What are the most recognized traditional dishes of each town in the Marina Alta?

If there is an element that unites the Marina Alta and that, we would dare to say, is its great hallmark, it is its gastronomy. This corner of the Mediterranean prides itself on its varied culinary offer, to which each of its towns contributes unique and authentic flavours.

From the different varieties of l'arròs caldós to paella de cigrons or coques al forn, the region keeps secrets in the kitchens of the houses, which reflect the most intimate and true gastronomic tradition. Many localities share specialties, but with a little attention you can discover some less common dishes and more difficult to find in bars and restaurants, which are popular in homes.

Join us on this culinary journey through the flavors and ingredients that most characterize each town and that make up one of the great regional riches that we have.

Dénia

If there is a town that puts the Marina Alta region on the cuisine map, it is its capital. Dénia, recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, triumphs worldwide with its Red shrimp, but also with its traditional dried octopus, dried naturally in the sun, and the most privileged in front of the sea. Although the llandeta or cruet de peix, l'arròs a banda or amb aladroc i espinacs are also typical.

fisherman-selecting-the-red-shrimp-of-denia

Xàbia

Xàbia It is one of the towns best known for its bay. Everything that is caught is a delicacy. For this reason, fish rice, sea urchins, cruet de peix or suquet roig (fish broth) are quite a speciality. It is also typical arròs de renta, broth with meat and snails, or octopus with cardoons.

Calp

El calp fish It is a hallmark of the town and dishes such as llauna calpina, with fish, tomato and potatoes are made with it. The arròs del senyoret or the blanquet is also traditional, which also includes crab and vegetables. But if something is talked about in the best-known kitchens of Calp, it is the white shrimp, another delicacy of the municipality.

Teulada Moraira

Teulada Moraira is another of the fishing villages in the Marina Alta and the base of many of its traditional recipes is fish. The arròs a banda or the sardines and spinach paella are two very elaborate recipes in the town, just like the bull. Although for dessert, there is nothing better than seasonal grapes or mistela to accompany them. Women, a typical sweet that is usually prepared on San Blas day.

Benissa

Els ceba and anxova clofolls They are prepared in Benissa with the onion cooked on the grill and placing an anchovy with oil on each layer of the vegetable. It is also common to find the octopus puchero or the bull mullador.

Clofolls of fattening and anxova

Pego

When you think of Pego, you think of the crust. It is the traditional baked rice, but with an egg layer that hides the delicacy and makes it ideal for transporting it and eating a good casserole in the middle of nature. But the municipality is also known for its figatells, scalded or baked cokes and the Easter mullador.

Arròs amb crosta de Pego in a clay pot (file)

Pedreguer

If you drop by Pedreguer, at the first stop for lunch you should ask for a spoiled. It is the traditional toast spread with tomato and tuna or anchovy. Homes also cook arròs amb fava pelà, xones (snails) and polp amb penques.

Malcriat - Sara Fornés

Ondara

In Ondara, the houses smell of stew arròs amb fava pelà and the traditional Valencian paella. But in the town we find another variety of coques, in this case fried.

Gata de Gorgos

Gata de Gorgos is famous for its star stew, the Easter berenaret Made with vegetables, sausage, meat and egg. But if you walk through its streets during the morning, you will smell the aromas of the bakeries and they will also lead you to taste the cokes that are made. Sang amb ceba or les piles de putxero are two other very traditional dishes in the town.

Easter Berenaret

The Verger

As is the tradition in the towns bathed by the Girona river, El Verger shares a fondness for shrimp amb bleda and all i pebre. Les coques, whether with sausages, vegetables or salted meats, make up a whole ritual in the local kitchen. A tradition that is usually passed down from generation to generation. In addition, in some houses the paella with chickpeas.

benitatxell

Poble Nou de Benitatxell is known for its broad beans, a legume to which the town holds a festival every year, the Mitjafava Fest. They are used to make faves sacsaes or rice with beans. On the other hand, with the rock fish they make the cruet and the stew that is cooked there is usually with pilot dolça. Finally, a traditional Benitatxell dessert would be the raisin caspells.

Xaló

There is no land better known in the region for its wines, mistelas and sausages that Xaló, without forgetting its sweets such as sweet potato and ametlla pastissets. Although the municipality is also a good place to taste arròs amb fesols i naps or les coques.

Els Poblets

In Els Poblets the cuisine inherited from the seafaring tradition of tuna fishing prevails, for this reason the bull in fattening It is one of its true best-known delicacies. As well as the octopus stew, the cruet de peix or the pickled sardines. And, how could it be otherwise, a rather unique rice is that of the peeled broad bean, made with dry and hydrated broad beans the day before making the stew.

Orba

In Orba they refer to the minxos or coques de dacsa as buns, one of the most deeply rooted recipes in the entire region and which in the municipality are quite a tradition. Thus, the older ones tend to prepare them for the whole family and with the intention that the younger ones inherit their know-how. Although Orba is also the land of blat picat and the delicious figatell.

Beniarbeig

A tasty arròs amb fesols i naps, especially cooked in winter, arròs al forn or prawn amb bleda are three typical Beniarbeig recipes.

Alcalali

Alcalalí is a land of recipes with local products such as almonds, wine, oil or honey. On the other hand, in traditional cuisine, dishes such as l'arròs caldós, cod and cauliflower paella or chicken and rabbit paella, couscous or prawn amb bleda triumph.

Benidoleig

Sausages such as sausages, black pudding or blanket Accompanied by the traditional coques they are a success in Benidoleig, as well as rice with rabbit and tomato, fesols i penques or baked. Without neglecting tapas such as bull or sang with ceba, capellans torrats, faves bollides, polp or les mandonguilles.

Llíber

In Llíber sausage is a tradition, as is eating shells accompanied by the best Moscatell grape, one of the hallmarks of the Valley of Pop. The Easter berenar or buns are also made, the name given to the dumplings filled with tomato and onion, peas or vegetables collected in the mountain itself, such as les cama-roges or els llicsons.

Parcent

Parcent is mountain land and the best way to take a break between hiking routes due to its nature is to take a tomato and pepper coca, highly appreciated in the town. There it is also customary to prepare espencat with tomato, aubergine, pepper and onion roasted in the oven and add cod, garlic, olive oil and salt to obtain a delicious bite served as a tapa or accompaniment.

La Vall de Laguar

The sausages are a good appetizer if you go through the Vall de Laguar, just like the coques. Another star dish of the municipality is the arròs amb fesols i penca, very tasty and forceful. But among its sweets one stands out, ronyoses, made with almond and sugar.

Sanet and Negrals

In Sanet i Negrals, families get together to taste a good Valencian paella, but also the arròs amb fesols i penques.

The Rafol of Almunia

The spoon dishes are very famous in the towns of the Rectory such as Ràfol d'Almúnia. A good one olla or the typical Valencian paella are two dishes widely consumed by the locals.

L'Atzúbia

In l'Atzúbia and Forna cooking in the oven offers delicacies such as paprika farcits (peppers stuffed with rice), aubergines stuffed with tuna or meat or arròs amb crosta, a specialty he shares with Pego.

Senija

In Senija we find some unique recipes such as the coca de molletes, made with the base of traditional cocas and sprinkled with another dough made with white wine. The coca with pellet muller, the bull muller or l'arròs with fava pelà are other of their specialties. Besides of arròs de batre, one of the most traditional soupy rice dishes in the area made with green chickpeas, meat, potato, carrot and snails.

Arròs de batre

The Vall de Gallinera

Facing the coldest months of the year in Vall de Gallinera means eating blat picat. A distinguished recipe from the municipality that field workers used to taste and that still captivates those who try it. There it is also a tradition to eat wild boar, minxos or baked rice. And his most precious treasure, the cherry.

Blat picat

Benigembla

One of the best known dishes in Benigembla is the melva borreta or l'espencat in summer cooked with seasonal vegetables. So are the coques, where it is very common to find them as scalded coques cooked on the grill and with various fillings, but also in its various varieties such as coques fregides with tomato and anchovy or baked.

Murla

One of the most traditional stews in the area and one that is famous in Murla is the melva borreta, made with salted fish, tuna or cuttlefish and vegetables. Els Grinyons, also known as blat picat stew, is consumed locally, just like the Valencian stew with stilts. One of its most curious sweets is the pa perdut, whose recipe calls for cutting slices of bread from the day before, soaking them in milk and serving them with sprinkled sugar and cinnamon.

Castell de Castells

In Castell de Castells, typical mountain preparations and game products are highly appreciated. Example of this is the rice with rabbit and snails, in addition to other spoon dishes such as stew. In the town the minxos with farinetes and borra are well known and the borreta de melva is also prepared.

Mineli

In Benimeli, baked cokes with tomato and pepper are highly appreciated. Although family meals cannot miss the arròs caldós with fesols, pence and naps or baked. Espencat is also a tradition in summer with seasonal vegetables.

Festival

In Sagra, arròs caldós amb fesols i penca is prepared, served very hot to revive the body in the middle of winter. Same as the blat picat and els vegetable ballets, either as a tapa or as a main dish.

Tormos

The residents of Tormos master the art of cooking with a spoon. The most traditional stews are prepared there, such as arròs amb fesols, pence and naps.

The Vall d'Ebo

La Vall d'Ebo in winter can be a good plan to taste the most loved hot dishes in the region. In the locality it is a tradition soup or the olleta, in addition to the minxos.

Pot

The Vall de Alcalá

La Vall d'Alcalà shares a specialty with many other towns in the region. One of them is the minxos, or scalded cokes, which are filled like a pancake with various stews or products. And, among its typical sweets, you can find coques de mel or els mostatxuts.

Bibliography: Regional Association of the Marina Alta.

*You can provide more information about the traditional recipes of the Marina Alta, commenting on this article or sending the information to info@lamarinaalta.com, indicating the location.