Asturian cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients found in the cuisine of the

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

region of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Foods

Asturias is especially known for its seafood, such as fresh

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are ref ...

and

sea bass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European ...

Salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...

are caught in Asturian rivers, notably the Sella; the first fish of the season is called ''campanu'' (Bable word for ''campana''), a bell tolled to signal the first catch.

Bread

Spelt Spelt (''Triticum spelta''), also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, is a species of wheat that has been cultivated since approximately 5000 BC. Spelt was an important staple food in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times. N ...

bread (pan d'escanda) is very traditional. Formigos are some kind of French toasts made with crumbled bread and eggs. Bollos preñaos are buns filled with ''chorizo''. Some kind of pancakes called frixuelos, similar to Galician filloas, are typical as dessert. We also find specialties made with

cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...

, such as boroña (round loaf of hard bread), the ''fariñes'', farrapes or ''papes'' (cornmeal porridge), the ''rapa'' (similar to boroña with pieces of bacon inside the dough) and tortos (cornmeal flatbread).

Fruits, vegetables and legumes

The most common legume in Asturian cuisine is beans ("fabes"), the main element in the iconic fabada stew, one of the most well-know Asturian dishes, apart from other dishes such as beans and clams ( fabes con amasueles). Another rich stew is pote asturianu, with cabbage, potatoes, beans and pork products. Turnips are found in ''pote de nabos'' (turnip stew), a typical winter dish, just as

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelated ...

in the more humble ''pote de castañes'' (chestnut stew). Green beans, peas, potatoes, peppers, cawliflower and other vegetables are also common. Mushrooms from the Asturian forests are also found, such as fairy ring mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, parasol mushrooms... Among fruits,

apples An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

are most important (an indispensable element for making Asturian

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...

, there being several autochthonous varieties). Cherries, strawberries and figs (such as ''figos miguelinos'') are also quite typical, as well as chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.

Cheeses

Asturian cheeses, especially

Cabrales Cabrales is a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias, northwestern Spain. It is situated between the Sierra de Cuera and the Picos de Europa, and is a region famous for its Cabrales cheese. Important towns within the municipa ...

, are also famous throughout Spain and beyond; Cabrales is known for its pungent odour and strong flavour. Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" (''el pais de los quesos'') due to the product's diversity and quality in this region. Other famous cheeses are: *

Afuega'l pitu Afuega'l pitu is an unpasteurised cow's milk cheese from Asturias, one of four Asturian cheeses (the others being Cabrales, Gamonedo cheese, and Casín cheese) to have been recognized with Protected Designation of Origin'' (''Denominación de O ...

* *

Casín cheese Casín cheese ( es, queso Casin)is a Spanish cheese made in the Principality of Asturias. Its name is covered by a protected designation of origin (PDO). It is made from full-fat, unpasteurized cows' milk from specific breeds, namely Asturian Mou ...

Gamonéu cheese Gamonéu cheese (Spanish: ''Queso de Gamonéu'' or ''Queso de Gamonedo''. Asturian: ''Quesu Gamonéu'') is a fatty Spanish cheese made in certain parts of the Principality of Asturias. Taking its name from the village of Gamonéu where it was ori ...

*La Peral cheese

Dishes

The most famous regional dish is fabada Asturiana, a rich

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables a ...

made with the Asturian typical large white

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

s ('' fabes de la Granja''),

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

shoulder (''llacón''), morcilla,

chorizo Chorizo (, from Spanish ; similar to but distinct from Portuguese ) is a type of pork cured meat originating from the Iberian Peninsula. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked meat, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, ...

, and

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...

(''azafrán''). Other major dishes include beans with

clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two shel ...

s ('' fabes con almejas''), Asturian stew, '' Cachopo'', '' frixuelos'', and

rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such ...

Beverages

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

groves foster the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a natural

(''sidra''). It is a very dry cider, and unlike French or English natural ciders, uses predominantly acidic apples, rather than sweet or bittersweet. The proportions are: acidic 40%, sub-acidic 30-25%, sweet 10-15%, bittersweet 15-20%, bitter 5%.Museo de la Sidra, Nava (Asturias), Spain. Sidra is traditionally poured in by an expert server (or ''escanciador''): the bottle is raised high above his or her head to oxygenate the brew as it moves into the glass below. The glass is also held at a slight angle. A small amount (~120ml) is poured at a time (called a "culín"), as it must be drunk immediately before the sidra loses its carbonation. Any sidra left in the glass is poured onto a woodchip-strewn floor or a trough along the bottom of the bar.

References

{{Authority control