The Cuisine of Aragon: Classical, Confident and Innovative

Discover a world of classical essence and subtle innovation with the cuisine of Aragon.

The traditional recipes in this land-locked region are simple and classical. The cuisine of Aragon remains uninfluenced by the world of modern cooking. This means only subtle evolutionary changes occurred over time. This demonstrates a great confidence in the ingredients and cooking methods.

This confidence sits well as Aragon produces some of the finest meat and produce in Spain. The ham (jamon) from Teruel in particular is of very high quality and known all over the country. As a result, the top Spanish ham-cutters gather in Teruel in September to compete for the top prize.

The area is famous for its lamb including the prized suckling variety, ternasco. The liver of local pork wrapped in stomach lining to create fardeles. Chicken forms the basis of the popular dish known as chilindron, a tasty stew of tomatoes and red peppers.

But it’s not all stews and casseroles. Meat and game cooked simple in extra-virgin olive oil stars in local restaurants. The oil comes from the local empeltre and arbequina olive varieties from the south of the region.

Aragon cheeses

The green mountain pastures of Aragon produce many fine cheeses including Tronchón (cited by Cervantes in Don Quixote). Made from blended goats and sheep’s milk, it resembles a globe with a crater on the top. This smooth, aromatic cheese is the perfect partner for the fine green olives of the region. And together they make an ideal accompaniment to any Aragon dinner.

Other cheese varieties from the region include Echo y Ansó, Biescas, Patamulo, Radiquero, Benabarre, Pañoleta, Sahún, El Burgo and Chistabín.

The region is the perfect place for a taste of traditional Spanish cooking. Aragon recipes use high quality ingredients and simple methods to produce outstanding flavour.

Aragon also has a reputation for producing some excellent wines from denominations such as Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Cariñena and Somontana.