Receives information about Manjars of the World. Over six gastronomic weeks, the newspaper will spotlight the Alicante province, highlighting time-honored cuisine and regional products, and celebrating the culinary treasures valued there. Each week, from Monday to Friday, a different restaurant will host the event, inviting attendees to explore or deepen their understanding of a gastronomy that is gaining national and international recognition, all at a very affordable price.
The information publication aims to support this vital sector for the province and to boost Costa Blanca as a tourist destination. It was during last year’s opening of the exhibition that Manjars of the World. The Gastronomic Legacy of González Pomata, organized by the Fundación Mediterráneo and the President of the University of Alicante Carmencita, paid tribute to a renowned writer and journalist. This event encouraged leaders in information to reassess local cuisine, recalling the gastronomy weeks held from 1987 to 1994. Alicante chose to preserve the tradition.
revised formula
With a renewed approach, Menjars de la Terra will travel through the Alicante region to showcase the province’s rich and varied gastronomy, with special emphasis on traditional cooking and local products. Origin Denomination products from the province will be prominently featured, including PDO Vinos Alicante, Vinalopó’s Bagged Table Grape, Traditional Spirits, Alicante Mountain Cherries, Granada Mollar de Elche, and other Alicante offerings such as Callosa d’en Sarrià loquats, Jijona and Alicante nougat, Vega Baja artichokes, and red shrimp from Dénia.
The sessions will run Monday through Friday, conducted with the backing of the Provincial Assembly and in cooperation with the regulatory boards of the Alicante Origin Sects. Each day, a different restaurant will host, following criteria set by a panel of experts consisting of representatives from the Alicante Provincial Association of Hospitality Operators (APEHA) and the Alicante Restaurants Association (ARA) in collaboration with INFORMATION. Menus will be pre-evaluated to emphasize local wines, the use of regional products, and a chairing of traditional Alicante cuisine. Inclusion of Origin Sects from the province remains a priority.
The menus are priced at a single 40 euro per person, drinks included, varying by region of the day. A mandatory ingredient such as bagged table grapes will appear in Alto, with Half Vinalopó or nougat featured in l’Alacantí.
reactions
A member of the Provincial Assembly, Carlos Mazón, commented on this initiative to celebrate Alicante’s culinary richness. He praised any effort that promotes local gastronomy, noting the province’s rich culinary heritage and supporting the professionals, products of the Diputación de Alicante, and the Costa Blanca Tourist Board. He expressed confidence in the venture’s success and pledged continued collaboration with Alicante chefs and producers.
A chef who helped launch a new restaurant in Fuerteventura this summer described the event as an effective way to highlight Alicante’s products and cuisine during the gastronomy days. She emphasized tastings, the exchange of ideas, and the historical role of Menjars de la Terra in boosting interest in Alicante’s culinary diversity and the places that create it. She wished the event continued success and hoped attendees enjoyed the experience both gastronomically and socially.
PDO President of Vinos Alicante, José Juan Reus, stressed the importance of mainstream media recognizing and supporting the many excellent PDO products. He highlighted the value of the regulatory boards and the resources they offer for representing, sustaining, and supplying the province’s gastronomy, noting the historical significance of these efforts.
Activities
Gastronomy-related events will precede the main program, often coinciding with the opening day of each gastronomy week. Guided visits will include tours to a winery, a spice or nougat producer, or a distillery.
Menjars de la Terra returns as a fresh commitment to sharing and developing knowledge about Alicante’s gastronomy, offering a rare chance to discover some of the country’s best restaurants under exceptional conditions. Attendees should not miss this opportunity. Enjoy the meals.
Legacy of González Pomata
This initiative also honors Antonio Gonzalez Pomata (Alicante 1926-1996), a respected figure whose work and collections, Menjars de la Terra, helped preserve the province’s ethnographic culinary heritage. His writings for the information publication documented the history of Alicante’s gastronomy and inspired a wave of gastronomy weeks from 1987 to 1994 that reshaped provincial culinary tourism. The first conference occurred from 23 to 27 March 1987 at Elche’s La Masía de Chencho, with participants from Polamar de Santa Pola, Racó del Pla, El Cruce de Almoradí, Vizcayo de Castalla, and other venues, and later expanded to cities across the region.
The ongoing initiative is seen as a cultural milestone, reinforcing the province’s culinary identity and supporting the professionals who sustain it. It is viewed as a catalyst for social engagement and a driver of gastronomic tourism in the modern era.
Text: FJ Benito.