Food in Torrevieja
- Wine tip: Spanish wines are graded by the length of time they have been aged, the best wines carry gran reserva labels; these have been aged both in oak and in the bottle.
- Food tip: When buying food in supermarkets and local stores, look out for Denominación de Orígen on speciality goods, this certifies their authenticity and is a good indication of quality.
Torrevieja Treats
Traditional Torrevieja cuisine revolves around fish from the Mediterranean. Fresh vegetables from the fields bordering the nearby Segura River and pork from local farms are also mainstays.Appetisers
Torrevieja's perfect appetiser is pulpo seco (dried octopus). After being dried in the sun, it's cooked over an open fire and served with lemon and oil. The perfect liquid treat to accompany it is paloma, an aniseed liqueur served with water and ice.
Other Torreviejan specialties include calamar de potera (squid), sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish ) and boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar).
Another very traditional appetiser on the Costa Blanca is salted fish. Look out for mojama (salted tuna), empanadas de mero (fish pasties) and coca de sardinas (an open sardine tart).
Mains
If Torrevieja is known for any dish, it's caldero. This fish stew can be prepared with numerous cuts of fish, like la gallina, el gallo, lecha, araña and salmonetes, and is always accompanied with a bed of rice cooked in the fish stock.
Other indigenous dishes to the area are arroz a banda (another fish stew), arroz a pésoles (rice with peas) and fresh anchovies prepared with garlic and artichokes. Pulpo (octopus) and atún (tuna) are popular ingredients in many Torreviejan meals.
Remember that meat dishes are usually always an option, so you needn't be a fan of fish to be incredibly well fed in Torrevieja. We’d suggest trying the arroz y costra (a meat-based paella topped with a baked egg crust).
Cooking at Home
If you don't feel like eating out, fresh ingredients are available from numerous shops around town. Our advice... pick up some fresh fish at the port and throw it on the BBQ. And unlike the UK, you cook outside year-round!
Whether eating at home or out on the town, a Spanish diet is typically a healthier one. Perhaps that's why so many people think of retiring here.
