Still Discovering Spain...

During the first week in February, Bocairent, in the province of Valencia, celebrates its Moors and Christians festivity in honour of Saint Blas, patron of the town. This particular Moors and Christians fiesta is one of the oldest and best in Spain. Fireworks, pasodoble music and bands, spectacular parades, processions and the deafening sound of gunpowder are the main ingredients of this colourful six-day fiesta. The highlight is the Entrà when over 2,000 people participate in an amazing parade of floats.

If you are in the area it really is a must! This deep-rooted tradition full of colour and popular culture makes it the town’s most attractive celebrations. You will be struck by the range and splendour of the traditional costumes, the music, and the gunpowder. Here is a summary of the programme:

FRIDAY

LES CAIXES
With the “Night of the Drums” (“Nit deles Caixes”) the actual fiestas begin: hundreds of Bocairentines cloaked in their traditional woollen blankets take to the streets carrying Chinese lanterns and beating their drums, announcing the town’s patronage of Saint Blai since 1632.

SATURDAY
LA ENTRADA
The “Entrance” (“Entrada”) of Mores and Christians on 2nd February brings the fiesta to life. First to enter are the Christians who parade to cheerful sounding pasodobles and once night-time falls the Mores enter to the slow and emotive tunes of Moorish marches.

SUNDAY
SAINT BLAI
One of the most emblematic events of the fiesta is the procession on the day of Saint Blai; the entrance in to the Town Hall Square of the saint, his relics and the banner of Saint Blai is particularly stirring, with the bells tolling and everyone shouting in unison: “Vitol al Patró San Blai” (“Long live Saint Blai”), as the lights go out and a shower of confetti rains down on the statue of the saint.

MONDAY
MOORS AND CHRISTIANS
“The Embassies” (“Les Ambaixades”) on the 4th of February are the representation of when the negotiations for the conquest of the castle between Mores and Christians are acted out. The enormous quantity of gunpowder fired off into the air along the town’s main streets marks this day out as a special one.

TUESDAY
HOLY CHRIST
The day of the Holy Christ (Santo Cristo) is also noteworthy due to the procession up to the chapel by participants and musicians, converting the Stations of the Cross footpath into a snaking line of colour.

Fried Spanish Morcilla is a dish that consists of frying black pudding with onions and other spices and then serving it on top of some crunchy bread, it's that simple! This is a typical dish found throughout Spain and is extremely easy to make.

Black pudding may not be an ingredient for the squeamish as it is made out of the congealed blood of a freshly killed pig, which gives the resulting sausage its dark hue. The sausage also contains a number of spices. 

The origins of black pudding are in Ancient Greece where, according to Plato, it was invented by a Greek man named Aftónitas. Black pudding is actually mentioned in Plato's 'Homer's Odyssey'. The first description of the Spanish food can be found in a passage by Rupert de Nola in 1525. The word 'morcilla' actually comes from Spain although it has its origins in a mixture between the Celtic word for stump and the Basque word for a bulky, deformed object.

Black pudding is very popular across the Spanish peninsular and many regions have their own version of it, around 15 different types altogether. The main black pudding producing regions of Spain include the Basque Country, Extremadura, Asturias, Valencia, Murcia, León, Zamora and Castilla-La Mancha. In short, wherever you go when you visit Spain, you will always be able to find a good example of black pudding.

Among some of the best types of Morcilla, you must try the 'Morcilla de Burgos' which is one of the most well known black puddings in Spain. This particular variety is made with pig's lard and blood, rice, pimetón, salt, onion and spices to taste. For example, the 'Morcilla de Arande' traditionally uses cumin, black pepper and a pinch of cinnamon to give it a unique taste.

Or if you are looking for a healthier option, you could always try the 'Morcilla de Villada'. This type of morcilla has a low fat content, around 3% fat. However, the texture is still very creamy with a delicious flavour, something which is enhanced by curing the sausage for a number of years.

Take care to pick the best type of morcilla for your dish. If you are unsure, you could always ask your local delicatessen as to which one will taste best when fried. Be sure that you slice the black pudding thickly as they will be less likely to disintegrate when you fry them. Also, when turning the fried black pudding over, make sure you do it very carefully as the slices can break up easily.

Finally one of my favourites is the Morcilla Oreada de Cebolla ( the local version from Ontinyent is fantastic!) - this morcilla has been aired and partially dried meaning that it is much easier to fry as it has slightly less moisture and won't break up so easily in the frying pan. You can recognise it by it wrinkled surface. This is my favourite for combining with fried eggs or even in a classic sandwich with crunchy bread know as a " Blanco y Negro"  -  Black & white. This is a baguette sandwich made with 'white sausages' (longanizas blancas) and 'black pudding' (morcilla with onions),  it doesn't look that appetising.... but trust me, it's absolutely wonderful!