The Taste of Devotion: The Cofrade Tapas Route Triumphs in Alicante

Calamar de la Terreta, marinera de ensaladilla de mero y dados de hueva or croqueta de berenjena con su montilla are some of the evocative creations presented this year at the Cofrade Tapas in Alicante. Until April 17, a fortnight of bars and restaurants in Alicante showcase their creativity in this contest, reviving the spirit of Lent to offer one of these dishes for 4.50 euros.

The contest joins the Friday Lent menus to bring back the meatless spoon dishes that grandmothers and mothers made in the forty days leading up to Easter. Additionally, the Cofrade Tapas selects the best proposal each year in a popular contest, which last year was won by the Carví brewery in Plaza de América. In the 2024 edition, the most voted dish was the artichoke tears, a tapa that remains on their menu and has turned this establishment into a gastronomic pilgrimage point for locals and tourists.

The website of the event -https://jornadascuaresmaalicante.com- includes all participating establishments. Moreover, those who try these dishes can vote for their favourite tapa and enter a draw for several prizes, including a 100-euro gift voucher.

The Provincial Association of Hospitality Entrepreneurs of Alicante, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce and Hospitality of the City Council and the Major Board of Brotherhoods and Cofradias of Holy Week, has organised this proposal that brings the best of Alicante's gastronomy from the centre to the city's neighbourhoods.

An initiative that the hoteliers themselves claim is gaining more traction and attracting both locals and tourists to their establishments. They highlight that the effect of the Lent Days extends throughout the year, a commitment to gastronomy that they acknowledge is drawing diners thanks to Alicante's gastronomic capital status. In fact, more than 500 people have already voted in these days, a figure that, with 15 days remaining, has already surpassed last year's.

In the heart of the Altozano neighbourhood is Cervecería Carví. From the imagination, and hours spent in front of the Cooking Channel, of its chef María Pérez come the tapas that this establishment presents each year to this contest. In 2024, their artichoke tears managed to captivate the locals and won the first prize of this competition.

This year, they offer their 'Calamar Terreta' tapa, a proposal where the best of the sea and land come together in a single bite. The chef, María Pérez, explains that it is a squid stuffed with its tentacles, local vegetables, and white shrimp from Villajoyosa. The dish is finished with a seafood sauce topped with artichoke chips from Vega Baja.

This year, Carví seeks a journey through the province of Alicante through gastronomy and the best Mediterranean ingredients. For María Pérez, the secret of her tapas is a lot of love and dedication.

The Alicante establishment of Bodegas Gambín embraces the tradition of Holy Week to reflect in its dish the Manolas. The women who dress in black with mantilla during the processions have in this tapa named 'Manola' a tribute with the traditional dark mantilla that characterises them.

In this tapa, one can savour an eggplant croquette with bacon mousse and its mantilla. The dish also sits on a peanut or Doritos soil that contrasts the creamy texture with the crunchy croquette. The chef, Mary Paz Martínez, explained that what has attracted people the most is precisely the mantilla, made with squid ink. This chef explains that the recipe involves combining black raw materials with oil, water, and corn flour, and while the ingredients are simple, crafting this decoration requires great skill.

This is the first time Bodegas Gambín participates in the Holy Week tapas contest. However, they are experts in Lent menus, where this year they offer a traditional 'Putxero de pop' that captures the flavours of Benissa, where it is a classic recipe.

This small bar in the Carolinas Market offers a reinterpretation of one of the tapas that cannot be missed in any establishment. El Barecito has chosen for the Cofrade Tapas contest a 'Marinera de ensaladilla de mero y dados de hueva'. This dish combines a classic bar snack with the intense flavour of roe in contrast with the acidity of piparras, creating a blend of flavours that mix in the mouth.

The chef of El Barecito, Sergio Pérez, explains that his tapa is very versatile. The bun on which the marinera rests can be replaced with a gluten-free one, along with other adaptations for different allergens. This restaurateur explains that the Cofrade Tapas encourages people to visit the neighbourhoods and that this year it is proving to be a great success.

The proposal from El Barecito brings together the best of local products to turn them into a special tapa. A special attraction of this establishment is that being located in the Carolinas Market makes it the perfect stop to shop at one of the traditional greengrocers, fishmongers, or butcheries in this space.