Friday was a fantastic day after a week of rain and cold. The peaks of the mountains towards Getaria looked snowy and majestic, the sun was blinding with so much brightness, the sea gave off Pantone shades of azure, sky blue and indigo. The warm temperature was so surprising that the meeting to learn about the products of Finca Aroa was held outside and without fear of the expected sirimiri, that rain like dew, persistent, barely perceptible but annoying.
We attended the event, four of the most recognized influencers in this region in terms of gastronomy, recipes, cooking: @Ainaralo, @emulsiongourmet, @sansebastianfoodies, @marquesadegourmand and me, from Grupo Debate, Mexico. It was organized by Eskerne Falcón @discoversansebastian, a gastronomic guide, a kind of hyperactive and cheerful Tinkerbell, number one on Trip Advisor and for Forbes magazine, an indisputable reference.
The objective was to learn about a groundbreaking project in gourmet agriculture, with vegetables grown in Getaria, a small and charming walled medieval town, in the past dedicated to hunting cetaceans. It is famous for being the birthplace of the sailor Juan Sebastián Elkano and the couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga, his grill and txakoli, an ancestral native wine, generally white.
We were received by Jaime Burgaña, manager of Aroa, @kosta_aroa, who explained that his project is thirty years old and his family for generations has worked both on the coast and in the sea, he even dedicated himself to inshore fishing, “a tough job , right?” Asked one of the influencers. “Hard? What’s that? It’s hard when you do something out of necessity and on top of that, with a bad work environment, ”answered the farmer, who confessed to being in love with his work. “Human beings must be in continuous learning and evolution to develop.”
In the past, he opted for organic products, worked with avant-garde chefs, constantly experimented and fulfilled special requests, such as producing Mexican green tomatoes, but it was an unprofitable venture and one chef even ended up buying the entire production and making jam.
Subsequently, he turned to technical agriculture that has allowed him to standardize production and commit to the client. He works with tomato varieties that through generations he has been improving to get signature tomatoes. He has donated old seeds to the Blas Enea ecological nursery so that small farmers can buy a plant that will last over time. “Let’s not forget that the tomato was brought by Elkano and not by Colón,” he said with a laugh.
Try to create microclimates with insects that help protect plants against pests. Apply ecological treatments with neem oil, nettle water and use bees to pollinate. He has developed his own style taking into account the particularity of the climate that obeys the wishes of the Cantabrian Sea, a capricious sea. Likewise, he confessed that he was fed up with biodynamic calendars, lunar phases, but recommended that when the moon rises, fruit be cultivated and when it descends, root and leaf plants.
Another guest was Iban Unzueta, from the txakoli Olatu, @txakoliolatu, who explained that the txakoli of the year is a myth: his 2020, aged on lees, preserves the effervescence of the carbon dioxide that emerges from natural fermentation. He talked about his new products: sangria, a beer in a small container and a cardboard cooler, ideal for the beach and recyclable.
We close with a tasting of preserves from Aroa: hand-peeled and candied broad bean petals, low-temperature artichoke, wood-roasted peppers and mini peas cooked for thirty seconds. Each creation was dotted with edible flowers, also signature: marigolds, blue and white violas and crunchy petals, with an irresistible spicy touch. Everything, washed down with txakoli, in short, a delicious and unforgettable day.
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