Why Extremadura probably isn’t on your radar

1 Oct

Discover Extremadura with us at Ambiente Tapas

Let’s face it, the region of Extremadura is not on most people's radar when planning a Spanish holiday.

It typically receives none of the limelight enjoyed by Spain’s more familiar destinations. So when I first sat down to write this piece I cast my mind back to remember the inspiration behind our own first trip.

And, as I recall it was cheese!

Torta del Casar cheese — *Torta del Casar Cheese*

I guess it would have been around 2012, and not too long after moving our original Malton restaurant to its new home on Goodramgate in York. We had enjoyed a reasonably successful first year in York and had begun to think about adding a second site. We identified Leeds as a potential location and began to spend our very occasional days off checking out the city centre for suitable locations.

These visits were predominantly fact finding, to see where an Ambiente might fit. Some included viewings of available properties, some were to suss out the competition. But all of them invariably culminated in a visit to “Friends of Ham” near the station. This we saw as our just reward for a long day spent trudging around the city.

The appeal of this particular indie operator - beyond their great charcuterie, wine & beer offer - was their “Torta del Casar”. It’s a small puck of sheep’s cheese, served at room temperature with the top sliced off. This reveals a gooey, pungent, oozing sump of weapons grade dairy gloop. Wallace & Gromit would surely approve. Simply accompanied by some cornichons, bread and breadsticks it is a turophile’s delight. And it’s an absolute given that you have to scrape it all out - right down to the rind!

We soon discovered that this indulgently funky cheese was from Extremadura - which equally quickly put the region on our “to visit” map.

And so it came to pass that a couple of months later we flew into Faro, picked up a hire car, and after a few nights in Jerez and Seville, set off to find out what more Extremadura had to offer.

Obviously, we knew about the rearing of Pata Negra pigs and the Jamon Iberico they were prized for, along with their diet of acorns from the endless forests of cork oak trees. And we had also researched wine production too, and as a result had booked a few nights at a bodega with accomodation somewhere near Barros - we’d love to go back if only we could remember where it was! While there, we also sampled several localised iterations of our new favorite cheese (Casar, Barros, Canarejal) and visited a producer to get the full-on sensory experience - you could smell it from a quarter of a mile away. Suffice to say our cheese obsession had been sated.

As we drove around it became acutely apparent that much of Extremadura is effectively a wilderness. It is large, very large - twice the size of Wales - yet its population is just over one million, compared to Wales’ which has over three million. So it’s deserted. If Jesse Pinkman & Walter White had ever wanted a bit of European action, they only needed to point their meth-lab RV towards Extremadura - guaranteed solitude!

Rugged mountains in Extremadura — *Moutains in Extremadura*

Extremadura has mountain ranges and river valleys, olive groves and vineyards, pasture and forests. If you like varied scenery you're in the right place. Spending a week driving around it feels like discovering a completely new side of Spain.

Of course there are a few towns scattered about, but they feel very provincial. Badajoz is the largest and is close to the Portuguese border. On a more recent visit we stayed here, using it as a base to visit some excellent wineries in the area. I can report that we ate, drank and slept incredibly well in the town and would recommend it as a stopping off point. Our hotel in the old town, The Tres Campanas, has a stunning period facade, along with a huge bar and restaurant area which has lost none of its ornately opulent features from a previous life as a toy shop. I can’t really do it justice here, so I suggest you click the link and check it out (www.hotel3campanas.com).

The towns of Caceres and Merida are both around an hour’s drive from Badajoz. Caceres’ historic old town is a Unesco World Heritage site, prized for its unspoilt centre exhibiting a mix of Moorish, medieval and Renaissance architecture. As a result it is regularly used for filming and has featured in both Game of Thrones and House of The Dragon. For those of us less engaged by sweary, sexed-up Dungeons and Dragons/Tolkien mash-ups, the old town also presents an imposing backdrop against which to enjoy a long lunch in one of the many restaurants around Plaza Mayor.

Vineyard in Extremadura — *Extremadura Vineyard*

Merida’s architecture dates back to Roman times and is another Unesco site. An amphitheatre, a temple, private houses, and a theatre are among the buildings that remain largely intact. There’s also the remnants of some ancient Roman infrastructure that Thames Water might want to learn from.

In fact, the authenticity of the environment leaves you half expecting to see Frankie Howerd in toga and sandals coming at you across the forum shouting “Thrice nay!”

And he’d be right, because Merida is non-negotiable if you are planning a trip to Extremadura.

I referenced wine earlier, and although Extremadura is not one of Spain’s most famous winemaking regions, it is nonetheless a producer of some excellent wines. Much of it is consumed in the domestic market leaving less for export. So it makes sense to sample what you can while in the area. Many of the producers are self-sufficient family run businesses, growing and vinifying themselves, with a philosophy that favours making quality wines to the best of their ability. Many offer vineyard visits and tastings as part of their business model - which is always a pleasant way to spend an hour or two. Zoe’s more considered article on the wines of Extremadura can be found here.

Cork Oak Tree in the sunny hills of Extremadura — *Cork Oak Tree*

And then, finally, we have the food. We served the cheese course at the beginning of this piece, but there is so much more. Pork, pulses, grains, chestnuts, are all staples of the local diet. We also encountered a surprising amount of fish, considering its a landlocked region. Don't leave Extremadura without trying “Migas”. It was originally peasant food intended to use up stale bread but has since been gentrified and appears on many menus in various forms.

So to recap, we have life-affirming wide-screen landscapes, some quality empty roads just begging to be road-tripped, charmingly historic towns, a plentiful supply of quality accommodation, a choice of excellent local wines produced by dedicated grower-producers …. and that amazing dippy cheese.

What’s not to like?

Tim.

Ambiente’s Map of Spain

If you’ve been inspired to head to Extremadura or anywhere else in Spain we’ve featured so far, we’ve created an “Ambiente Map of Spain” featuring some of our favourite places to eat, drink and explore. And we'll be adding to it monthly as we discover more of Spain together.

Discover Extremadura in our Restaurants

If a visit to Extremadura isn’t on the cards this month, then we’ll bring Extremadura to you! This month our team have created hearty and flavourful specials that are perfect for Autumn!

🥩Carrillera de Cerdo Ibérico

🥓Jamon Ibérico de Bellota

An ideal pairing with our Extremadura Wine specials of the Month!

Book your table to experience Extremadura today!

Come and give them a try while they're on the menu. Available throughout October.

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