Terrateig

Terrateig
Municipality
Coat of arms
Terrateig Location in Spain
Coordinates: 38°53′39″N 0°19′14″W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Valencian Community
Province	Valencia
Comarca	Vall d'Albaida
Judicial district	Ontinyent
Government
• Mayor	Silvia Ferrer Rocher
Area
• Total	6.3 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
Elevation	250 m (820 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	280
• Density	44/km2 (120/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Terrategí, terrategina
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	46842
Official language(s)	Valencian
Website	Official website

Terrateig (Valencian pronunciation: [teraˈtetʃ]) is a municipality in the comarca of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community, Spain.

Cuisine

In Terrateig, as in the rest of the Central Counties, the cuisine is as varied as the landscape. For centuries, the slopes of the mountains have been terraced and almond, olive, cherry, and fig trees have been planted. On the riverbank and the foothills of the mountains with a lot of work, dams and ditches were built. Aubergines, broad beans, Swiss chard, turnips, artichokes, pumpkins, year-round melons, Alger melons were grown in family gardens... And later, in the 15th century, tomatoes, corn and potatoes arrived from overseas. Cereals, vines and fruit trees were cultivated in the rainfed plains. The meat would be provided by the corrals and the sierra. The fish would come in the form of salt from the coast. Sugar was sold by the residents of La Safor, who also sweetened half of Europe.

The origin of the traditional cuisine of Terrateig would have a Mediterranean base influenced by Arab (and Moorish) cuisine and with the potential that the arrival of the Crown of Aragon meant.

Over time, the wisdom of the chefs made the kitchen adapt to our needs and to the changes that have been taking place. Despite the fact that the cuisine of the Vall de l´Albaida is a varied, popular and interesting cuisine, it is, at the same time, a cuisine that is going backwards. The new generations are turning their backs on it and only a few restaurateurs decisively offer a representative sample of dishes on their menus. Although it is necessary to mention the experimental spirit of some restaurateurs (who use traditional ingredients and flavors as the basis of their cuisines, giving them more suggestive textures and presentations), it will be necessary to wait a few years to know if this type of cuisine does not disappear.

We have many kinds of edible or mengivole herbs. Cama-roges, conillets,borratges, rosselles are an example of wild plants with which fried vegetable cakes are still made today.

There is no shortage of soupy or mellow rice dishes: with rabbit and/or pork, pork and/or chicken accompanied by turnips, Swiss chard, beans, broad beans, artichokes...

The dry rice in paella is prepared with broad beans, spring garlic and artichokes, with rabbit and pork ribs, or with chicken, rabbit and snap beans...

If you are lucky and you come during the hunting season, join a group of hunters as an assistant. They will give you four secrets to make a good paella. They add mushrooms, wild rabbit or hare, a splash of cognac and a sprig of rosemary at the end.

If you are curious and you like to delve into the collective memory of the town, you will try such ancient dishes as "baked rice", "baked wheat semolina in a casserole" and "chopped wheat".

The pastry has a strong Arab influence. Very sweet cakes such as “arrop i talladetes” or “les anous i rovells al fondant”. Almond cakes, sweet potato cakes, almoixàvenes, celestial cokes, gypsy arms, carquinyols (rosegosns), llanda cokes, fogasses or the poorest pasta: els negocis.