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Paprika from Murcia, the powdered brooch of Mediterranean gastronomy

If there is something that enriches any plate of food, it is the spices. The touch that gives flavor and aroma to a recipe. On the Mediterranean coast, the Murcian paprika, a unique condiment distinguished with Protected Designation of Origin (DOP). Octopus, ham, paella ... there are many foods that can be enriched with this «Red Gold that exudes a flavor of pepper and sun. Of the «ball» variety, it differs from the others for many reasons that we are going to tell you about here.

Murcia Pepper Harvesting

The ball pepper it is collected one by one, manually and traditionally. "There is no other way to do it," say some farmers in the video that you can see below. Once everything is collected, it is transported to warehouses where workers they remove his tail to the pepper. When you have only the flesh of the fruit, the pepper is party to speed up the dryingAs the process could take a long time and cause some peppers to spoil.

Then expand on the ground itself and they dry naturally, in the sun. The visual stamp is unique: a red mantle that covers meters and meters of the plot where it rests. Murcian delight until it is ready. And here the most important part of the process takes place. The balls lose their juice, they dehydrate and the result is a withered husk.

And what do you do with all those kilos of dehumidified pepper? It's time to grind it. It first goes through a crusher, which breaks it down into small particles. To complete the crushing, the fruit is introduced into traditional mills that have a stone that rubs continuously until a pulverized result is achieved. This is the way to make a unique product with more than a hundred years of tradition. An unbeatable condiment that has achieved the DOP.

In what recipes can we use paprika from Murcia?

El Murcian paprika It stands out for being sweet, with a strong characteristic aroma. Among its properties stands out its great coloring power, fatty and tasty. All these qualities make it an ideal companion for many dishes. Here are some recipes that you can season with this species:

-Home-style stewed chicken. The chicken is cut into pieces and sautéed in oil, with an onion, a little bacon and Murcian paprika, tomato, white wine, salt and parsley. Dip it with a little water and when it's cooked, it's ready to be enjoyed.

-Stewed potatoes. Cut into pieces, put the potatoes in a saucepan with onion, garlic, parsley, a little Murcian paprika and a tablespoon of oil and salt. Everything raw and covered in water is left to cook until tender.

Murcian paprika
Paprika from Murcia | SOURCE: @pimentondemurcia

-Ground pepper cake, typical of Totana.. The necessary ingredients are half a liter of water, 60 grams of yeast, a kilo of flour, olive oil, sunflower oil and paprika to the llanda, paprika from Murcia and salt.

  1. Make a dough by mixing water, yeast, flour and a little salt. It is left to ferment for half an hour.
  2. The llanda is smeared with sunflower oil to prevent sticking and paprika. Next, the dough is spread over it and the paprika from Murcia and olive oil. The ingredients are integrated with the fingertips.
  3. When the dough is spread, it is chopped.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180º and cook the dough for 20 minutes. Once baked, the cake is painted with a mixture of olive oil and said paprika and salt is added to taste.

 

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The vegetable garden of Europe

The Region of Murcia is popularly known as'The vegetable garden of Europe', since a multitude of foods are grown on this land and exported to the entire continent. Its geographical position, next to the Mediterranean Sea and an enviable climate, make the community a world power in agri-food.

Agriculture in Murcia represents a fundamental pillar in the regional economy. Almost the 10% of the Murcian working population works in this sector and a 50% of the territory is destined to farmland. Its fields are considered one of the more fertile and prosperous throughout Spain, giving rise to an agricultural industry based on quality. As a result of the dedication of farmers we find a wide range of horticultural products.

gastronomy of Murcia capital of gastronomy 2020
Murcia, Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2021 / Photomontage: Iván Sevilla

Among the plantations that enjoy a DOP find the Calasparra rice, the first in the world to get it. The apricot, the Jumilla cherry, the table grape or the orange are also great representatives of the fruit production of this coastal territory. Vegetables such as lettuce, pepper, broccoli or squash are also grown. Although it has no distinction, the lemon is the star citrus of the Region, from which more than 200.000 tons are collected each year. To accompany, a glass of wine. Three cities in the Region offer the opportunity to enjoy a good pairing thanks to their vineyards: Bullas, Jumilla and Yecla.

Now that you know all the advantages of this paprika and how you can cook with it, you just need to put on your apron and enjoy some time on the stove. And, of course, tasting the result. If you are passionate about this spice, we invite you to discover all the possibilities that the Paprika, another great red condiment.

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