The 10 essential flavours of Asturian gastronomy

Asturias can be enjoyed with all five senses. At first sight, its physical attraction is striking. Its untamed nature is a feast for the ear. Its animal, vegetable and mineral textures stimulate your touch. Their aromas constantly seduce you and their flavours excite your taste to the sublime.

For this reason, one of the many trips you make when you are in Asturias is the gastronomic one. There are many flavours, between dishes and experiences, that you can enjoy with all five senses in the Natural Paradise.

Here are 10 flavours that we consider essential on your route to train your sense of taste the Asturian way!

Asturias has a lot to say in the history of the spoon. Because this ancient and historic utensil is one of the most widely used for tasting great dishes that are very characteristic of this land, such as fabada, one of those totemic stews that you have to try no matter what time of year you visit this natural paradise.

Of course, not forgetting pots in their different forms or seafood stews, to cite just a few notable examples of the skill with which the spoon is used in Asturian cuisine.

And if you are thirsty or want to refresh yourself in the most natural way, there is no better remedy than Asturias cider, which, when well poured (poured into the glass with your arm raised), becomes a real delicacy with hints of apple (where it comes from).

Also, bear in mind that among the many healthy qualities of Asturian cider is the fact that it goes with almost everything: fish, seafood, stews, meats, sausages, cheeses, cachopo... and a long etcetera of gastronomic delights to the taste of the most varied and demanding consumers.

It is always said that Asturias is the first cheese-making region in Europe, because it has more than fifty cheeses produced as in the past, which, given its surface area, is a great deal, both in terms of quality and quantity.

The range of cheeses is tasty, abundant and very nutritious, and some of them have an international name and brand, such as Cabrales, Gamonéu, Afuelga'l Pitu, Casín or Beyos.

They are perfect as a starter or dessert, or as a snack. And they are one of the most prized goods that you can buy in the many entertaining markets held in this kingdom of artisan cheeses that is Asturias.

Paraphrasing the nursery rhyme that says 'at the bottom of the sea matarile, rile, rile...', we could sing and tell that there are the keys to all the flavour of the Bay of Biscay, represented by the richest and most varied fish and shellfish: Sea bass, bugre (lobster), pixin (monkfish), andarica (crab), sea bream, ñocla (crab), clam, llámpara (limpet), oricio (sea urchin) or white tuna, among a very large list of delicacies, masterfully cooked, both in the traditional way and with an innovative touch.

All year round Asturias tastes like the sea and your palate will instantly appreciate it!

One of the most celebrated flavours by lovers of good food is that of Asturian veal, which is the essence of a thousand different recipes where the exceptional quality of this product, so Asturian and so versatile from a culinary point of view, is evident.

The purity of the autochthonous breeds and the quality of the pastures is a perfect combination to make Asturian veal one of the best you can taste. And of course, it is a very healthy option that goes well with garden, forest or sea products, and with recipes that range from the simplicity of tradition to the sophistication of the avant-garde.

In any of the possible ways, the Asturian veal will taste like glory...!

The pig, gochu in Asturian, has always been a 'home' animal, and its rearing in the villages and subsequent slaughter gave rise - through traditional methods - to exquisite and nutritious sausages and dishes.

This succulent tradition is maintained in rural Asturias, and that is why in restaurants, restaurants and cider houses you will find dishes linked to the excellence of the gochu, of which in Asturias it is said that "even the feet are used".

Tripe, minced pork, pork loin or boreoña preñada, among other delicacies, are the protagonists of menus and gastronomic days that are held in different parts of Asturias.

Moreover, for several years now, the gochu asturcelta - an autochthonous breed - has been the raw material for some recipes in which gastronomic innovation is a priority.

Asturian sausages go well at any time of the day: as a tapa, as a starter, as a snack, as a unique dish... Tasty, varied, nutritious and easy to pair, Asturian sausages always enrich any recipe in which they are present.

The map of Asturian sausages is very complete and all areas of Asturias have their particular icons: longaniza sausage in Avilés, chosco in Tineo, butiello and andoya in the southwest of Asturias, sabadiego in Noreña, emberzáu in the east of Asturias, chorizo and black pudding....

So you'll have to try these traditional delicacies that make any menu shine!

With the literary echo of Federico García Lorca's sleepwalking romance that begins "Verde que te quiero verde", you will realise that Asturias, as well as being green, is sweet, very sweet as far as gastronomy is concerned.

In the towns and villages, the confectionery shops are a real spectacle, and when you go out to eat, a homemade sweet, made according to grandmothers' recipes, is never missing as the finishing touch to a good menu...

Among the most famous and celebrated dishes in Asturian confectionery is the famous rice pudding, which goes very well, for example, as a dessert after a good fabada; the frixuelos which, although typical of carnival or antroxu time, are prepared all year round, in different versions, and of course the casadielles, which fit in at any time - in desserts, at a picnic or at coffee time -.

So the motto of Asturias could be something like "dulce que te quiero dulce" at all times...!

The cachopo is currently a rising value, being one of the recipes that, without losing its essence - good breaded fillets of veal with ham and cheese in the form of a booklet - is experiencing an unprecedented creative explosion in the Natural Paradise.

There are more than a hundred varieties and more are being born. And the fact is that the Asturian raw material is perfect for this great culinary invention: Asturian beef, Tineo hams, Asturian artisan cheeses, mushrooms, peppers... And even, taking the classic cachopo as a source of culinary inspiration, the veal is replaced by fish and shellfish from the Bay of Biscay...

Cachopo is much more than a fashionable dish. It really sums up the excellence of Asturian produce and the innovative capacity of those at the cooker... Oh, and something very important, it's ideal for sharing!

The great natural and wooded area of the south-west of Asturias is, due to its microclimate, a land of vineyards. Since the Middle Ages, the lands of Cangas del Narcea, Allande, Grandas de Salime, Illano, Pesoz and Ibias have been producing wine.

With the passing of time, what was once a completely artisanal wine and for domestic consumption in the majority of cases, has undergone an important transformation, especially in recent decades. Today, Cangas Wine is a P.D.O. that is experiencing a happy moment, with more and more implantation every day, and with a select variety of wines, both reds and whites that, without a doubt, are already one of the unavoidable tastes when you visit Asturias.

As with cider, Cangas wine goes perfectly with Asturian raw materials, whether meat, fish, seafood, cheese, cold meats, etc.

As you will see, the flavours of Asturias are a friendly pairing!