Gastronomy

To talk about gastronomy in Castelló Sud is to talk about history, landscape and culture.

Being a privileged territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Espadà mountain range, the agricultural tradition can be appreciated in its landscapes, which over the years has shaped the territory and has lasted to this day.

For this reason, it is necessary to take into account both, the main products and the hydraulic heritage, which with different types of constructions have traditionally made the most of water.

Products

Esta campaña militar comenzaría a partir del 18 de abril en la zona de Vinaròs y tenía como objetivo la toma de la ciudad de Valencia por parte del general militar Francisco Franco, que desde el 1 de octubre de 1936 y tras la muerte de los otros conspiradores en el fallido Golpe de Estado, fue proclamado jefe político y militar del bando sublevado.

El avance en dirección sur por la provincia de Castellón (en un movimiento de pinza para tomar las carreteras N-340 y la carretera de Sagunto a Teruel) fue rápido en un primer momento debido a la retirada desorganizada del Ejército Popular de la República, que no disponía de zonas en las que aferrarse al terreno y plantear una férrea resistencia.

ORANGE

The central and the coastal area of the Castelló Sud territory holds a great potential for the production of citrus fruits. The Clemenules is a mandarin variety, originated in Nules in the 1950s, it has a high-quality juice content. Clemenules have a balance of total sugar and acid levels, are medium in size and easy to peel. This variety is highly appreciated and Nules dedicates a festival to it in January

OLIVE OIL

The characteristic landscape of this crop in our territory is made up of small, terraced plots, whose production used to be for family consumption. In Artana, the itinerary “Ruta de les Oliveres” has been signposted, and activities such as "The thousand-year-old olive trees and liquid gold of Artana" are carried out, which allow visitors to discover the landscape of olive groves and oil tasting

HONEY

The artisan production of honey is characteristic in the inland municipalities, although producers can be found in almost the entire territory. Production and specialized shops are concentrated in Eslida. There are different varieties, due to their link to the landscape stand out: thyme honey, mountain honey, rosemary honey, and orange blossom honey, linked to orange groves

MELON & WATERMELON

The production of melons and watermelons is typical in coastal municipalities. The lands of the marsh, located a few kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, and the water that irrigate the fields, give these fruits a characteristic sweetness that makes them the healthiest dessert in summer

RICE

Almenara wetlands that comprise the coastal municipalities from Sagunto to Moncofa favored the production of rice for years. In Almenara is located the Molí d'Arròs, currently the mill is the headquarters of the town's tourist office, and it preserves the machinery that was used to sell rice throughout the region

CAROB

It is a dry crop from the Mediterranean coast that has multiple properties and whose trees are part of our landscapes. The carob tree sometimes reaches monumental dimensions, produces pods about 20 cm long, inside which are the seeds and a sweet-tasting gummy pulp


Events


Hydraulic heritage

There are many constructions for the use of water that become elements of great ethnographic interest.

Throughout the territory of Castelló Sud there are historical cultivation areas dotted with ditches, waterwheels, small aqueducts, fountains, wells, dams, rafts, dams, etc., along with roads and paths that structure the territory.

There are differences between the inland constructions and the coastal ones due to the geological and climatic characteristics and, therefore, of the soils and crops developed on them: inland, in the mountains, the works for hydraulic storage and use in difficult terrain stand out for cultivation and rainfed in general. On the coast, where the plain predominates, are typical the water extraction and distribution networks for irrigation.

We highlight the following elements linked to traditional crops:

ESPADÀ MOUNTAINS: CAROB TREES, MONUMENTAL OLIVE GROVES AND HISTORICAL ORCHARDS

Alfondeguilla: route from Pont de l’Aigua to l’Arquet through the historic orchards

Artana: route of the Monumental Olive Trees

Eslida: route in the orchards of l’Alfeig, Albir and la Vila passing by the Matilde fountain and completing the visit to the arch de la Rambla.

La Vall d’Uixó: the itinerary of Camí de l’Aigua starting at Les Coves de Sant Josep

COASTAL WETLANDS: RICE FIELDS

Almenara: the Molí de l’Arròs and the old washing place, and the circular route through the area of ​Els Estanys.

La Llosa: the historical fountains and the local path SL-CV 157 to La Gola.

Xilxes: self-guided ornithological trail between the beach and the wetlands, L’Illa ditch and the area of ​​the Crist de la Jonquera hermitage.

Moncofa: circular route through L’Estanyol and L’Illa ditch.

MIDDLE AREA: ORANGES

La Vilavella:  thermal itinerary

Moncofa: interpretive space of El Pirulí and the Museum of History and Ethnology of Moncofa

Nules: tour around L’Estany and the wetlands

Mascarell (Nules): route from the walled enclosure well, through the water divider and up to the Sant Jaume water pump