The foods of Aragon are essential elements of its culture, traditions, and noble character. Meats, wines, beers, fruits and vegetables, pasta and sweets, oils, delicacies like caviar and black truffles, spices like saffron… An endless larder of distinctive quality to suit all tastes and palates, which we will discover one by one. We begin with the tomato.
In Aragon, the tomato is a culinary treasure. It has been cultivated in the region for centuries, adapting to the climate and soil conditions. The warm, sunny summers provide ideal growing conditions, reaching their peak in July and August. Among the most outstanding varieties from Aragon are the Barbastro Pink Tomato, the Híjar Tomato, and the Zaragoza Orchard Tomato.
The Barbastro Pink Tomato is known for its large size, pinkish color, thin skin, and sweet, delicate flavor. Generations of farmers have cultivated it, and it has held a Collective Trademark granted by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism since 2014.
The Híjar tomato, typical of the Bajo Martín region in Teruel, is distinguished by its juicy flesh and perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Irrigation with water from the Martín River allows Híjar tomatoes to be produced for almost ten months of the year.
The Zaragoza orchard tomato, for its part, is famous for its freshness and authentic flavor. In recent years, a great effort has been made to recover this variety, which disappeared for more than 25 years due to the preference for more popular varieties, and which, thanks to the CITA Seed Bank, has returned to the markets.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. They are rich in potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants. They are also beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Furthermore, they contain fiber and are low in calories due to their high water content, making tomatoes an ideal food for a balanced diet. They are an essential ingredient in many traditional Aragonese recipes, both savory, such as lean pork with tomato , chicken in chilindrón sauce, and Aragonese fried vegetables, and sweet, such as confit tomatoes and tomato jams.
Discover more information and recipes with tomatoes from Aragon HERE
