The beautiful city that Brits don’t know about home to the ‘best food in Spain’ | Travel News | Travel
A beautiful city has been named as one of the food capitals of Europe – and most Brits have never even heard of it. The Spanish city is surrounded by vast expanses of olive fields and has subsequent expertise in related dishes.
Nestled in the foothills of Andalusia, Jaen is relatively unknown to us in the UK, but that may all change if it wins a prestigious culinary award in the near future. The city has been nominated – along with several others like nearby Cordoba – to win National Geographic Magazine’s ‘Best Gastronomic Destination’ award.
Jaen has recently been “transformed into a unique destination thanks to the budding group of chefs fine tuning their recipes and local products”, according to The Olive Press. Known as the olive oil capital of the world, Jaen is home to some wonderful food.
One such dish is bacalao a la yema, which is a cod-based dish with egg yolk, and pollo a la secretaria, which is a Spanish chicken stew that incorporates saffron, garlic, tomatoes and fresh parsley for a delightful blend of textures and flavours.
Jaen is also known for its tradition of giving out free tapas with every drink you buy. You could get a beer and it would be accompanied with a little plate of toast with cured ham, or perhaps some crispy potatoes.
Other food specialities in the area include andrajos – a warm stew consisting of rabbit, noodles and vegetables – and migas, which are fried garlic bread crumbs.
Jaen isn’t known just for its food though – it is also home to some brilliantly traditional architecture. The city’s Renaissance-style cathedral is absolutely stunning and dominates the skyline, which is surrounded by tapas bars and romantic narrow streets winding round bends.
The highest point of the city is the hill of Santa Catalina, on top of which sits a fantastic old castle which is now a state-run hotel. When you get there, prepare to be blown away by the sweeping views, as you can see for miles among the mountains.
Glimpse obeda, historic city in the province of Jaén (Andalusia, Spain).