Asturias

On the edge of the Atlantic, the northern Spanish region of Asturias celebrates its first catch of the season with a tolling bell; but in culinary circles it is best known for a mess — of beans, and blood sausage (morcilla), and shoulder of pork, and chorizo, and saffron. Fabada, they call it, after the bean and it goes down a rich golden treat with a glass of sidra (cider) from the local apple groves. Bars in the region (sidrerias) make quite a showy ritual of pouring out the fizz-free cider, into near-horizontal glasses held high at the shoulder or higher still, adding bubbles in the process that must be downed without delay. Beans are also cooked with seafood here — clams, for example. And salmon picked out of the river Sella. To round off your meal, there is cheese — the best in Spain, including the blue Cabrales of legendary pungency, the pear-shaped Afuega’l pitu and smoked gamonedo — and arroz con leche (cousin to our payasam). In the main city of the region, Oveida, restaurants often offer aperitifs of cider brandy or dessert ciders for a sharply sweet nightcap