A different, delicious, and unforgettable gastro-tourism experience
After the excesses of the holiday season comes January, the month of the dietary artichoke par excellence, especially in Benicarló, which holds the only Protected Designation of Origin in our province.
Also called by the Arabs al-khursuf or “little tongues of earth,” it is an edible flower with countless health properties and an essential element of our world-renowned “Mediterranean Diet,” Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Through a gastro-tourism experience, we invite visitors to “peel back” all the layers of the Queen of Benicarló’s vegetable garden and embark on an evocative sensory journey through time to its origins: the Benicarló PGI Artichoke Tour. Will you join us?
Our imaginary journey begins in ancient Greece, where an old legend tells of a beautiful maiden named Cynara, with whom Zeus fell madly in love. The god decided to turn her into a goddess and take her with him to Olympus. But it was Cynara’s nostalgia that led her to escape from Olympus and return to her homeland, being punished in turn by Zeus to remain there eternally, transforming her into the first artichoke. Hence it retains its scientific name “Cynara Scolimus.”
We don’t know if the beautiful Cynara was violet or green, large or small, elongated or flattened, or which of the 20,000 existing species she would correspond to. But in Maestrat we prefer to imagine her as green in color, small in size and very compact and tight, with her characteristic dimple, of the variety known as “Blanca de Tudela,” and with a tender heart bursting with flavor.
Our journey has its next stop precisely in the sacred land where the farmer’s care and the sweetness of the unique climate by the sea allow its harmonious development. With the invaluable collaboration of a “garden alchemist” (also called a farmer), we will explore the stages of planting, formation, and countless curiosities about the artichoke…And we will pause at the harvest, identifying and selecting the best specimens from the particular “garden of green roses,” those that are ready to embark on the final journey to the most demanding palates.
Reaching the practical part of the experience, participants can feel like harvesters for a day with basket in hand, taking part in the harvest. But it will be at the countryside table where we will appreciate all the qualities and versatility of this vegetable by tasting an original themed appetizer: a spectacular artichoke skewer, paired with artisan artichoke beer.
