REGIONAL FOCUS


2021 edition of the Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal the region received its first Michelin star when Quatre Molins, a modern restaurant in Cornudella de Montsant, was rewarded.


Ebro River delta


Rafel Muria, the young chef behind Quatre Molins, is one of the new generation of chefs that Ruis refers to – trained in the highly acclaimed Hoffman culinary school, he took over the restaurant in 2018, aged 23. “El Priorat is a wonderful place, full of culture, wine and gastronomy – and so many parts to discover,” he said when the restaurant was awarded the Michelin star. “When we opened here, we weren’t thinking of achieving Michelin stars; we moved here with the region in mind, trying to add value with all the experience we have gained around the world over the years. Our idea was to elevate El Priorat to the gastronomic heights it deserves.” Another unpolished


gem in the region, with gastronomic treasures to reveal, is the Ebro River delta. The Ebro is Spain’s longest river, and its delta, where it meets the sea, has a unique soil formed from the sand and stones carried along its 800km course. This unique soil produces rice – especially, the round, white grain used in paella and other dishes.


Sophisticated food experiences The delta area, only populated since canals were built about 200 years ago, remains an area of outstanding beauty,


For more go to fcsi.org


“When we opened here, we weren’t thinking of achieving Michelin stars…. Our idea was to elevate El Priorat to the gastronomic heights it deserves”


dominated by the river and the food produced there. Apart from rice, the Delta is a leading mussel, eel and prawn producer. There’s a blossoming gastro tourism movement underway and visitors have the opportunity to take a boat to a mussel farm, set out in the sea, to observe how the mussels attach themselves to the


wooden poles that support a deck where tasting menus and cava are served.


The delta offers worldly seafood experiences; among them is the classic El Pescador “Marisqueria Angelina”, while Casa Nuri, just on the river bank, before the Ebro meets the sea, is an excellent place to share a fideua (a delicious noodle dish) or black rice with family and friends.


While millions of tourists descend on Barcelona, Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol beaches in the south, the Priorat-Delta region remains a culinary jewel awaiting discovery, highly appreciated by proud locals and those in the know. It’s unlikely to stay that way for long.


A HUB FOR OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION Like the vines covering Priorat, olive trees have been a mainstay crop here for thousands of years. Olive fields cover around 3,500 hectares, with the highly rated Arbequina variety planted on 95% of the land. It yields an average annual haul of 4,800 tons olives and 950,000 kilos of oil. Harvest takes place between November and February.


PRIORAT GASTRONOMIC DELICACIES Like most regions, Priorat has unique dishes on the menu unlikely to be found outside the area. Among the most significant is Truita amb Suc – an omelette made with beans and spinach and served with chunks of cod and covered in a tomato sauce.


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EAME


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