JULY FOOD PRoGRAMME. CUINA MAGAZINE
A little taste of history awaits this July
From the Iber fort in Arbeca via the Roman festival in Guissona to Tortosa's Renaissance fair, the cuisine of the past is the star this month that includes dining on a dormant volcano
July 4. Tastjazz
The Iber fort of Vilars in Arbeca (pictured) hosts a new edition of Tastjazz, a festival that combines the best local produce – cheese, wine, oil –with jazz music. Tickets to the concert (20 euros in advance, 25 euros on the day) include a cheese and wine tasting.
Arbeca. www.arbeca.cat
July 18. Roman cuisine
For another year, Guissona celebrates its distant past with the 19th edition of the Mercat Romà, a festival celebrating the history and food of the Roman era. The festival is a unique opportunity for visitors to try the best cuisine that our ancient predecessors had to offer.
Guissona. www.guissona.cat
July 25. Day of the mussels
Seaside towns naturally get their best produce from the sea. In Alcanar, the mussel is the star and every year the town dedicates a festival to the humble mollusc. This year, the festival is on July 25 and as always visitors will have the chance to taste the best local mussels.
Alcanar. www.alcanar.cat
From July 23. Maresme tomato fair
Different restaurants and producers in Maresme take part in July and August in the Jornades Gastronòmiques del Tomàquet. During the festival, many eateries in a number of towns in the coastal area offer dishes made with the local pometa and Montserrat varieties of tomato.
Maresme towns. www.ccmaresme.cat
July 23-26. Renaissance fair
Tortosa is a city full of history, and at the end of July a fair dedicated to the Renaissance takes place, with activities associated with the historical period, including the cuisine. Visitors to the fair get to learn about history and try what people ate hundreds of years ago.
Tortosa. festadelrenaixement.org
From July 27. Dinner atop a volcano
On July 27 and August 3 and 10, there is a unique chance to dine at the Montsacopa volcano in Olot. The activity begins with a guided tour and ends with an open-air dinner next to the Sant Francesc hermitage at the top of the volcano with live music from La Catifa Roja.
Olot. www.turismeolot.cat