Side, Snack, Appetizer

Aceite de la Rioja

Extra virgin olive oil made using arbequina, empeltre, redondilla and ten other olive varieties, from logrono, la rioja, spain

Main

Almejas en salsa verde

Clams in green sauce

Dessert, Sweet

Arrope

Grape syrup is a condiment made with concentrated grape juice. it is thick and sweet because of its high ratio of sugar to water. grape syrup is made by boiling grapes, removing their skins, squeezing them through a sieve to extract the juice, and adding sugar. like other fruit syrups, a common use of grape syrup is as a topping to sweet cakes, such as pancakes or waffles.

Main

Bacalao al pil pil

Basque salt cod dish with pil pil sauce, an emulsion made from cod gelatine and olive oil

Main

Calamares en su tinta

Squid stewed in its own ink

Main

Caparrones

Caparrones is a spanish stew made of caparrón, a variety of red kidney bean, and a spicy sausage chorizo, both of which are local specialties of the spanish la rioja region. the shape of caparrón bean is shorter and rounder than common red kidney beans. the stew is regarded as one of the most important dishes in riojan cooking.its cultural importance in the region can be compared to asturian fabada. caparrones are associated with strength, as well as with flatulence. there are some restaurants and inns in la rioja that take this name (mesón los caparrones, etc.). this plant is widely cultivated in groves around la rioja, and the most famous are from anguiano where a yearly festival is held honoring these beans.rods obtained from branches of trees like poplar or bushes like elder and used for guiding the plant's growth are called palos de caparrón (caparrón staves). these staves are saved from one year to another tied in bunches called gavillas. there are also some varieties of caparrones called sin palo (without a stave) because they do not grow very tall and so do not require artificial support.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chorizo Riojano

Horseshoe-shaped chorizo made with pork, paprika, salt and garlic, stuffed in natural pork casings, from alesón, la rioja, spain

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coliflor de Calahorra

Cauliflower grown in rioja baja, calahorra, la rioja, spain

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Esparragos blancos

White asparagus

Dessert, Sweet

Goxua

Goxua (which means "sweet" in basque) is a typical dessert from the basque country, especially from vitoria-gasteiz. gasteiz pastry chef luis lopez de sosoaga claims to have first created the dessert in 1977. although its invention is popularly attributed to the pastry chef from vitoria luis lópez de sosoaga, the pastry chef from mirandese alberto bornachea affirms that goxua was invented by his father trying to copy the catalan cream, baptizing the resulting dessert as cazuelita.

Drink

Grenache

Grenache () or garnacha (ipa: [ɡaɾˈnatʃa]) is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. it ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in spain, where the grape most likely originated. it is also grown in the italian island of sardinia, the south of france, australia, and california's monterey ava and san joaquin valley. it is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate and produces wine with a relatively high alcohol content, but it needs careful control of yields for best results. characteristic flavor profiles on grenache include red fruit flavors (raspberry and strawberry) with a subtle, white pepper spice note. grenache wines are highly prone to oxidation, with even young examples having the potential to show browning (or "bricking") coloration that can be noticed around the rim when evaluating the wine at an angle in the glass. as grenache ages the wines tend to take on more leather and tar flavors. wines made from grenache tend to lack acid, tannin and color, and it is often blended with other varieties such as syrah, carignan, tempranillo, and cinsaut. in spain, there are monovarietal wines made of garnacha tinta (red grenache), notably in the southern aragon wine regions of calatayud, carinena and campo de borja, but it is also used in blends, as in some rioja wines with tempranillo. grenache is the dominant variety in most southern rhône wines, especially in châteauneuf-du-pape, where it is typically over 80% of the blend. in australia it is typically blended in "gsm" blends with syrah (commonly known as shiraz in that country) and mourvèdre with old vine examples in mclaren vale. in italy, the sardinian d.o.c. wine cannonau di sardegna is by law 90% local grenache (cannonau in sardinian). grenache is also used to make rosé wines in france and spain, notably those of the tavel district in the côtes du rhône and those of the navarre region. and the high sugar levels of grenache have led to extensive use in fortified wines, including the red vins doux naturels of roussillon such as banyuls, and as the basis of most australian fortified wine.

Dessert, Sweet

Guirlache

Almond and hazelnut brittle, other nuts are used as well

Drink

Kalimotxo

The calimocho or kalimotxo (basque pronunciation: [ka.li.mo.tʃo], spanish pronunciation: [ka.li.ˈmo.tʃo]) is a drink consisting of equal parts red wine and cola-based soft drink. the concoction dates back to the 1920s in spain, but was relatively uncommon as coca-cola was not manufactured in the country at that time. the first coca-cola factory opened in spain in 1953, and the drink was "reborn" and given its current name in 1972. it has since become a classic of the basque country region, in large part due to its simple mixture, accessibility of ingredients, and cheap cost.

Main

Kokotxa

Hake or cod cheek or throat meat, used in kokotxas (basque fish stew), served in salsa verde sauce

Main

Patatas a la importancia

A casserole made with fried potato slices and a sauce with garlic, onion, chicken broth, wine

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Patatas a la riojana

Rioja style soup of potatoes and chorizo

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Peras de Rincón de Soto

Blanquilla and conference pears grown in ebro valley, rincón de soto, la rioja, spain

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pil pil

Sauce made with fish or seafood, olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, herbs and spices, used with cod (bacalao al pil pil), fish, prawns

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pimiento Riojano

Capsicum annuum l. peppers of the najerano variety grown in logroño, la rioja, spain

Main

Txangurro

The majoidea are a superfamily of crabs which includes the various spider crabs.

Drink

Zurracapote

Alcoholic punch, similar to sangria