12 meses, 12 sellos. Valencia

12 MONTHS, 12 STAMPS. VALENCIA

People say January is hard, but saying goodbye to summer and going back to everyday life in September isn’t easy either. To keep the memory of summer fresh in our minds, this month’s stamp in the 12 MONTHS, 12 STAMPS, 12 PROVINCES series is dedicated to Valencia, a province known for its warm weather and beaches. Its eastern side is defined by the Mediterranean, and it is bordered by the provinces of Castellón and Teruel to the north, Cuenca and Albacete to the west, and Alicante in the south.

The stamp features fragments of various characteristic elements of the province, forming the letter V.

According to the Regulatory Council of the Valencian Rice Designation of Origin, paella valenciana can only be sold under that name if it contains the ten basic ingredients of the traditional recipe: chicken, rabbit, green beans, lima beans, tomato, rice, olive oil, water, saffron and salt. Other ingredients are accepted depending on the region, including garlic, artichokes, duck, paprika, snails, or rosemary.

Horchata de chufa (orxata de xufa in Valencian, from the Latin hordeata, ‘made of barley’​) is a cold drink or dessert originally from Alboraya (Valencia) made with water, sugar and soaked or ground tiger nuts plus flavour-enhancing ingredients like cinnamon or lemon peel. It seems this drink was known to the ancient Egyptians, as cups with tiger nuts have been found among the grave goods of the Pharaohs.

The fruit most associated with Valencia is the orange - thanks to the province’s unique climate, oranges can be enjoyed from October’s early varieties to July’s late ones. The seventeen known types of Valencian oranges and mandarins supply plenty of vitamin C, essential to help your body fight off winter colds and flu, as well as the effects of pollution.

Fireworks take us to the Fallas (or Falles in Valencian), a fiesta that runs from 14 to 19 March, with deep roots in the city of Valencia and many towns in the region. Already listed as one of Spain’s Fiestas of International Tourist Interest, in November 2016 UNESCO added it to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Serrans Gate, an imposing gatehouse in the early medieval city walls of Valencia, was built by the master builder Pere Balaguer in 1392 - 1398. It consists of two large pentagonal stone towers on either side of the gate itself, an opening topped by a round arch. On the rear façade there are large arched openings, intended as places for the city’s leading families to sit and view popular festivities or the triumphal entrance of important figures. The gatehouse is listed as a monument of historic and artistic interest.

A Barraca is a type of small family home with a pitched roof. They were typically divided into two bedrooms with a kitchen in between, which would only be used in winter, as people would cook outside in summer. There are different types of barraca: crop growers’ houses in the middle of vegetable gardens and fishers’ homes on the beach. The Albufera area has both kinds. The climate and fertile land of Valencia mean several crops can be harvested each year, with an agricultural system which needs a great deal of attention. This is why growers built their houses in their fields and orchards, using natural materials: mud, reeds, canes and rushes.