Gastronomy and Crafts

The gastronomy of the region has been forged throughout its history; Mainly has benefited from two important contributions: the Roman, which left us the Mediterranean trilogy that are the vine, cereal and olive and the Arab from whom we inherit their culinary habits and the culture of the garden and water with their fruits and Vegetables and especially their pastry, alfajores, pestiños and almonds.

Already in the Middle Ages, the culinary art of the Arabs was praised by the Christian hosts who participated in the conquest. Gazpachos, pipirranas and potajes in the whole region, but with local personality, like the stew of wheat, the rags, the burullos and the sobrehúsa. Fresh lamb meat; Artisanal scraps, such as the loin of orza, the butifarra, the blood sausage or the achorizada. Simple candies, with a homemade flavor, such as fried roscos, papajotes, oil cakes and mantecados; Or the elaborate pastries of the almonds, or the innovation of jams of fig, breva or squash. Traditional liqueurs such as risol, walnut wine, cherry liqueur or quince.

From the prosperous artisan industry of esparto, doormats and capachetas to supply the presses of the numerous mills of oil or mills, as well as spiers, ropes and other necessary objects in the agricultural work, only lasts in jódar, that supplies the traditional mills and some Esparteros that realize manufactures, like baskets, mats, mats, etc.

In huelma you can find artisans who work the wicker, making from furniture to decorative objects. In some cases, these handicrafts have been the basis of the local or family economy, as in the case of esparto, forge or old weaving, although most of the time production has been destined for self-consumption, as in the case of Embroidery, bobbins and other work done exclusively by women.

In addition today, craftsmanship is a skill that few people dominate, but that is worth recovering and conserving. The city of huelma organizes every year a hall dedicated to the crafts (expohuelma).