The Club de Gourmets International Fair started in 1987 with 73 exhibitors and 8000 visitors and its growth over the last 23 years reflects the rise and rise of Spanish Gastronomy. Chefs, winemakers, food producers and hotel and restaurant buyers allcome to the fair to attend presentations, tastings, and round-table discussions to discover the latest culinary innovations, and also some old favourites.
Dehesa de Extremadura Ham
The immediate difference from food exhibitions in any other country is the amount of ham on display. Spain is rightly proud of its pig products and so it should be. One of the finest is the Dehesa de Extremadura which comes from Iberian pigs, genetic treasures which hail from Roman times. They roam the woods of Extremadura, a sparsely populated area in the far west of Spain, feeding on acorns, and are completely free range. After salting, the hams are stored in natural drying chambers for up to nine months and then matured in cellars. They are then inspected by vets before getting an identifying tag and being put on sale. They’re not cheap, at around 160 Euro per kilo, but they taste good.
Tunnel of Wine Tasting of Little-Known Spanish Grape Varieties: Verdejo, Godello & Albarino
Apart from the stands, the Fair hosts a number of installations including a Tunnel of Wine. As well as more familiar grapes like Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah, Spain also has its own obscure varieties including Verdejo, Godello and Albarino and the more widely known Tempranillo used for Rioja. In the Tunnel there were nearly 200 different wines to sample, providing a unique insight into the range and quality of Spanish wines. There’s definitely plenty to discover here.
Tunnel of Cheese Includes: Torta Rufino, Goat Cheese from Badaoiz, Blue Cheese from Cantabria & Asturias
Of course the Tunnel of Wine’s natural pairing is the Tunnel of Cheese. 50 specialty artisan cheeses were there for the tasting, grouped according to whether they came from Cow, Goat, or Sheep’s milks, and graded according to strength. The range was stunning, and standout items included a Torta Rufino, a runny Goat cheese from Badaoiz, and two blue cheeses, Francisco Campo and Cueva Teyedu from Cantabria and Asturias. The great joy of a fair like this the ability to taste a wide variety of products from all over the country without having to do the travelling.
Nacarii Spanish Caviar
At an event of this size there are always products that seem stranger than fiction. Spanish Cariar? Every year the Nacarii company brings 12,000 Sturgeon minnows from fish farms to pools in the Garona River in the Pyrenees. When they are 3 years old, the best females are selected for caviar production and, after a further 3 years, the eggs are extracted. According to top chef Gordon Ramsey, farmed caviar is just as good as its free range cousin, and also helps prevent the extinction of wild Sturgeon. The Nacarii product is wildly popular, but not cheap at around 200 Euro for 100g.
Paquito Chocolate Ham
Even weirder are the products from Paquito. Their sausage sized pieces of ham come encased in a variety of exotic coatings including Curry, Pistachio, Mint, Banana and Pepper. The strangest is Chocolate and, according to their publicity, incredible with a glass of sweet sherry. Perhaps that was the reason it was difficult to get beyond the first bite but then it was facing stiff competition from the unadulterated ham from the other exhibitors. Maybe Spain is so far advanced in culinary taste that the world is not yet ready for it...
Rupert Parker - Rupert Parker is journalist, photographer, cameraman and TV Producer. He specializes in factual programming and has worked for the BBC, ...
