A feast for foodies – why Oviedo is Spain’s new capital of gastronomy

05.03.2024 - 08:17 / theguardian.com

As my train heads north-west from Madrid towards the green hills of Asturias, I eagerly await views of the lush landscape – but instead, I’m plunged into darkness. A new series of tunnels is leading me to the northern region’s capital, Oviedo, and among them is the seventh-longest in Europe: at 15 miles, it’s a complex work of engineering that cuts through the Cantabrian Mountains.

It’s much less scenic, but this new route – a €4bn (£3.4bn) infrastructure project launched last November – has reduced travel time between Madrid and Asturias by more than an hour, with an even shorter journey time expected later this year. The speedier connection means weekend breaks for madrileños and two-in-one holidays for visitors are more appealing than ever – not least for foodies drawn to the gastronomy of Spain’s greener, cooler regions.

Long traditions in fishing, livestock and agriculture in Asturias mean its seafood, meat, beans, corn, milk and cider are famed across Spain. Local dishes such as cachopo (breaded veal fillet stuffed with cheese and ham) and fabada (bean and pork stew) are common fare in Madrid too, at Asturian restaurants such as Casa Hortensia or El Ñeru – but the spotlight is now on Oviedo itself, named Spain’s gastronomy capital for 2024.

By the time I’ve checked into the Barceló Oviedo Cervantes hotel, in the chic, modern side of this compact city, I’m feeling hungry. It’s a short walk across San Francisco park leading to the old town, where I check out the single-towered gothic cathedral and soak up the atmosphere of its medieval plazas before hitting the cake shops for a range of traditional sweets: moscovitas (crisp almond and chocolate wafers) at Rialto and carbayones (glazed almond cream-filled pastries) at Camilo de Blas.

They’re delectable, but even more than its food, this part of Spain is best known for its cider. “The first cider of the year is smooth and refreshing,” says Andrés Alonso at Llagar Herminio, a cider press on the outskirts of Oviedo that was founded in 1943. He’s the third generation to run the family business and he shows me around the factory, from the machines that treat the apples to the fermenting and bottling process.

Home to more than 70 such mills, Asturias is one of the world’s largest producers of natural cider, which has protected denomination of origin status when made from any of 76 approved varieties of apple. The unique culture around Asturian cider – from production methods to drinking habits – is now being considered for classification by Unesco as intangible heritage.

Herminio is the only llagar (cider mill) in Oviedo but sidrerías (cider bars) are found all over – particularly on Calle Gascona, which local people call “Cider Boulevard”. El