Volcanic Cuisine, a footprint of local gastronomy

The Volcanic Cuisine products are cultivated in a unique and singular landscape of volcanic soil. A well drained porous soil land, that doesn’t retain water due to the high amount of sandy clay it contains. This is an appreciated characteristic, especially for bean crops, and legumes in general, as well as other vegetables. It is also, a very important value point that directly enhances the quality of the product, hence the well-known beans of Santa Pau with Protected Designation of Origin.

The Volcanic Cuisine is local homemade cuisine from created in La Garrotxa. Cuisine distinguished by its strong personality and its creative and varied characteristics, which has left its gastronomic footprint firmly on the region. The main axis of its cuisine is the quality and the proximity of the product. The Volcanic Cuisine entity is formed by a group of local restaurants, with well-established foundations, that believe in the necessity of representing, defending and promoting La Garrotxa, as it were, through the hobs. Their philosophy is better described with the sentence: ‘From the landscape to the table’. A group specialized in cuisine that values the effort of the local and small stakeholder and the temporality of the ingredients that they offer in their recipes.
 
These cooks have brought back to the present day traditional recipes and have created new ones, in order to highlight the value of products that had been forgotten o simply had stopped being used regularly in the kitchen, like ‘el farro’ (cornflower) associated with post-war times. The essential elements of the Volcanic Cuisine are, a part form beans and cornflower, buckwheat, with which the well known ‘farinetes’ (savoury porridge) is made from. Also, the ‘ratafia’, a distinguished local liquor, a brandy mixed and macerated with the new tender leaves of aromatic herbs, forest fruits and spices. Cow, sheep and goat’s milk is used to produce fresh cheese and cured cheese, curd and yogurts. Not to forget all the products from the vegetable garden, like the black potatoes or the black turnips, the sausages, of which we would emphasize the Piumoc or ‘sac d’ossos’ (sack of bones) ideal for bean stews, mushroom and truffle recipes, etc. A rich variety of flavours and products that include chefs, farmers and shepherds. Together they enrich the restaurant’s kitchens and give quality to La Garrotxa’s gastronomy.
 
Volcanic Cuisine, the rebirth of regional gastronomy appreciated by its people.