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One of the main tourist attractions of the Ebro Delta is, without a doubt, the gastronomy of the Ebro Delta.
The Delta is one of the most famous places in terms of gastronomy and restaurants, due to its high quality and its wide variety of local products. It is the ideal place to savor Mediterranean cuisine and the traditional dishes of the area.
There are many reasons why gastronomy in the Ebro Delta is unique. Among them, we highlight the following:
- Its privileged location.
- Its cultural richness and its history that is reflected in the local cuisine.
- Its wide variety of products.
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PRINCIPALES PRODUCTOS GASTRONÓMICOS LOCALES
RICE
Rice is the star product and an essential dish of the gastronomy of the Ebro Delta.
In the Delta, a large amount of rice is grown and harvested. They are usually round rice and of different varieties. For example, bomba rice, marsh or carnaroli.
In the restaurants, you can find a wide range of rice dishes and paellas.
TYPICAL DELTA RICE DISHES
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THE DUCK
The duck has a high cultural and gastronomic value in the area. Duck, for more than 80 years, is one of the most characteristic foods in the area, because hunting is a traditional activity. In addition, there is a great habitability in the Delta lagoons and in the rice fields.
Where can you eat duck?
The duck is the main autochthonous meat, available in most of the traditional restaurants of the area. It is a fine and versatile meat, with a very nice and pleasant taste.
The main dishes to taste in the restaurants are:
- Rice with duck.
- Duck breast.
- Oven-roasted duck.
** It is also possible to buy all varieties of the Delta duck at the main company Granja Luisiana **
TYPICAL DELTA DISHES WITH DUCK
ELVER
Also known as the caviar or the white gold of the Delta, the elvers are the most select product of this area. It is a unique product, characterized by its peculiar flavor.
In the past, elvers were one of the most undervalued products of the market, so they were eaten almost every day. Nowadays, it is practically impossible to eat it outside this area, as there are only a few examples of this species left. For this reason, it has a very high price.
The season of sale to the public or tasting in restaurants is very limited (from November to March, approximately).
EEL
The eel is a typical and cultural product of the area.
In the past, it was a common food in the Delta, as it could be caught easily and in huge quantities. The eels are fished in the Ebro river or in the large natural lagoons.
The most typical eel dishes are:
- Eeel “amb suc”.
- “Xapadillo” of eel.
- Smoked eel.
THE MUSSELS
Mainly, native mussels can be found between the months of January and July.
This local product has a unique flavor, thanks to the quality of the water in the bays of the Ebro Delta Natural Park.
In most restaurants you can taste:
- Steamed mussels
- Mussels with marinara sauce
THE OYSTERS
Native product raised and cultivated within the two bays of the Delta: Fangar Bay and the Alfaques Bay.
Curly oysters are grown in mussels in the Ebro Delta.
These are distinguished by having an enhanced flavor, thanks to their incredible nutritional value and good nutrition.
Oysters is a very typical dish in our restaurants as an entree.
You can also find oysters in the fishmongers or seafood restaurants in the area.
PRAWNS
Prawns are a typical product of the area. It comes mainly from San Carlos de la Rápita.
The main dishes that you can find in the restaurants of the Delta del Ebro are:
- Roasted prawns.
- Prawns with paella or fideuá.
THE GALLERIES
The galley is a quite remarkable indigenous product within our gastronomy. This crustacean provides us with an important source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
The main season of the galley is during the winter-spring season.
You can find galleys in most of our restaurants or in the fishmongers in the area.
DUBLIN BAY PRAWN
Dublin Bay Prawn or also known as Norway lobster in Catalan, is a typical gastronomic product of the area. The seafood have a unique taste, with a subtle touch of salt water, which brings a lot of freshness to the dish.
In the restaurants you can find a great variety of specialties, as they can be:
- Dublin bay prawn with salt.
- Sautéed Norway lobsters.
- Norway lobster with rice or fideuá.
RAZOR SHELL
The Ebro Delta razor shell is a seafood fished in a very traditional way. Its taste is exquisite, thanks to its good diet.
You will be able to find the razor shells in the majority of seafood restaurants in the area.
WEDGE CLAM
Wedge clams, or sea pipes, are a very typical product of the area. The wedge clams of the Delta have a really characteristic flavour, thanks to their good diet, because they are located on the shore of the beaches or in the interior of the bays.
It is highly recommended to buy wedge clams in the local seafood restaurants. Taking into account that its price is very unstable, in many restaurants this product is not usually available.
RED TUNA
Raised and fished in the north of the Delta, in l’Ametlla de Mar, red tuna is a very important food in the Delta, thanks to its multiple properties and vitamins that provide the organism.
In most traditional restaurants, tuna can be tasted as a main dish.
BLUE CRAB
The blue crab arrived in the Delta bays in 2015 as an invasive species. Since then, it has become one of the main gastronomic products in our kitchens.
The main product is paella or rice with blue crab.
CLAM
In the Ebro Delta, two types of clam are cultivated:
- Japanese clam (Ruditapes Philippinarum).
- Fine clam or grúmol (Ruditapes Decassatus).
This type of product can be found in most of the seafood and fish markets in the area. You can also taste them in most of our restaurants.
RICE BLOOD SAUSAGE
The most important and popular autochthonous sausage in the Delta is the rice blood sausage, mostly known in the area as “baldana d’arròs”.
The black pudding is a very typical product of the area. Its elaboration has passed from generation to generation and its main ingredient is rice, one of the most abundant autochthonous products in the Delta.
The typical black puddings in this zone are those of rice and those of onion.
You can find black puddings of rice and onion in some restaurants and in many butcher’s shops in the area.
You can find rice and onion black pudding in some restaurants and in many butchers in the area.
TRADITIONAL DESSERTS
Sweet desserts have a high historical and cultural value in the Delta.
There is a great variety of typical desserts of the zone, as for example:
- “Coc de brossat”, “coc de maçana”, “coc rapid” and “coc borratxo”.
- Menjar blanc d’arròs
- “Pastissets”. The original pastissets are filled with spaghetti squash jam and sweet potato, although now you can find other varieties, made of chocolate, orange, cottage cheese…
- Quince or “membrillo” in Spanish
- Cottage cheese with honey from El Perelló
- Almond or pistachio “carquiñol”
- “Paracotes”
- Panoli (a kind of cake)
- “Borraines”
Most of the typical desserts can be found in the most traditional bakeries in the area. In the restaurants, one of the most typical desserts is “crema catalana” -as a traditional Catalan dessert- and the “menjar blanc” -a cream of almonds.
ARTICHOKES
Artichoke is a very typical gastronomic product in this area during the winter season. They can be cooked in many different ways: in the oven, in the paella, steamed… Although the most typical cooking here in the Delta, is usually barbecued, as an accompaniment to a portion of meat or fish.
You can find this product in local greengrocers or supermarkets. You can also taste this product in several restaurants. Above all, it is very typical in the restaurants of Amposta.
OIL
Olive oil is cultivated and produced mainly in the most hilly areas around the Delta.
The vegetable oil from this area usually has a very aromatic, tasty and slightly sweet taste.
LIQUEURS WITH CHARACTERISTIC FLAVOURS
In the Delta, apart from having a great variety of natural autochthonous products, you can also find a wide range of liqueurs of different flavours and brands.
Many companies have researched different formulas in order to create the best liqueurs, made from the local raw material.
The most typical liqueur is the “crema d’arròs” liqueur, made with rice.
WINE
Very close to the Delta, specifically in the mountainous areas of Terra Alta, located to the northwest of the Delta, is an extensive cultivation of different kinds of vineyards.
In this area, high quality wines are grown and produced, which can be found in most restaurants and shops in the Delta.
HONEY
A few kilometres from the Delta del Ebro, in the town of El Perelló -located in the north of the Delta-, a wide variety of honey is produced.
There are different types of honeys, from the softest, such as rosemary honey, to the most intense, such as forest honey.
MAIN GASTRONOMIC PRODUCTS MEDITERRANEAN
FIDEUÁ
Fideuá is one of the most characteristic and popular dishes in most restaurants in the Delta.
Fideuá del Delta has a very good taste, thanks to its elaboration in combination with other autochthonous products.
The main types of fideuá are:
- Sea Fideuá.
- Black Fideuá.
SOLE
Sole is a fish with a high biological value with low fat and a very good and fine taste.
A fresh product such as the sole of the Delta, together with a good traditional or Mediterranean cuisine, can produce a unique, high quality product with a lot of flavour.
OCTOPUS
The fresh octopus from the Delta is a very popular product in this area.
You can easily find octopus, either in fishmongers’ shops or in restaurants in the area.
Mainly, the plates or entrants with octopus that we can find in the restaurants are:
- Galician-style octopus.
- Rice with octopus.
- Octopus stew.
MONKFISH
Monkfish is a very particular product in the local and Mediterranean gastronomy.
You can find monkfish in most restaurants in the Delta, as well as in the local fish shops in the area.
The main dishes with monkfish:
- Mediterranean style monkfish.
- Sea anglerfish with clams and prawns (“suquet de rape”).
- Monkfish with “allioli”.
SEA SNAIL OR CAÑADILLA (BOLINUS BRANDARIS)
A fresh product, traditionally fish, is the sea snail.
Snails are eaten mainly boiled with salt. You can taste it in most restaurants in the Delta, or buy it in the main seafood restaurants.
SQUIDS
Squid is a very typical Mediterranean product and very popular in most restaurants of the area.
The squid of the Delta is a fresh product, with a quite enhanced flavor, thanks to the fantastic food of the mollusk. A fresh squid, with a good recipe, can turn into a magnificent dinner.
The majority of squid dishes in the Delta are:
- Squid “a la Romana”. Highly recommended, although the recipe of the covered will vary depending on the restaurant.
- Rice or paella with squid.
SEA NETTLES
Sea nettles are a very characteristic Mediterranean product, with a unique and special taste.
As for gastronomic dishes, nettles can be found in different ways:
- Rice with sea nettles.
- Fried or battered sea nettles.
SEA BASS
Sea bass is one of the most sought-after fish in most restaurants in the Delta.
It differs from other sea bass by its fantastic taste, thanks to a quality diet, due to the coexistence between the fresh water of the Ebro river and the salt water of the Mediterranean Sea.
BABY CUTTLEFISH
Typical dish par excellence of the Mediterranean. In the Delta area you can find fresh and very high quality baby squids.
It is one of the most popular starters in most restaurants. In some restaurants, you can also find rice with accompanying baby cuttlefishes.