The Extremadura tortas are all our favorites but are perishable, requiring refrigeration. Torta del Casar, Torta de Cañarejal, etc.
@krystle920
You should find the Finca Pascualete, “Retorta”, or their “Pastura con Trufa” or “Cumbre de Trujillo” or even a package of 3 of these mini tortas in the El Corte Inglés Club del Gourmet or Gourmet Experience. But taking them all the way back to LA may be a different story.
For conservas near the Plaza de Santa Ana, you can walk over to the Mercado de Antón Martín, a real indoor market where neighborhood folks do their daily food shopping, with lower prices, in general, than ECI. Their quesería has a nice selection.
In addition, the Sincio tiny restaurant downstairs in the Mercado Gastronómico has baked rice (arroz al horno) with legarto ibérico on its menu.
https://www.sinciomadrid.com/carta
Wow, that’s an impressive selection! What were your favorite items that you wished you had bought more of?
Thank you for the suggestions! We finally found the El Corte Ingles building with the Gourmet Experience and picked up 6 cazuelas in different sizes in the kitchen goods area to serve Spanish dishes in our home.
Also picked up the large Bonilla La Vista can (they didn’t have smaller sizes) for around 17 euros, and the 3 pack of the Finca Pascualete cheese for around 25 euros.
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Overall thoughts on Granada, Cordoba, Seville —
Granada - highlight was definitely Los Diamantes, but we didn’t get to try much else since we were there on a Sunday and it rained a lot. Tried the pastel moruno at Pasteria Lopez Mesquita - interesting but just okay. The piononos from Ysla were good. We liked the hot churros from Gran Cafe Bib Rambla. We lined up to enter La Sitarilla but we just had one drink and the free pork stew over fries. It was just okay.
Cordoba - Taberna La Montillana was worth trying for the local Cordoban specialties. We tried the salmorejo, mazamorra, flamenquin, berenjenas, rabo de toro, crepes relleno de cordero, and a couple of sandwiches. Interesting flavors to try once. We didn’t get the chance to try Pastel Cordobes.
Seville - loved Casa Morales, Bodeguita Romero, and La Barra de Inchausti, as I mentioned above. Too bad Bodeguita Antonio Romero was disappointing. We also tried Gelateria Mito and Heladeria Bolas. Solid but nothing you can’t get in the States. Loved the vibe at Las Teresas where we tried their jamon iberico 100% and some cheese for a snack. Also picked up jamon iberico bellota 100% from the Huelva region. At the beginning of our trip, the jamon iberico bellota 100% we got was from the Salamanca region. We agreed we liked the Salamanca one better because it seemed juicier, but what is the difference? Which one is considered better?
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Your Monday dilemma in Cordoba is now my Monday dilemma in Cordoba. We’re planning to head to La Montillana tomorrow. Your comment doesn’t sound very enthusiastic!
ps I suspect the rainy Sunday you tried Los Diamantes is the same rainy Sunday we tried it! Some pretty lousy weather last weekend in Grenada. Am I correct in thinking that’s when you were there?
Yup, we were in Granada last Sunday. Just killed the day with all that rain and with most stores and restaurants closed too.
For Cordoba, it was worth trying the cold soups for the novelty. We enjoyed the fried eggplant with honey. The rabo del toro was one of the better ones in the trip but at that point, we’ve already had it so many times. I wouldn’t order the sandwiches or the crepe with lamb.
OK, good to know, thanks for warning us off those two things. So far we’ve managed to try not one of those signature traditional dishes – every time we intend to, something else catches our fancy.
Last Sunday really was gloomy. We ventured out to look at the Banuelo. On the way back, we spotted the Diamantes, and that was that. Fun way to spend some time and get out of the rain for a bit.
My understanding on jamon iberico is that perspective may vary on which region has the best, and moreover tastes can vary across producers in the same region. I actually prefer jamon from Extremadura to both Jabugo (Andalusia) and Guijuelo (Salamanca) but have had great jamon as well from different producers in both regions.
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Of the jamón ibérico de bellota, 100%, there really is no best region. Each person has his/her perspective, as tigerjohn says, as to which is best.
For example, the patriarch of our family, who hails from the Condado de Huelva, claims there is no better jamón than the one produced in Huelva, and by his own known producer from a small village, from whom he purchases his jamón that is shipped to him in Madrid.
We have served him 5Js from Jabugo in Huelva and Joselito from Guijuelo, Salamanca, but he prefers that of his producer. I must say that it’s wonderful, and he provided it and even hand sliced it for our wedding banquet.
After our visit to Ibéricos Torreón on the outskirts of Salamanca whose pigs graze near La Alberca de Salamanca (where the first approved factory sits, Embutidos Fermín, the first to ship legally to the US), we now buy from them and have our jamón shipped to our home.
If I were to do a blind tasting of 100% bellota, alta expression from the following prestigious producers— 5Jotas, Carrasco, Joselito, Ibéricos Torreón or Arturo Sánchez— I don’t know that I could say which was the very best.
From los Pedroches in the Córdoba province, we only buy their top label, the Alta Expresión.
We can’t purchase in our ECI the jamón from Monesterio, Extremadura. They don’t carry it, or at least I haven’t found it at our ECI hipermercado.
