The change of season sees the woods of the Costa del Sol turn to ochre and the days become shorter, and it brings new products to our tables, thanks to the variety of our natural produce.
When the first cooler spells arrive (always pretty mild in this part of Spain) we can enjoy some exquisite seasonal products, which are the main ingredients of some delicious recipes and some unique festivals in many of the province's towns. Let's take a look at these seasonal products:
Citrus fruits:
Fruits such as mandarins and oranges are typical of this time of year and are used in numerous traditional and creative recipes. As far as traditional recipes are concerned, we mustn't forget the ensalada malagueña (Malaga salad), made with cod, potatoes, oranges, olives and spring onions, and always dressed with a generous helping of extra virgin olive oil.
Raisins:
Neither oranges in August nor grapes in April, says the song by Danza Invisible, a group from Malaga. We have raisins in autumn, which are used in the exquisite Malaga sweet wine, made with the Muscat variety from Alejandría in the region of Axarquía.
Chestnuts:
Chestnut trees create one of the typical Autumn images in the province of Malaga, due to the ochre colour of their leaves before they fall. The Genal Valley, in the region of Ronda, is one of the largest producers of chestnuts in Spain, with about 3,500 hectares. In Pujerra we can find the largest chestnut cooperative in the province, a chestnut museum and a festival that is held on 31 October and 1 November.
Carrots, preferably purple:
In the region of Antequera a purple variety of carrot is used as fodder. Today, this type of carrot (known as "zanahoria morá") has become a delicacy that now has its own festival in the first week of December in Cuevas Bajas. It can be tasted in jams, a cream of carrot soup, roasted, raw in salads and desiccated.
Pork products:
Autumn is the time for the slaughter in the towns in the interior of the Costa del Sol. These towns all have their own festivals related to pork products. These include the Festival of Pork Products the first weekend of December in Benaoján, in the region of the Ronda mountains, where most of the pork product factories in the area are found. A week later, in the municipality of Colmenar, close to the Montes de Málaga Natural Park, the town has its Must and Pork Products Festival.
