The countdown has begun for the return of Menjars de la Terra, one of the most important gastronomic events. Starting next Monday, this initiative gives us the opportunity to enjoy the first of their week in the Alto y Medio Vinalopó region. Diners will enjoy local cuisine combining tradition and innovation at the Alfonso Mira de Aspe, La Sirena de Petrer, Xiri de Monovar, Alfonso de Pinoso and Mesón La Despensa de Villena restaurants.
Restaurants, chefs, sommeliers and catering teams are already prepared to leave the best taste in the mouths of the diners. All agree on maintaining the commitment to quality, Alicante’s dedication to the traditional cuisine, from which its cuisines are rooted, and to the avant-garde and innovation demanded by today’s tastes.
Menjars de la Terra is much more than gastronomy, it is a solid step towards the future and looking to the past to understand the present. These traditional conferences that take INFORMATION move more than just kitchens. “I remember my mother kneading the casserole balls, there were a lot of people, we were in the press… I was a kid,” says Javier Alfonso, chef of the Alfonso restaurant (Pinoso).
Teo Mira from the Alfonso Mira restaurant (Aspe) said: “He was 25 years old, studying at CDT and there was also a competition for young chefs at the conference. It is a privilege that they have trusted us because of the wonderful gastronomic offer in the region. We are happy and grateful to have started Menjars de la Terra.” He and his brother Alfonso created a menu based on traditional cuisine, in which vines are not missing, “We want to beat rice, but we are more: intimacy, tradition and fire. We are in the Grape Valley and This fruit is supposed to be on the table during the best times of the year.”
A unique offering to be followed by La Sirena (Petrer) on Tuesday. Mari Carmen Vélez is clear on this: “Fruit isn’t just for dessert! In addition to our classic hake salad and banda rice with shrimp, we recommend baby squid sautéed with Vinalopó grapes, which, due to its sweetness and juiciness, harmonizes and contrasts with other flavors of earthy, marine, sweet, spicy…» . For Vélez, attending these conferences «brings us fond memories of moments from previous editions and of the people we met. It’s also a way to attract potential new customers and offer something new to existing customers.”
At the restaurant Xiri de Monóvar, who is about to turn 40, “We will reinterpret typical dishes as usual, the Menjars philosophy applies to us every day. Proximity cuisine, we try to use the products of the region and help the companies in the region and the cheese factories of the town. Our cuisine is modern, yet viewed from a traditional perspective,” explains Carme Palomares Albert, owner of restaurant Xiri, and her brother Josep.
On Thursday it will be the turn of the Alfonso de Pinoso restaurant and the contemporary version of gachasmigas in croquette form. “Let’s suppose that nowadays he shows gastronomy in its purest form and the public knows traditional cuisine. It’s hard to single out anything from Pinoso because we have so much. We’re famous for rice with rabbit and snails, but porridge is very much ours. A basic meal is water, flour and garlic. A dish for the poor that has become one of the most popular dishes”, underlines chef Javier Alfonso.
The protagonist of Friday will be “escalda barbas villenero” from the restaurant La Despensa de Villena. Does it scald beards? José Antonio Imarejos, son of the owner of La Despensa, said, “Yes, because it is served so hot it burns your beard!” he explains. It is a traditional stew from the region that includes thick noodles, artichokes, cod, oysters, shrimp… A dish full of energy and flavor. «Menjars is a very good initiative because above all it supports the local product. We love proximity, zero mileage, sustainability and freshness. We have a good orchard in Alicante and in La Despensa we care a lot about what comes out of the ground,” says José Antonio Vinalopo de Menjars de la Terra, who manages La Despensa with his family, responsible for closing the Alto and Medio days.
‘Menjars de la Terra’ menus
You can check the gastronomic suggestions of the participating restaurants from the link below, and you can find all the information about the meals to be served at each venue.