Castellón - 2014 Truffle gastronomic days in the Alto Maestrazgo

Cheese and truffle montaditos in rest Novella de Benassal

The black truffle is the great protagonist of gastronomy in the High Mastership from Castellón.

Therefore it may not surprise you that between the months of January and March in this region of Castellón, a gastronomic days that have this fungus as the main ingredient of the elaborations made by the participating restaurants.

In the 2014 Gastronomic Days of Truffle of Castellón restaurants from the towns of Albocasser, Ares del Maestrat, Benassal, Catí, Blame Y La Serratella, which they offer during the weekends of these months special menus starring the black truffle.

This region of Castellón It is one of Spain where this fungus of such peculiar flavor is collected, that by its exclusivity it has earned a reputation as a jewel of gastronomy.

The black truffle is raised on land with a very special characteristics, with limestone soil, a ph neutral and places where it is neither too cold nor too hot, so they are land located in the mountains.

2014 Gastronomic Days of Truffle of Castellón

This fungus is born underground adhered to the roots of the trees, specifically, the holm oaks (called carrascas in Castellón), currently in plantations carried out for its development. For their location, farmers are accompanied by the so-called truffle dogs, which thanks to its fine smell indicate the points where fungi are found.

See a dog looking for truffles It is a very interesting experience that I had the opportunity to live during my recent route through the High Maestrazgo. In addition, the truffle dog contest It is one of the main attractions of the Mostra of the Black Truffle of Ports Maestrat which is celebrated in the month of February, every year in a locality of the region.

In the aforementioned gastronomic days, black truffle menus offer two restaurants of Albocasser, three of Ares, three of Benassal, three of Catífour of Blame and one of La Serratella. The prices of the menus range from 18 to 35 euros, the most common being 30 euros.

Truffled broken eggs in rest El Prigó in Catí

At program of the Truffle Gastronomic Days you can check the list of participating restaurants, as well as the detail and prices of the menus offered by each of them. Also included are establishments that also participate in this conference offering products made with black truffle.

During that trip I could try the truffle tasting menu in some of the participating restaurants, specifically, the El Prigó restaurant, a classic and a pretext to visitCatí , and the Novella restaurant, in the hotel of the same name nearby from Benassal,

Also, in the La Carrasca restaurant from Blame, where a monumental oak is located, I had the opportunity to taste its medieval menu cooked according to the recipes of the book «Llibre of Sent Sobri ».

Next, you have some elaborations of truffles that are offered in them, as well as the aforementioned medieval menu.