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The most characteristic dishes are made with rice which is cooked
in myriad of ways; the star of the show is the world famous Paella,
though there are other traditional dishes like arroz al horno
(oven-baked rice), arroz a banda (rice with fish), arroz negro
(rice with black squid ink), la fideuá (made with noodles instead
of rice) and all i pebre (a casseroled stew made with eels, garlic
and pepper).
All of these should be enjoyed with a glass or two of white wine
from Alto Turia and the Serranía, or red wine from Requena, Utiel,
and the Campo de Liria. They are all wines of excellent quality
with their own officially registered designation of origin.
The dessert menu offers fresh fruit (Valencia produces wonderful
oranges and citrus fruits) and an extensive array of pastries
such as rosetones, arrop i tallaetes or arnadí (a sweet made
from pumpkin, sweet potato and almonds), these are often accompanied
by a mistela or muscatel liqueur. During the Las Fallas festivals
buñuelos (a kind of doughnut) are very popular and must be sampled.
In the summer months, horchata (a milky drink made from tiger
nuts) and fartons (pastry sticks sprinkled with icing sugar),
will delight and refresh the weary traveller. Finally, we must
mention the 'Agua de Valencia' (Valencian water!!), a potent
combination of fresh orange juice and cava; just perfect for
raising a glass in honour of your visit to the city.
To help you choose a place to eat, we have prepared a comprehensive
restaurant guide to suit all tastes and budgets - as we say in
Valencia, "bon profit" ("enjoy your meal").
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