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Constantina de la Sierra celebrates the Mushroom Festival
By Brenda Padilla
We are well into the autumn gastronomy celebrations in Andalucia. Thanks to a traditionally bountiful harvest, these festivals and fairs have become annual events. If you’re looking for a good excuse to travel about Andalucia in search of new flavours and good old-fashioned fun, here are a few suggestions to take you right through the month:
November 1
Todos los Santos in Jaen
Día de Todos los Santos is celebrated throughout Andalucia and is traditionally a time to clean up the cemeteries. That was also the case in Baños de la Encina in Jaen province. However, it seems the men in the village tired of hearing the church bells chiming all day while the women were away at the cemetery. They began to organise hunting trips which evolved into a modern day camping trip where everyone heads out to enjoy the great outdoors. For more information, ring the tourist office on 953 614 185.
Fiesta de las Castañas – Chestnut Festival
In Alpujarra de la Sierra, a village in Granada province, the Chestnut Festival is a harvest tradition that was almost lost until villagers decided to get back on track in 1986. Since then they’ve been roasting chestnuts, dancing and singing faithfully every year. You’re welcome to join them! For more information ring, 958 851 001.
Until November 4
Tapa Fair - Feria de la Tapa
Sanlucar de Barrameda in Cádiz is known for its excellent seafood, so expect to try a wide variety at the Féria de la Tapa. This seaside city is a lovely place to visit anytime of year and the Tapa Fair gives us just one more good excuse to make the trip.
November 12 to 16
Féria de Cuevas de Almanzora – Almanzora Fair
While food is a part of every annual fair, it seems to enjoy special attention at this fair in the province of Almería. Local clubs and Catholic brotherhoods who run their casetas take great pride in cooking up their best local recipes to enjoy their most typical local gastronomy. To find out more, ring 950 548 707.
November 25
La Merendica Day
The village of Santa Fe in Granada has a wonderful way to celebrate Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine) Day. This is an outdoor event where everyone cooks up their favourite dishes over a fires made from aromatic herbs like rosemary and thyme. The bakeries in Santa Fe even have a traditional pastry they only produce this one day every year. You can only purchase your samples on Saint Catherine’s Day and don’t forget to bring along nuts and dried fruits if you attend the celebration as these are typically eaten for dessert.
November – end
Mushroom Festival – Jornadas Micológicas
Constantina de la Sierra is located in the mountains to the north of Seville, our regional capital. This is a mushroom lover’s paradise. The Mushroom Festival aims to share that message with the rest of the world, offering the chance to learn about local varieties with exhibitions, visits to the local botanical gardens, workshops and conferences given by experts, and of courses guided visits to the countryside to search for mushrooms growing in the wild. For more information ring 955 881 297.
November 29
Fiesta del Mosto – Mosto Festival
This festival takes place in Málaga’s tiniest village, Atajate. Mosto is a local grape juice product that has only fermented for about a month or so. Expect many a free sample at this harvest fair.
November 30
Fiesta de la Chafaina
Cooking and history genuinely go hand in hand at this festival in Totalán, Málaga province as locals revive a very old recipe based on potatoes and meat combined with herbs, spices, bread crumbs, garlic and many other wonderful, local ingredients. If you’ve ever wondered how people ate in the Andalucia you read about in history books, this is your chance to find out.
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