That Spain is a wonderful country is well known. But Spanish gastronomy also has much more to offer than paella and sangria. During a cultural visit, the gastronomic museums of Spain are therefore an indispensable stop.
There are gastronomic museums for almost every dish! If you want to know more about the preparation process of a product and all its curiosities (and taste it, which is always nice), these five are fun to visit.
Cabrales Cheese Museum, Arenas de Cabrales
The Cabrales Cheese Museum in Arenas de Cabrales, Asturias, is housed in a cave and is worth a visit. In the caves, cheese makers harden this foodstuff, as they need moisture for production. Enjoy a 45-minute tour through the past and present of this cheese, which is so characteristic of Spanish gastronomy. Learn all about the history of the blue-veined Cabrales cheese, and how the shepherds lived and work in the Picos de Europa. The best part comes at the end, when you can enjoy a tasting, the view is breathtaking! Not a fan of blue-veined cheese? For cheese lovers, the Manchego Cheese Museum in Ciudad Real is well worth a visit.
Chocolate museum, Barcelona
Museu de la Xocolata is located in the old town of Barcelona. The museum offers activities for both children and adults. Pastry workshops, guided tours, chocolate tastings… And meanwhile you learn about the nutritional properties of chocolate. In the cafeteria you can enjoy all kinds of products with the most delicious chocolate. Not close to Barcelona? In Astorga, León, you will also find an equally fantastic and complete chocolate museum.
Banana museum, La Palma
On the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands, you can learn more about the origin and transportation of this fruit to different parts of the world. And about the tools used for its cultivation. You will see different types of bananas and the pests that can destroy this potassium-rich food. A visit to the museum gives you a first-hand look at a kitchen where banana liqueur is prepared.
Museum of Olive and Oil Culture, Úbeda
This museum in Úbeda, Jaén, will teach you how olive trees are grown and how, from the pressing of the olives, good olive oil is made. And how olives are used in cosmetics. The exhibition also includes the museum’s Bodega, a large building known as ‘The Cathedral of Olive Oil’.
Truffle Museum, Tierra Estella
In the region of Tierra Estella, Navarre, there is this Eco-Museum of the Truffle. The truffle, also known as ‘the black diamond of the kitchen’, is a fungus of great gastronomic value. Here you can learn about the natural values and origins of the truffle in a natural environment. Interactive explanations and multimedia projections are provided.
Aniseed museum, Rute
Located in Rute, Córdoba, the ‘Anisette Museum’, is housed in a 1908 distillery. Moreover, it has several rooms with exhibitions on the origins of Rute’s aniseed spirits and their development up to the present day. You can also see how the drink is prepared and admire old labels.
Also read: Gastronomy holidays are a popular choice
