What to eat in Alcalá del Júcar: the food of La Manchuela

Alcalá del Júcar lies in La Manchuela, the district shared by Albacete and Cuenca between the rivers Júcar and Cabriel. It is a land of vineyards, mushrooms, riverside market gardens and hearty stews: substantial dishes designed for the cold of the La Mancha winter and for long days in the fields. Here is what to try.

Stews and pan dishes

Gazpacho manchego

Nothing to do with the cold Andalusian gazpacho. This is a stew of game or chicken with tomato and mushrooms, thickened with pieces of torta cenceña, an unleavened flatbread that is cooked in the stew itself. It is served hot and traditionally eaten on top of the flatbread. In many places it is also called galianos.

Atascaburras

The winter dish. Boiled potato mashed with desalted cod and olive oil into a thick paste, finished with hard-boiled egg and walnuts. The name means it is so filling it would “stop a donkey”. It is traditionally made on snowy days.

Ajo mataero

Also known as ajo pringue. A rustic pâté of pork liver with bread, pine nuts, garlic and spices, made on the day of the pig slaughter. Eaten spread on bread, it is one of the most distinctive flavours of the province of Albacete.

Morteruelo

A cousin of the previous one and very typical of neighbouring Cuenca: a thick paste of pork liver, game and breadcrumbs, seasoned with cinnamon and cloves. Served warm or cold.

Pisto manchego

Tomato, pepper and courgette slowly fried, often topped with a fried egg. Simple and on every menu in the area.

Lamb and game

Lamb stew, grilled lamb chops and, in season, partridge, rabbit and wild boar. The Júcar gorge is hunting country and the menus show it.

Local produce

• Mushrooms. La Manchuela is one of Spain’s largest producers of cultivated mushrooms. Order them grilled with garlic and parsley.
• Manchego cheese. Made from Manchega sheep’s milk, cured or semi-cured, with its own designation of origin. You will find it in any shop in the village.
• Olive oil and honey from the district.
• Riverside vegetables. The market gardens along the Júcar supply the local markets.

The wines: DO Manchuela

La Manchuela has its own designation of origin and its grape is Bobal, a native variety that gives fruity, fresh reds and rosés. There are wineries open to visitors in nearby villages such as Casas Ibáñez, Villamalea and Iniesta. At festival time everyone drinks cuerva, a refreshing mix of red wine, fruit, sugar and lemonade that is the summer drink of the whole province.

Sweets

Aniseed rolls, mantecados and, at Easter, torrijas. From nearby La Roda come the miguelitos, puff pastries filled with custard that have become famous throughout Spain and can be found in many bakeries in the province.

Where to eat in Alcalá del Júcar

The village has restaurants and bars for every taste, but there are two experiences you should not miss:

1. Eating or having a drink in a cave. The Diablo, Garadén and Masagó caves have bars with terraces carved into the rock, hanging over the river. The views are the best dessert.
2. A table by the river. In the lower part of the village there are restaurants with terraces on the bank of the Júcar, perfect for summer evenings.

And if you prefer to cook, all three of our homes have an equipped kitchen. You can shop in the village or drive fifteen minutes to Casas Ibáñez, which has supermarkets and a weekly street market.

To walk it all off, there is nothing like one of the hiking trails that start in the village. And if your time is short, our weekend plan makes room for everything.