A TOWN TO TASTE
Brunete’s GASTRONOMY is strongly linked to the Castilian Land. This is why ASADOS (roasted meat) and SPOON DISHES are the stars of the local cuisine. But if there’s a flagship product, it is the MADRID CHICKPEA, harvested in Brunete and its surroundings since ancient times. This is the kind of chickpea with which the most popular dish in Madrid has been traditionally made: the COCIDO (Madrid-style stew).
This special variety of chickpea is known for its small size and orangey colour. What differs it from other varieties are its characteristics after being cooked. Once cooked, it grows almost twice from its original size; its skin doesn’t fall off and presents a buttery and whitish smoothness in its interior. This makes it ideal for the preparation of the traditional COCIDO MADRILEÑO. Restaurants in Brunete offer up to a thousand cocidos every week. Another very traditional dish is the POTAJE CON COLLEJAS (chickpea and Silene vulgaris stew). But Brunete’s field’s raw material doesn’t end here. It’s a land of small game, and thus the rabbit, the hare or the partridge (often prepared with beans), are very tasteful and delicious alternatives. There are still farmers who continue to craft local wine and the local vegetable farms provide us with quality, fresh produce all year round.
CONFECTIONERY became an important ally for any celebration. Each festivity throughout the year has its own dessert and these can be purchased in traditional bakeries when each time of the year comes. Some examples are: Aniseed cake, butter buns, rosca de San Sebastián (St Sebastian doughnut) or hornazo (sweet and dry bread which is decorated with hard-boiled egg).