Issue date: 20 Mar, 2020
GASTRONOMY: PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN OF ASTURIAS
For an another year running, Correos has been on the move through its stamp collection to savour the Spain’s products. Having been in Cantabria last year, it’s time to visit neighbouring Asturias - the protagonist of one of the most innovative philatelic series.
The purpose of the Designation of Origin is to preserve the name and quality of the products as well as their artisanal cultivation and production.
Asturias can pride itself on holding this designation for many of its products.
The cheeses take centre stage here, with four of them holding the protected designations of origin of Asturias. Cabrales cheese, produced from three types of milk and matured in the natural caves of Picos de Europa has a strong flavour that makes it unique; or the Gamonéu cheese, with its naturally smoked flavour is a blue cheese and typical of the village which shares its name; we also have the Casín cheese, which entails a complicated and lengthy artisanal production process in the small town of Caso; finally, the Afuega'l Pitu cheese, which is made with cow’s milk in farmhouses situated in the mountain’s hillsides, nestled among the rivers Narcea and Sella.
Asturian cider is produced using a large variety of apples and is one of the most representative symbols of Asturias. The cultivation of the different varieties of apple, its production and the way it is served - by way of its pouring technique - makes drinking cider a tradition in a number of ways.
Asturian bean stew, known as “Fabada” is also protected as the dry beans must have a minimum length of 18mm. As the protagonist of endless recipes, the most well-known version of the Fabada is when it’s served with “compango” (Fabada meats such as smoked chorizo, pancetta and black pudding) or with clams.
The mini sheet features the latter two products as its main motifs. One of the stamps here features the image of fabada being served; the other shows a glass of cider being poured. This stamp has the distinctive feature, as has occurred in previous philatelic issues, of giving off a slight taste of cider.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.