“The local cuisine is predominantly traditional. Its gastronomic delights range from typical farm dishes to the delicious arroz con costra (rice with egg crust)”

Cocido con pelotas (stew with meatballs), migas (breadcrumbs), arroz de los tres puñaos (rice with lentils, beans and egg), altabellacos (a dish made with cod, vegetables and saffron), cucurrones (small balls of pastry), gachasmigas (a variant on migas), trigo picao (wheat stew), callos (tripe), gypsy stew (stew with pulses, vegetables and fruit), guisado de albóndigas (spicy meatball stew), various kinds of vegetable stew, arroz clarico (rice with vegetables and white beans), rice with vegetables, rabbit, etc…

Orihuela’s gastronomic offer consists of a great variety of country dishes. The high quality of the local cold meats is also worth mentioning: Several types of black pudding including verano, onion, picaro, morcon (large black pudding), blanco (high quality chorizos), longaniza blanca, longaniza roja (white and red cured sausages). Salted fish dishes are a typical local starter and include striped tunny, wind dried tuna, roe and tuna.

On the coast, fish is the star ingredient, and visitors can try dishes such as caldero (sticky rice), arroz a banda (fish stock-based rice dish), seafood paella, mullet, gilt-head bream baked in salt, as well as roasted or simply grilled fish.

In addition to a wide range of seasonal fruit, desserts include some excellent local pastry dishes. Although there are a few new bakeries in the area, most local bakeries still make their products following traditional methods that, to a great extent, date back to Arabic rule.

These traditions have remained in the most pure form within the convents, where exquisite marzipan glories, zamarras, chatos, pezuñas, valarinos, egg yolk cakes, almojabanas (rice flour fritters), etc… may still be bought.