The arrival of Filomena It has altered all of our lives. Centimeters of snow have occupied our streets and have made it impossible for us to live a normal life for several days. In the same way, the storm has affected the Spanish garden, especially its seasonal products such as artichoke from Benicarló. This vegetable has PDO since 1998 and it is one of the best known foods on the Spanish east coast. Here we tell you everything you need to know about this vegetable!
Where is it grown?
As we have already mentioned previously the Benicarló artichoke It is characteristic of the eastern part of the Peninsula. In particular, its area of greatest production is that of Baix Maestrat in Castellón. Although within this area, the area of cultivation of this vegetable is especially concentrated in 4 locations: Benicarló, Cálig, Peñíscola and Vinaroz.
Thanks to the action of Mediterranean coast, which bathes the cultivated land of these areas, the artichoke is capable of developing with a excellent quality, and present a form round, firm and compact. In addition, it cannot be forgotten that thanks to the rich waters of the Mediterranean the artichoke acquires some perfect storage conditions. If this product is kept in optimal conditions it can offer a long resistance without deteriorating its quality.
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Qualities of the artichoke from Benicarló
One of the main characteristics of this vegetable is that it has a very good dietary function. Importantly, it contains very low calories, in addition to regulating cholesterol levels, this makes the Benicarló artichoke in a very good product to take care of our health. Together with all this it contains numerous vitamins, among which we find calcium, iron and vitamins A, B1 and C, among others.
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On the other hand, its collection season is october to june every year. And it is a very easy to recognize product since it has a flat and compact shape, where its dimple. In addition, it is always identified by the seal of the DOP regulatory council.
The artichoke party!
In Benicarló, every year in January there is a festival in honor of the artichoke. In this celebration, local inhabitants and tourists gather to taste the many dishes and preparations that can be made with this food. And it is that, during this party the Gastronomic Demonstration Day. In it, all the restaurants in Benicarló offer diners the best products made by the jewel in the crown of the garden of Benicarlanda.
In addition to this day of gastronomic demonstration, during the party other activities take place in relation to the artichoke. For example, Artichoke Skewer Days, where the bars and venues of Benicarló strive to get the best tapas with the artichoke as the protagonist. And even, in the days following the celebration of the party, the Gastronomic Days of the Artichoke. Where creativity is unleashed to develop the best dishes with this product as the protagonist.
Recipes with artichoke
Contrary to what you may think, the Benicarló artichoke it has many uses and can be used in a large number of recipes. When we refer to this vegetable we tend to fall into the false conclusion that it can only be used in one way. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, artichoke can be used in infinity of dishes and with different shapes within many elaborations.
Some of the examples that we propose and recommend you try could be the crispy artichoke hearts, the confit artichokes with goat cheese and tomato jam or the rice stew with galleys and artichokes from Benicarló seared. These are just three of the possibilities of treating the product differently. And it is that, such a food complete and so beneficial for oneself it should be present in all diets.
Having seen all the positives around the Benicarló artichoke there is only one point left. This is going there and enjoying first-hand the quality of the product and the delicacies that local establishments are able to make with it. Go ahead and try it!
