Now that's a mouthful of Spanish and I have no idea if it's the correct phrasing and choice of words.
But all I am sure of, is that the food we had during the food tasting session at Casa Iberica were all good, really good!
Of course, how can you go wrong when there's an actual Spaniard - Chef Javier Contreras-Cuellar at the helm of it all in the kitchen with equally able staff.
And using premium products from Best Spanish Food Olmeda Origenes ranging from olives and pimiento to sardines and anchovies, it was a top of the line food tasting experience.
Plus the wide variety of white and red wines from Werdenberg International Corp., to go with the hams, cheese and pintxos, it was evening that can be aptly described as "muy delicioso"
But before we start the Spanish gastronomy appreciation, let's first define "degustation".
Dégustation as defined in Wikipedia is the careful, appreciative tasting of various food, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company.
It involves sampling portions of all of a chef's signature dishes in one sitting. So dont expect large serving portions...
Our degustacion started with a selection of ham, cheese and olives - served like a piece of art, just edible.
Jamón serrano is among the most widely known Spanish hams and is a type of dry-cured jamón which includes most varieties other than those made with black Iberian pigs (Jamon Iberico) is generally served in thin slices (Wikipedia).
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| Jamón Serrano and Jamón Iberico |
Two Spanish cheeses from Olmeda Origenes complemented our primary tasting plate - Queso do Tetilla and Queso do Mahon
Tetilla is a regional cow's cheese made in Galicia, in north-western Spain and is a common element in Galician cuisine - mostly in desserts, but it was equally good as an appetizer.
Maó cheese is a soft to hard white cheese made from cow's milk, named after the town and natural port of Maó, on the island of Menorca (known for its cheese production) off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. (Wikipedia)
A selection of olives from Olmeda Origenes gave the ham and cheese plate some texture, color and taste variation. Included weresome Manzanilla olives known as the Queen of all Spanish green olives.
Fried Spanish chorizo completed this opening plate and served with a Chilean wine - Reserva Sanama Chauvignon Blanc 2018.
Moving on to the next set, it was a "heavier" selection as it includes a croquet, potatoes and fish.
The Croquetas de Salmon Ahumado was served on a bed of seasoned fried noodles for presentation but I enjoyed the noodles too!
The crisp exterior of the smoked salmon croquette was balanced by its soft, creamy and flavourful "filling". It is one of the offering I will certainly be bingeing on.
Next is a mouthful - Papa Arrugadas con Mojo Canario translated as Wrinkled Potato in Canary Mojo Sauce.
It's a typical dish of the Canary Islands, where potatoes have been cultivated for around 400 years. The residents of the Canary Islands, called carnarios, call them papas—the native American name—while in the rest of Spain they are called patatas (TheSpruceEats)
It is served with Olmeda Origenes version of Mojo Sauce - “Mojo Picon” from Canary Island is one of the most famous products of Spain and recently designated as Spanish gastronomy marvel.
How about some Boquerones en Vinagre con Aceituna? No, it's not tuna but Pickled Anchovies with Olives (aceituna)
This set was served with red wine - Marques de la Corcordia Tempranillo 2017 from the Rioja region of Northern Spain.
Out next were a trio of pinchos but I like to spell it as 'pintxos". It is somewhat similar to the Italian starters consisting of toasted bread rubbed with olive oil with a variety of toppings known as bruschetta (correct me if I'm wrong though).
It will be another mouthful of Spanish words and let's start with Pintxos de Membrillo con Queso Manchego y Tomates Desidratos.
This pintxo is made with Dulce de membrillo (a sweet, sticky, very thick jelly made from the fruit of the quince tree), Manchego cheese (sourced from the La Mancha region of Spain and made from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed and aged between 60 days and 2 years) dehydrated tomatoes - all layering up to give that burst of flavors and textures.
Next was Pintxo de Achoas Ahumadas con Salmorejo. You are right when you guessed it as smoked anchovies. Salmorejo, on the other hand is a purée consisting of tomato and bread, originating from Cordoba in Andalucia, in South Spain. It is made from tomatoes, bread, oil and garlic.
But what makes this pintxo more interesting is that insead of the crunchy bread, this one had fried eggplants as base giving a softer texture in every bite.
Piquillo pepper is a variety of chili, Capsicum annuum, having a sweet taste with no heat and traditionally grown in Northern Spain.
Idiazabal is a pressed cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk, usually from the Basque Country. It has a somewhat smokey flavor, but is usually un-smoked and is handmade and covered in a hard, dark brown, inedible rind.
These pintxos were served with the red wine - Berberana Carta de Plata from the Spanish region of Castille.
Ending our degustacion on a sweet note were Profiteroles de Chocolate, Spanish Chocolate, Limoncello and Chocolate with Limon
A profiterole is simply a cream puff, which is a filled pastry ball with a typically sweet and moist chocolate filling and finished off with a dusting of chocolate powder.
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the Amalfi coast.
Traditionally, limoncello is made from the zest of Femminello St. Teresa lemons, also known as Sorrento lemons. (Wikipedia)
Of course, the popular Spanish chocolate should make its presence felt as chocolates are an integral part of the Spanish desserts and drinks scene.
But how about mixing a portion of chocolate with some lemon? The unlikely but delightfully exquisite combination of chocolates and lemons perfectly summed up the degustacion night's indulgent flavors!
And it was indeed a delectable gastronomic tour of Spain through Casa Iberica's degustacion for its "A Taste of Spain" culinary journeys this coming Sept. 16 and 17.
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| Chef Javier together with the Iloilo Bloggers Inc. |
On September 16, a cocktails buffet dubbed as " La Gastronomia Española" features culinary delights (as featured in this blogpost) created with products of Best Spanish Food Olmeda Origenes and partnered with wines from Werdenberg International Corp.
A formal buffet " La Noche Iberica " of Casa Iberica's top specialties takes place on September 17, concluding the two lavish and delightful days of Spanish food discovery.
While I just only just dream of touring and seeing the magnificence of Spain, buts its flavours and cuisine are just within reach - only at Casa Iberica.