November 24 from 2024 - 08: 00
Itsaso Aurrekoetxea Jover
The gastronomic culture of the Marina Alta is one of its great symbols of identity. Today, it is recognised as one of the Valencian regions with the highest concentration of haute cuisine establishments, which is a great attraction for both locals and visitors. However, each of its towns exudes an aroma of tradition that goes back to its most ancient culinary customs.
The artisanal sausages produced in the region are a good representation of the deep identity that is still professed in some municipalities. As a way of preserving the great richness that this branch of food has in the area, the Associació de Xarcuters Artesans de la Marina was born.
«The aim is to vindicate the value of our sausages, which have often been undervalued or ignored,» says Sergi Soria, president of the recently created association of artisanal charcuterie makers. «For us, sausage is not just a food, but a link with the history and landscape that surrounds us. The sausage of our region has a long history that dates back to the time of the reconquest of Jaume I. At that time, the lords of Aragon, the Catalan soldiers and later the Mallorcans brought their culinary traditions, which have been mixed over time. This has given rise to a unique gastronomy, with very particular flavours and techniques,» he explains.
The organisation was created to collaborate between its members on a quality basis and to show the diversity of sausages that can be found depending on the hand of the artisan behind them. The group is made up of four charcuterie makers from Gata de Gorgos, one from Dénia, another from Ondara and Sergi from Vall de Laguar.
An example of the tradition of artisanal sausage making in the Marina
Sergi Soria's story lives in tune with the values of the association, representing the fourth generation of his family dedicated to the production of traditional sausages. From Ca Rabosa in the Vall de Laguar, Sergi, his brother Óscar and his mother Joana Moll continue with the family business that their grandfather started on an itinerant basis, transforming the pieces of pork into products that he then sold.
The president of the Associació de Xarcuters explains that “here, in les Valls, a lot of cattle was bought and consumed at home. Over time, people stopped being self-sufficient and began to buy more and more from us. Around November 30, coinciding with Saint Andrew, the slaughter season began. During this time, sausages were produced for consumption in winter. Then, on Saint Anthony's Day, the product was extended until summer.”
Keeping the family tradition and the artisan essence of their sausages alive is the business's maxim, "offering a product of excellent quality that is a reflection of the culture and landscape of our land." We interviewed Sergi Soria so he could talk to us in depth about the sausage so characteristic of the Marina Alta, the challenges it faces today and the future they plan to achieve through the association.
QUESTION: How important is tradition in your business?
ANSWER. It is essential. We continue to make products using the same traditional recipes and methods that have been passed down from generation to generation. In addition, our mother continues to support us with her experience and supervision, helping us to maintain the quality and essence of always.
Q. How have you adapted to the new times?
R. We currently sell our products through different channels. We have direct contact with customers, but we mainly work with third parties, such as butchers, shops, restaurants and specialist retailers.
We supply, for example, the El Nou Cavall Verd restaurant, the Pont Sec or businesses such as Nyas Coca, Ca Sopa and Suma in Pego, the Murla bakery and various shops in Orba. We target people who are looking for that traditional, local flavour, which they have been accustomed to for many years. Our customers usually value quality over price. They prefer to avoid industrial products and appreciate craftsmanship and respect for traditions.
Q. What characteristics define Marina Alta sausage?
R. Our cured meat has a unique identity thanks to the maritime winds, which have always given it a special flavour. The easterly breezes create ideal conditions for drying, providing a special flavour and texture. There is also a clear historical influence in the Diània territory from the central regions, with the techniques and recipes that were brought from the Balearic Islands and Italy centuries ago.
A clear example is sobrasada, which has connections with the Italian 'sopressata' and the Mallorcan sobrasada. Our variant is leaner, somewhat coarser than the Mallorcan one, but it maintains its own character. Even the Mallorcans say that our sobrasada in the Marina Alta is more Menorcan because of the amount of lean meat it contains.
Q. What are the differences between artisanal and industrial sausages?
R. The fundamental difference is in the way the product is treated. Artisanal production provides customization and a unique touch to the product, while in the industry everything tends to be homogeneous. Nowadays, flat flavors are sought that do not clash and please everyone.
On the other hand, artisanal products involve a complete process that should include rearing the animals themselves, feeding them with local products, and having local slaughterhouses. Unfortunately, we no longer have slaughterhouses in our regions. Someone at some point decided that we should devote ourselves to tourism and construction, leaving aside local production.
The lack of slaughterhouses in the regions is a serious problem. Before, you could choose the animals directly from the herd, ensuring that they were healthy, well fed and raised in natural conditions. Now, the meat arrives without knowing the origin, quality or type of feed they have received. This affects the final result, both in terms of taste and healthiness.
Q. How could this situation be improved?
R. It would be necessary to restore the link between nature and the table, promoting local production based on animals raised in the area and fed naturally. A nearby slaughterhouse would ensure traceability and quality, restoring the connection between producers and consumers and ensuring a healthy and correct product.
Q. How do you see the future of artisanal products in this highly industrialized world?
R. We have become disconnected from nature, placing more value on having a good car or computer than on eating well. But if we want healthy, quality products, we have to support artisans. As Josep Pla said, let's put pressure on artisans so they can develop and evolve. The more artisans there are, the more creativity and quality they will offer.
We must be aware that eating is essential to live. Without good food and good water, everything we do with technology or other comforts is meaningless. We must educate about the importance of maintaining a link with nature and supporting rural areas to give value to what is truly essential.
Q. What moment marked the dependence on external slaughterhouses?
R. Until the 80s, most small towns and even cities like Dénia had local slaughterhouses that were suited to their needs. But they stopped operating because they could not adapt to new demands.
We now depend on meats that come from outside, without the consumer knowing for sure where they come from. With the disappearance of the local slaughterhouse, the direct link between the farmer, the butcher and the consumer is lost, which affects not only local trade, but also the different professions involved in the process.
It's a question of living in harmony with nature and knowing that you're eating a pig that was raised by Uncle Pepico, Uncle Manuel or Batiste from the garden downstairs. Slaughterhouses were disappearing and with them a range of jobs around them.
In the 90s, with the entry into the European Union, many local industries moved to northern Europe, leaving our region in the hands of the tertiary sector, tourism and construction. The economic crisis of 2008 highlighted this dependence, and although some tried to return to the primary sector, it was already too late.
Now, there are few professionals in the region who continue with these traditional practices, and after us there is no one else. There are very few of us left in the Marina Alta. If we do not value it, it is difficult to sustain.
But it is not only happening in this area, there are many trades, arts, artisans and craftsmen that are being lost, unfortunately, due to living outside the natural context.
Q. Do we have or did we have any native pigs in the region or area?
R. In the past, the region had the Alteana breed of pig, a species adapted to the Mediterranean area. However, this breed disappeared around the 50s, along with other traditional practices related to its breeding.
The pig has historically been a totemic animal in the Mediterranean, a source of protein and sustenance for families, although always with a clear purpose: food.
Q. What meat is used today?
R. The types of meat we find on the market come from more globalized breeds, such as the Landrace pig or the Pietrain pig. However, the Duroc pig has also gained popularity and renown.
Q. The various needs and difficulties you have mentioned may have influenced the creation of the Associació de Xarcuters Artesans de la Marina. How was it created?
R. In addition to the problems described above, there are other major concerns. One of the main ones is the disappearance of local commerce in the face of large stores, which have wiped out the shops in our towns.
To counteract this situation, we decided to join forces and highlight the quality and traditional flavours of our product. By joining forces, we can follow the same path and demonstrate that many of the criticisms about sausages and meat, such as that they are salty, greasy or unhealthy, are myths that do not reflect reality. It all depends on how you use and abuse them.
The Association's spearhead is in Gata de Gorgos, a town of artisans with four well-supported butchers. Right now we are seven members and each one has a different way of working, but we all share the artisan approach. It is this way of working, based on tradition and quality, which gives strength and identity to the association.
The first formal contact was made in July, the second in August and in November we received the official number that has allowed us to consolidate the presentation of the association.
Q. What is your goal?
R. We will always try to locate, promote and make known our flavours. Our main mission is to value what is ours, and which we consider does not currently receive the recognition it deserves. To achieve this, although the creation of the association is very recent, we will work on specific actions, through fairs or in education in gastronomic contexts.
We do not accept products that do not reflect our essence, such as industrial sobrasadas or sausages that do not respect local tradition. This allows us to protect what is authentically ours and offer the public a guarantee of quality.
Q. What final reflection would you like to make?
R. One of our central messages is to recover the connection with rurality and the value of local commerce. We live in a society where the ability to know how to buy, to prioritize quality, has been lost. It is very easy to go to the supermarket and be influenced by a generalist offer, but we defend small, village shops, where there is diversity, identity and personalized treatment.
If we do not change this dynamic, in a few years we could completely lose the richness of our local products. That is why it is crucial to keep the tradition alive and focus on local products. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the members of the association and we want to transmit this enthusiasm, making the idea of consuming local products attractive.
We find ourselves in a time when erroneous myths about food are often promoted. This leads us to replace traditional and deep-rooted products from our territory, such as local almonds, with imported alternatives such as pecans from Brazil. We firmly believe that we have to value what is our own, such as our food and our people, because the future of our identity depends on it.
