Crafts in

la Plana de l’Arc

LLATA

In the municipality of Vilanova d’Alcolea, there are numerous items made of llata (plaited palm heart), such as: baskets, panniers, fans and carpets. The origin of llata work dates back to the Neolithic period and trade in it is also very ancient. Nowadays, Vilanova d’Alcolea is a stronghold for local craftsmanship. Most of the craftspeople are women who are devoted to this work and have managed to maintain the cultural tradition. Workshops for children and adults are organised on a regular basis. As part of the history of the municipality of Vilanova d’Alcolea, llata artisans have always remembered that “llata has prevented a lot of hunger and hardship, especially in times of poverty”. The memory linked to craftsmanship is a legacy that we cannot lose, because it is part of our way of looking to the future.

TURRONES (BENLLOC)

Turrones Agut is a small family business that manufactures turrones and marzipan all year round. Following the family tradition, they use top-quality ingredients, such as Marcona almonds from Plana Alta and rosemary honey from the Valencian Community. You can taste the traditional products and watch the production process at the plant itself.

SWEETS (BENLLOC)

Hermanos Vilar is a traditional family bakery that produces handmade products with a wood-fired oven. One of their most distinctive products is Coca roja, which they make like nowhere else. You can also find all kinds of sweet and savoury products.

SWEETS (VILAFAMÉS)

Vilafamés’s confectionery is very varied: almond sweets, cristines, sweet potato pastissos and coc de farina.

GASTRONOMY (CABANES)

Cabanes’s gastronomy is one of the richest and most varied in the province, as it is a municipality bathed by the sea and with the inland charm of the mountains. Rice, vegetables and fish are the basic ingredients of the traditional dishes of La Ribera de Cabanes, such as paella, arròs a banda and arròs negre. The town’s fishing and agricultural traditions can be seen in the cuisine in which the fruit, such as oranges and peaches, are also outstanding. Inland, Cabanes enjoys an extraordinary reputation for its game dishes made with meat, mountain snails, mushrooms and vegetables. Also typical is olla, with local vegetables and pork sausages. The cultivation of almonds and the agricultural tradition of the municipality is also present in the traditional confectionery. Cabanes is one of the main producers of almonds in the Valencian Community and this fact is reflected in the traditional confectionery.

TRADITIONAL DISHES (CABANES)

Game meat, olla, tombet and stewed broad beans are some of the dishes you can try inland. Fish and rice dishes take centre stage in the Ribera region. Olla, which can be enjoyed all year round, is a stew made of meat (chicken, bacon, pork, etc.), beans, thistles, onions, chickpeas, potatoes and black pudding. “Tombet” is a dish consisting of chopped lamb accompanied with garlic, onion, and optionally bay leaf and cinnamon, to which broth and cognac are added, which is left to cook for an hour. This dish is prepared and served in a clay pot.