Issue date: 17 Jan, 2018
SPANISH CULINARY CAPITAL 2018. LEÓN.
Following in the footsteps of Logroño, Burgos, Vitoria, Cáceres, Toledo and Huelva, it is now the turn of León to hold the title of Spanish Culinary Capital in 2018.
A panel of professionals from the fields of tourism, hotel and catering, and communication, as well as representatives from the Ministry for Agriculture and from Turespaña, has chosen the capital of the province of León, whose candidacy is underpinned by the slogan Manjar de Reyes [Food fit for a King].
The issued stamp features an illustration of the famous rose window from the western façade of León Cathedral, and some of the most significant products of León’s cuisine, which form a stained-glass mosaic of colours and flavours.
On the one hand, there is Valdeón cheese, strong in flavour and made from a mixture of goats’ milk and cows’ milk, which is left to mature in caves over a long period.
Cecina de León [dried meat from Léon] has enjoyed Protected Geographical Indication status since 1994. Beef cecina is known internationally, and has put León on the world map.
Since the mid-17th century, a type of pepper has been grown in Ponferrada, sun-dried and roasted, and it now enjoys a Protected Geographical Indication as “Pimiento Asado del Bierzo”.
Bañeza beans also have a Protected Geographical Indication. This product comes in a range of varieties, such as Canela, Plancheta, Riñón and Pinta.
The chocolate industry of León is small in scale but big in flavour. These chocolates can be enjoyed in a host of recipes, especially a mug of hot chocolate for dunking mantecada de Astorga cakes in winter. Mantecadas are butter sponge cakes made using simple ingredients to produce a tasty, high-quality product.
The stamp features the logo created for the occasion, with the slogan Manjar de Reyes [Food fit for a King].
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