The Spanish Postal Service will dedicate a miniature sheet to cider and broad beans, two of the Asturian landmarks, as part of the “Gastronomy, Protected Designation of Origin” series. It will be released on 20th March with a 3-euro face value. Envelopes with the postmark of First Day of Emission will be presented at noon…
CIDER WOMEN/ Las Mujeres de la Sidra
Cider Women is a British new pan-industry and consumer group formed in 2019 designed to champion the role of women in cider, facilitating peer support and networking for self-identity awareness. Their aim is to raise the profile of women in the world of cider, to welcome all who are interested, not just those who produce…
EDIBLE CIDER/ Sidra para comer
Nowadays, there are many ways to enjoy cider, not only by drinking it. It is obviously not the same, but loads of products are offered to please the sweet-toothed people’s palate. Villa Melba, Aramburu, Don Ramiro and La Fabariega, which uses cider from Los Gemelos cidermill, offer their artisan apple and natural cider jelly. Cider…
CIDER THROUGH MEMORY/ Sidra en el recuerdo
Sparkling or champagne cider is not new in Asturias, as it started being produced in the XIX century to be exported in overseas trade. And, though some of the best known brands are still active, like El Gaitero or Mayador, some others are in our memories in the form of beautiful old advertising, both in…
A WORLD OF CIDER/ Un mundo de sidra
Cider is a beverage made all over the world and from many different ingredients that provide for a range of flavours and styles; from tart and dry to sweet and rich, clear or cloudy, still or fizzy. Apart from the amazing varieties found in Asturian cider, different countries offer different cider drinking experiences. While English…
CIDER BETWEEN TWO SPRINGS/ Sidra entre dos primaveras
The cycle of our most typical drink takes place during the months between two springs. Once the pumares (apple trees) blossom, the process culminating with the tasting in the llagar (cider press-house) or chigre (cider bar) starts. Before pouring a culín (glass of cider), the following must happen: PICKING: Pañar the apples. The picking season…
ASTURIAN CIDERS AT DUBAI GULFOOD FAIR/ Sidras asturianas en la feria Gulfood de Dubai
Gulfood, the world’s largest anual food and beverage trade exhibition, is coming back on its Silver Jubilee this year. The fair, held in Dubai from 16th to 20th February, will be attended by two of the most emblematic Asturian cider brands: Mayador and El Gaitero. Sidra Mayador’s deputy director Verisimo Busto and export area manager…
THE CONVIVIAL MEAL, A COMMUNAL RITE/ La espicha, un rito colectivo
Espichas, or convivial meals in Asturias, are ritual celebrations when the cider barrel is opened, after an approximately two-month aging. Once a small hole is opened in the barrel, cider is tasted and then, it is plugged again with a wooden spike called espicha. This is from which this tasting action takes its name and,…
THE CIDER BAR, A MEETING POINT/ El chigre, punto de reunión
The chigre, formerly named after a utensil found in ships to bail water, is the device which, attached to a wall, includes a very powerful corkscrew to open cider bottles. It became a successful tool in cider bars so, extensively, they were named chigres and their owners, chigreros. Nowadays, there are nearly 7,000 premises selling…
CIDERS FROM INDIA/ Sidras de la India
It might sound weird to talk about cider in India, but this 2,000-year-old traditional drink has recently enter the country market. “In recent years, there has been a renaissance of interest in cider drinking, both in America and Europe, so India could not have reamained untouched for long”, cider manufacturer Dinesh Gupta, who launched Tempest…
