The nature of the climate of the region of Murcia makes of it the ideal place for a resourceful practice of the authentic Mediterranean cuisine, allowing us to enjoy natural and tasty dishes of great personality thanks to its wide range of quality products as sre the Huerta fruit and vegetables, the fresh coast seafood and traditional meats such as lamb, pork and sausages.
Murcia is a great city with plenty of lovely restaurants and terrace bars where you can discover the essence of the local cuisine by tasting its traditional dishes and typical tapas. These are some of the most well known ones: almendras con tuna y mojama (almonds and dried tuna roe), marineras (bagel served with salad and an anchovy), ahumados y salazones (smoked and salted fish), caballitos (scampi), tigres, gambas al ajillo (seafood, garlic shrimp scampi ), pulpo al horno (baked octopus), calamares a la plancha, rebozados o con tomate (grilled, breaded or tomato squid), ensalada murciana (delicious tuna ,mayo, potatoes and veggies mixed salad), gazpacho ( specific beverage made of garlic veggies and tomato juice), habas fritas con cebolla (fried beans with onion), patatas cocidas o asadas con ajo (boiled or baked potatoes with garlic), pisto (ratatouille), ensalada de pimientos asados (roasted pepper salad), albóndigas de bacalao (cod meatballs), callos (tripe), magra con tomate (veal meat in tomato sauce), zarangollo (zucchini, onion and veggies scrambled eggs), michirones (jamon, and chorizo sausage beans) and the world famous tortilla de patatas (potatoes omelette).
In Murcia you can sip fine regional wines with denomination of origins from Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas. Other products that stand out in Murcia with denomination of origin are Calasparra rice and paprika and Murcia cheese (fresh goat cheese, cured, and the famous “queso al vino” - wine Murcia cheese).
TYPICAL DISHES
“El caldero” is very famous on the coast and in the Mar Menor area. It consists of a more liquid sort of rice dish cooked with different types of fish and peppers in an iron pot and served with garlic mayonnaise. Oven baked fish covered in salt is not to be forgotten either, along with mullet or tuna roe and Mar Menor prawns.
In Águilas “moraga de sardinas ” is a very typical sardine based dish and so is the so called rice made on stone apart from the pork meat that has been central to the economy of the Huerta and used down to the very last bit to fabricate a very tasty range of sausages.
“Las migas”, another famous local dish for rainy days is based on crumbs made from flour and oil, water, salt and lots and lots of patience as are the Jumillano gazpacho, the Yecla gazpacho or the rabbit rice dish. In Calasparra where the designation of origin rice comes from, they cook the famous rice with snails. In the Valley of Ricote offers a tempting tender oven roasted lambs along with fresh and cured goat cheeses, wine and paprika...
Another typical product of Murcia is the meat pie made of pastry filled with minced beef or sausage meat, egg and spices, all covered by a thin layer of spiral pastry. And we cannot do without the egg and meat filled doe cake.
In terms of main dished the rice based ones stand out (normally prepared with rabbit, chicken, vegetables or snails), not forgetting the classic Huerta cuisine: arroz y habichuelas (rice and beans), olla gitana (gypsy pot), cocido de pavo con pelotas (turkey meatballs casserole) and guiso de conejo o pollo (rabbit or chicken stews).
MURCIA DESERTS
Finally, among the typical products of confectionery we can include: arroz con leche (rice pudding), paparajotes (special lemon leaf based desert), tocino de cielo (egg yolk and sugar jelly desert) and many others.
The local honey brings along a hint of the delicate aromas of the local fields and together with the spices, condiments and the rest of sweets and pastries not mentioned on here they seem to need another separate chapter. Furthermore, in Cartagena, Ricote, Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas, white, red and rich pink hues wine have been elaborated and their vines have been grown ever since Roman times.
DINING AREAS
CUISINE
LOCAL RECIPES
