The Murcian huerta
Thanks to the mild climate, the Murcia region is one of the oldest settlement areas in Europe. Archaeological finds and Greek travel reports testify to four Iberian tribes that populated the region. Later, Greeks and Phoenicians founded trading settlements on the coast and inland. They exported natural products and silver from the mines of Murcia.
Cartagena, founded by the Carthaginians, was the busiest port on the Mediterranean at the time of the Punic Wars, before the beginning of our era.
Under Roman rule, fishing and agriculture developed into the pillars of Murcia's economy. Even then, the chefs took advantage of the geographical and climatic division of the region: the waters of the Costa Calida, the 'warm coast', provided the ingredients for the popular herb sauce garum, which was exported to all corners of the Roman Empire. Olive and fig orchards were planted on the fertile lands on the Rio Segura and in the arid, mountainous hinterland grapes were grown for the heavy wines that were already internationally renowned.
The Arabs conquered the area in the mid-8th century. They introduced the irrigation system, which is still partly intact, and which turned the hot, arid region into a flourishing horticultural area.
The population explosion at the beginning of the 20th century led, as in so many regions of Europe, to a massive migration of landless workers to the cities in Murcia. During the Civil War of the 1930s, an attempt at land reform came to nothing. What remained – poor farmers and a hard existence – is not least reflected in the culinary traditions: a Mediterranean poor man's kitchen dominates here, based on many different excellent products: vegetables from the interior, fish and shellfish from the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor, game and wine from the hinterland. The fruits and techniques brought by the Arabs have been incorporated into the regional cuisine.
The huerta murciana: vegetable garden of Spain
The Romans constructed irrigation systems for their lands, on which they grew figs, olives and grain. Arabs arrived in the country from the 8th century. They perfected the irrigation systems with channels and paddle wheels, managed to divert the water to the higher dry fields and introduced previously unknown types of fruit and vegetables: citrus fruits, almonds, aubergines and rice.
After the Moors were expelled, the plantations were divided into plots, which were given to immigrants from northern Spain. Gradually a colorful carpet of orchards and vegetable gardens emerged. These minifundios, patches of land of up to 1 hectare, still exist on the banks of the Segura and the Guadalentín and, just as in the past, people in the huerta live on fruit all year round. Cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, figs, pomegranates, quinces, pears, apples and almonds sustain the residents of the huerta from April to November and oranges between December and March. The Huertanos also grow vegetables and legumes and pickle them themselves.
As in the neighboring horticultural areas of Valencia, almost 80% of production goes to Central Europe. Thanks to modern technology, the irrigated area has doubled in the past thirty years. The farmers can cultivate their land all year round and harvest up to four times a year. There is rarely a fixed crop rotation: people adapt to the demands of the market. Since the establishment of the first cannery on the Rio Grande in 1886, this branch of industry has experienced enormous growth. Around Murcia there are now approximately 75 companies involved in the preservation of fruit and vegetables. The sales channels created by the agricultural industry also ensure small family businesses of yields that are far above the national average.
Alcaparras (capers)
Capers are the heart-shaped flower buds of the shrub Capparis spinosa. This beautiful plant grows wild in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It nests in crevices in rocks and walls. In Murcia, buds, stems and ultimately fruits are picked from the caper bush from the end of May to the beginning of October.
De roze en witte bloempjes gaan ’s morgens vroeg open en zijn ’s middags al afgestorven. De bloempjes in de knop moeten met de hand geplukt worden. Dezelfde dag nog legt men ze voor twee maanden in gezouten water. De herkenbare zure smaak ontwikkelt zich echter pas als de kappertjes daarna in wijnazijn gelegd worden. De knopjes komen gesorteerd op grootte in de handel – ingelegd in potjes of flessen of droog, gezouten en los. Net als voor andere ingelegde groenten geldt voor kappertjes dat de kleinste de fijnste zijn: ze zijn geuriger en dus duurder. In Murcia verwerkt men kappertjes zelden in gerechten: men eet ze er meestal naast, als pikant bijgerecht. Op tafel staat altijd een schaaltje met augurken, paprika en kappertjes in het zuur.
Rice from Calasparra
Around Calasparra, in the flood area of the Rio Segura, the only rice in Spain with a protected designation of origin grows: Denominación de Origen (D.O.). The rice owes its fame to the special ecological conditions and the special way in which the crop is grown. The pure and fresh water at an altitude of 450 m slows down the ripening of the grain, which improves the quality of the rice. In addition, crop rotation is practiced to preserve the mineral wealth of the soil. In a two-year cycle, rice (May to October), wheat (November to June) and legumes (July to April) follow each other. The foliage of the legumes is plowed under after harvest to serve as natural fertilizer for the rice. In Calasparra the rice varieties Balilla x Sollana and Bomba are grown.
The grains of the latter are naturally dry and therefore require cooking longer and in more water than other rice. They swell to three times their original volume. They remain molten yet firm long after cooking. The Balilla x Sollana variety has similar properties and, unlike the peeled, white Bomba, is also available as brown rice (arroz integral) and as organic brown rice (integral de cultivo ecologico). The latter is grown without fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and insecticides and processed without chemicals.
The rice growers of Calasparra had to fight for a long time for the designation Denominación de Origen for their low production (2,500 tons per year), because large associations such as the rice producers of Valencia and the Ebro delta saw their reputation threatened.
In 1986, the designation that guarantees the consumer the origin and quality of the product was finally granted. The inspection service Consejo Regulador provides producers within the D.O. of numbered labels and subjects both the cultivation and processing of the rice to strict controls.
Tomatoes
The tomato came to Europe from Peru and Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century and for a long time attracted attention only as an ornamental plant. In 1544, the Italians first described the new fruit from overseas as a 'golden apple' (pommo d'oro), because the fruits were yellow - and as small as cherry tomatoes. The Spanish adopted the Aztec name tomato.
It was not until the 20th century that the tomato was widely used as a food.
In sun-drenched Spain, where various irrigation techniques have been used for centuries, the conditions for tomato cultivation are ideal. Production is approximately 2.5 million tons per year.
In addition to bush tomatoes, which take on a slightly salty taste near the sea, stick tomatoes are grown, which have a milder taste. The first is processed into sauces, purees and juice; the slightly mealy beef tomatoes are mainly used for salads. The round tomato is versatile, can be easily combined and gives garnishes a beautiful color. The juicy sweet and sour plum tomato is suitable for soup and the cherry or sugar tomatoes mainly serve as a garnish, but also taste delicious.
In August, tomato month, rural women still cook mountains of tomatoes into sofrito. This mixture of tomato, onion and garlic is placed in large pots and serves as a basis for all kinds of sauces, rice and one-pot dishes. Ripe tomatoes have an intense aroma and high nutritional value. They are rich in vitamin C and contain a lot of carotene. The human body can only absorb this in combination with fat and it is therefore advisable to add some oil to every tomato dish.
Salads
How natural Spanish cuisine is is especially evident from all the delicious food that appears fresh on the table: as a salad. The warm weather and many hours of sunshine in the south promote the early ripening and excellent quality of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other vitamin sources. They are harvested when ripe for the regional market, when they develop their full aroma. The best example of a modern salad is the popular ensalada mixta of fresh lettuce, large pieces of sun-ripened tomatoes and sharp onion rings, and a handful of olives. Red and green peppers are often eaten as a 'fried salad' (ensalada asada). The peppers are then preferably braised over a wood fire in a dish with some rosemary and thyme for at least an hour. The fragrant juice they secrete later serves as a basis for the marinade, in which oil, vinegar, salt and garlic are added.
Spain now grows almost a million tons of green lettuce varieties (lechugas) per year on 37,000 hectares, most of it in Murcia. New varieties are constantly being developed and cultivation, harvesting and transport techniques are constantly being improved. Romaine lettuce (lechuga romana) and lettuce and iceberg lettuce (lechugas acogollades) are the most common. With the choice, the desire to experiment also increased.
In Spain, salads are not just a side dish. They are served as a separate course and in summer also as a main course. They are usually prepared with cold-pressed olive oil, some lemon juice or vinegar and a pinch of salt. According to a Spanish saying, it takes four people to make lettuce: the spendthrift adds oil and the miserly vinegar, the wise sprinkles salt and the fool mixes everything together.