Traditional Menu - María de Colón
Do you know what the best kept secret of Guadalest is?
Back in the 16th century a very special citizen, María de Colón, granddaughter of the renowned pioneer Christopher Columbus, walked through its streets. We do not know for sure how María ended up in this small town in Alicante, but we like to imagine that, as heiress to one of the most important adventurers in history, María inherited her grandfather's passion for adventure and travel, and that in one of her innumerable adventures, she passed through Guadalest and fell in love with the beauty of the valley and the imposing castle of San José, majestically crowning the top of the town's rock.
María was walking through Guadalest’s narrow streets when she met the man who would become the love of her life, the Marquis Sancho Folch de Cardona. The now restored Casa Orduña was where they lived and where they entertained the most illustrious and famous people of the time, delighting them with Alicante's culinary delights, made in their kitchens with fresh produce that the inhabitants of the valley passionately cultivated in local orchards and fields.
Many of the customs and culinary tastes of the time have endured to this day. Our streets keep the memory of the passage of time revealing a past and a history which revolves around our fields and our gastronomy. Nothing does more to help us appreciate the history and beauty of this Mediterranean mountain range than savouring some of our most traditional dishes, made with recipes and produce that have been proudly passed down from generation to generation, creating a link between its descendants that distorts the concept of time like the beginning of a good love story.
At Venta Guadalest we are very proud to offer you the opportunity to taste the most traditional cuisine of the Alicante lands because we believe that María would have liked to offer it to you, in her home, with the products of the orchards of the valley and the passion and discoveries of a great explorer.
Aperitives
Pericana
Is the most typical and traditional dish of the province of Alicante. Its ingredients mix with passion the elements that define the Mediterranean coast: dried peppers from its orchards, Capellán (a small variety of cod) from its sea, and oil from the olive trees of its rugged mountains. In the history of the Alicante mountains, this sauce has been ever present in the diet of shepherds and farmers because of its important nutritional value, and how easy it is to prepare, store and transport.
Mountain soup
Soups have long been present on every table, hot in winter, cool in summer and always characterised by their great nutritional value. Like the story of María, we know little about the history of this green soup. Perhaps it is an evolution of the Portuguese version, brought to our lands by some visitor or perhaps another adaptation of the famous Andalusian gazpacho. What we do know is that its freshness and flavour will leave you invigorated and refreshed.
Starter
Fresh tomato and cheese salad
In ancient Rome, the inhabitants ate cheese, especially goats cheese, seasoned with thyme, pepper, pine nuts and other nuts. Its production process was very similar to the one we use today and its consumption has been an important part of the diet of the Mediterranean coast and its mountains. Here, at Venta Guadalest, we offer you a cheese made by hand using cheesecloth, on slices of local tomato (the variety according to the season) and sprinkled with the oil of the centenary olive trees which grow in our valley - perhaps the same ones that were silent witnesses of the walks that María and Sancho offered their guests to enjoy the wonderful views of the Bay of Altea.
Main course
Charcuterie board
At every table, like that of Señor Marqués, the meat was the main focus. In the Middle Ages, the Muslim and Christian cultures found, in Guadalest, a place to coexist. The former, consumers of lamb and established since the 11th century, left their mark both in the kitchen and in the castle that dominates the silhouette of the town. The latter, by inheritance from the Roman Empire, left us the tradition of pig slaughter in the Winter months, a reason for celebration and family reunion. Venta Guadalest’s charcuterie board is a taste of our multicultural past, with sausages from here, made in the traditional artisanal way without preservatives.
Dessert
Maria's Secret
Chocolate and carob are two products deeply rooted in the history of the province of Alicante. The first, thanks to the small town of La Vila Joiosa, has been the centre of national chocolate production for several centuries, and the second, which, thanks to its multiple applications in food and its great energy stores and nutritional value, has been widely used as a food.