Requena sausage fair
rikiwigley
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Requena Sausage Fair 12-14 February 2010.
Valencia´s gastronomic year really takes off in a fortnights time with the Sausage Fair in Requena.
The 17th Exhibition of quality artesan made sausages and other meat products is one of the regions most popular as well. Organised by the Consejo Regulador de la Iniciacion Geografica Protegida ( C.R.I.G.P. ) the governing body this fair has recently been declared as a tourist interest for the Valencian Community.
The inauguration takes place on the evening of the 11th but the fair proper runs from 10-00am to 9-00pm the three following days. The fair consists of tastings of sausages and other meat products made by the 12 butchers who make up the organisation and all of whom must use pigs grown entirely within the geographically designated area to make their offerings. The products are also on sale at `popular´ prices and it is common to see people staggering under the weight of several carrier bags after the fair. In addition there will be tastings of other local products for which the Requena region is rightly known. These include ` bollo ´, a large bread based disc with meat products embedded in it and cooked in the oven, products from the local housewive´s association which normally include mortuerelo, ajoarriero, morro, and various cakes
the traditional recipes for which they are the un-official guardians. The D.O. Utiel-Requena will also be providing wine. Last year `Ferevin´, the Requena wine fair organisers also held tastings in their HQ in the old town.
Entry to the fair is a very reasonable 9€ only. This includes 5 tasting tickets for sausages etc in the principal marquee in the Avenida Arribal which runs through the centre of Requena, a large boulevard under trees. In the Commercial Producers marquee you will find the Housewives and the Bollo producers as well as other products for which there are three further tasting tickets included. Finally entry includes 2 tasting tickets for wine and one for water!
For a further 2€ a ticket can be bought to taste the spit roast pork, potato and rice dishes which are cooked in the open air of the fair site. This has been the subject of some confusion in the last couple of years as in earlier years all were included in the one entry ticket. Ensure you don´t have to queue twice and buy both tickwets when you arrive!
Requena has much more to offer during the fair. There will be childrens attractions, street theatre, exhibitions, competitions for sausages and wine, wine tastings, special menus in local restaurants and many of the towns cultural and tourist attractions will be open. A third marquee will house the exhibitors offering wine tourism and and other holiday based products such as walking etc and this is the starting point for tours of Requenas´historic centre.
Requena is about an hour from Valencia on the A3 motorway to Madrid and there is plenty of street parking even during the towns fairs. Alternatively let the train take the strain and travel from Valencia St Isidro station to Requena climbing through the beautiful Hoya de Buñol, with its soaring cliffs and forests before emerging onto the Requena plateau. Return tickets are under 10€.
Further info can be obtained from www.embutidoderequena.es ( site currently undergoing renewal ) www.rutavino.com
and the Valencian tourist website at Valencia terra y mar but this latter site might take some time to have the information on-line.