Food Capital of Spain 2022: Sanlucar de Barrameda in Cadiz
Since 2012 there has been a competition, and every year there is a different food capital of Spain. The 2022 food capital of Spain is Sanlucar de Barrameda. Sanlucar de Barrameda has incredible gastronomy which includes, but is not limited to, manzanilla, sherry and seafood. Sanlúcar is a foodie destination of excellence that always has, as protagonists, its fresh products from the sea and the manzanilla among other things.
Among the best known delicacies are seafood salpicón, seafood rice, fish soup and langoustines/prawns. All these are culinary legacies passed from the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and other civilizations.
Below I will be talking about each of the culinary specialties and why Sanlucar is the new food capital in Spain.
Manzanilla of Sanlucar de Barrameda
This is really the gem of Sanlucar. They can age sherries as it is within the sherry triangle, but Sanlucar is the only place in the world to age Manzanilla. Manzanilla is what a fino would be in Jerez de la Frontera and Puerto de Santa Maria but as it ages in Sanlucar they call it manzanilla. Manzanilla is slightly different because of the location of Sanlucar. Sanlucar’s climate is very mild and very humid thanks to the Atlantic, the Guadalquivir river and nearby wetlands.
If you want to read more about sherry and manzanilla please click here. Moreover, if you are interested in knowing about the types of sherry and manzanilla please click here.
If you already know manzanilla and love it as I do, please click here to see some of my favourites.
Seafood of Sanlucar de Barrameda Cadiz
The other thing that makes Sanlucar de Barrameda the food capital of Spain is for sure langoustines. The langoustines of Sanlucar are unique with a blue tail and bigger than some langoustine species. You can only find them in Sanlucar because they spend their whole life around the mouth of the Guadalquivir river and a little higher up. You can fish it all year around but it is more common around spring and the fall.
However, langoustines are not the only thing you will find here. The rest of the seafood is incredibly fresh, coming from the Atlantic or even the esteros nearby. If you are interested in the esteros watch this TED talk video.
Many more seafood plates of Sanlucar are incredible. As in other sea areas of Spain, in Sanlucar they enjoy the fish and seafood called “fish to discard”. It happened years ago with the scarlet shrimps (carabineros), and today it is a luxury product. The same thing is happening today with the mantis shrimp, seafood that has always driven the Sanluqueños crazy, and that outside our borders they called the “second-rate Norway lobster” or the “seafood of the poor”. Similarly, there are many other examples. One person trying to show the value of these “fish to discard” is Angel Leon whose restaurant has 3 Michelin stars.
You can eat the seafood in many ways. But the most common are fried, fresh or with rice.
Navazos vegetables in Sanlucar de Barrameda
This is another great reason why Sanlucar de Barrameda is the new food capital of Spain and a foodie destination. Its famous potatoes grow in the navazos but any vegetables or fruits can grow in this way. In fact the tomatoes that grow in the navazos are insanely good!
The navazos is a way to grow crops. In Sanlucar they grow vegetables near the sea, under the sea level so the plants take the salted water and you can taste the saltiness and freshness in the organic food products. You can eat the tomatoes straight from the plant and the flavour is super tasty and does not even need salt.
Sherry wine tours in Cadiz province
Thank you so much for reading this blog about the new food capital of Spain, Sanlucar de Barrameda. If you are looking for Sherry wine experiences to taste and understand the types of sherry wine even better, contact us. We do cultural and culinary experiences throughout Cadiz province. I will now take advantage to show off to you the great food tours in Cadiz province that we do. Officially, Vejer de la Frontera is one of the most beautiful villages of Spain, you should come and meet us!
Sherry wine tours
Join my Ultimate Sherry wine Tasting tour within Jerez-Sherry-Xeres D.O. and Manzanilla, and learn the full sherry process from the vineyard to your glass. Enjoy the best Sherry bodega tours, local culture and traditions and the local gastronomy. In case you don’t have a car we can arrange transport, restaurant and the rest of your trip for you. We can design a private tour just for you and your family.
Please watch the next video to see what do we do in the sherry winery tour:
If you are staying in Vejer de la Frontera or within Cadiz province we can organise a private Sherry wine tasting with local gourmet tapas for your group. We will go to your place and do a Sherry wine or Andalusian wine tasting for you privately. Each sherry wine will pair with a local food tapa. We can focus on premium Sherries; a mix of VORS and premium Sherries; or Andalusian wines in case you do not like Sherry wine.
Our sherry & tapas tour in Cadiz or Vejer de la Frontera is always a good hit! Learn about 5 different sherry wines (from dry to sweet), wine tastings, and how to pair it with gourmet traditional food from the area. The tour includes 5 gourmet tapas and 5 wine/Sherries.
Sherry wine love is very contagious, surely you will also become a sherry lover! There are many alternatives and we can mix, hiking with sherry, olive oil mill with sherry or even white town with a sherry tasting. Please do not
Contact us
If you are a foodie and want to learn more about sherry, culture and travel guides, please hit the big blue button to read other blog posts. If you have any ideas and suggestions, please do not hesitate to write us an email at info@explorelatierra.com. Please read our privacy policy before you get in touch with us. We will take your new recommendations into consideration.
