Food in Algorfa
- Wine tip: Spanish wines are graded by the length of time they have been aged, the best wines carry gran reserve labels; these have been aged both in oak and in the bottle
- Food tip: When buying food in supermarkets and local stores, look out for denominacion de Origen on speciality goods, this certifies their authenticity and is a good indication of quality.
Eating out in Algorfa
Rice dishes are popular in Algorfa, particularly arroz y costra. It's similar to paella, but baked in a deep clay dish with an outer crust of egg. You'll also find stews everywhere, turkey being the favourite ingredient. We would be remiss not to mention the area's multitude of pork sausages, which are divine.
Thanks to sitting in the fertile Segura Valley, you'll be assaulted with by dishes laden with fresh vegetables from its fertile fields - huertana paella (vegetable paella) is one such specialty.
Coastal Dining
As you'd imagine, if you head down to the coast at Torrevieja, meals there feature fresh fish and seafood. Popular appetisers range from pulpo seco (dried octopus) and calamar de potera (squid) to sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish ) and boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar). The perfect liquid treat to accompany some of these starters is paloma, an aniseed liqueur served with water and ice.
Another very traditional appetiser on the Costa Blanca is salted fish. Look out for mojama (salted tuna), empanadas de mero (fish pasties) and coca de sardinas (an open sardine tart). If Torrevieja is known for any dish, it's caldero. This fish stew can be prepared with numerous cuts of fish, like la gallina, el gallo, lecha, araña and salmonetes, and is always accompanied with a bed of rice cooked in the fish stock.
Other indigenous dishes to the area are arroz a banda (another fish stew), arroz a pésoles (rice with peas) and fresh anchovies prepared with garlic and artichokes. Pulpo (octopus) and atún (tuna) are popular ingredients in many Torreviejan meals.
