A culture would have no meaning without its architectonic legacy, its artistic creations and its conquests. A brand new edition of Tàrraco a Taula, as part the Tarraco Viva Festival, will prove how cuisine does also become a key pillar in order to understand any nation’s identity.
Using the Emperor Augustus’ death bi-millennium ‘Imperial Cuisine‘ as a way of inspiration, this new edition of Tàrraco a Taula has gathered 19 of the most representative establishments of the city so that our stomach is capable of travelling in time.
The proposal is divided into 3 main categories. On one hand, we have those offering little dishes or individual portions, such as the bars Alhambra, El Cortijo and Pulvinar.
And on the other hand, we have those establishments serving Roman cuisine tasting menus at 25€ or 35€. We have to also bear in mind that all the dishes taking part in this historical gastronomic proposal have gone through a sort of very strict culinary sieve. Thus, we can assure that all the used ingredients belong to the time of the Roman Empire.
Among the little dishes and individual portions, with prices that go from 3 and 11€, we can try delicacies such as the Fabacia Vinum (beans cooked with red wine) together with up to five different handmade beers in Alhambra restaurant; a Assatvrae (roasted pork with mustard and honey) with some kind of natural wine in El Cortijo; or the Il Metulis (clams with cumin sauce), in Pulvinar, at Tàrraco’s circus.
As part of the 25€ tasting menus, we can find, among others, a Aliter Betacios Lenticulum from Pompeia (black volcanic lentils purée with baby cuttlefish) in Ares restaurant; ‘kika’ eggs (a little kind of hen) with lamb brains on red cabbage purée with apple and rose petal juice, in El Llagut restaurant; a Pisce Asso Cvm Praecoquis et Fungi Cvm Mel (tender pork loin with apricot and mushrooms with honey) in Sadoll restaurant; or a roasted lamb back with nuts, a creation by Tecla 60.
Finally, and among the 35€ tasting menus, we would highlight the Farro (a kind of wheat fried pancakes) with stock, baldana (Catalan black pudding) and cod intestines, in Cócvla restaurant; a Aliter Betacios Varronis and Catabia sauce (cabbage cannelloni with salmon, bacon, Moretvm, Apiciano, beetroot preserve and honey) you can taste in El Terrat restaurant; or lamb stuffed with apricot cocked with honey, in Taller de Cuina.
As the perfect ending, this year’s edition with count on the collaboration of the additional partners: Forn Andreu, by means of a spectacular Roman bread, and Raffa Gelati, with a selection of Roman nectars; without a doubt, the definitive cherry on this gastronomic cake worthy of the Emperor Augustus.
More info:
– Tàrraco Viva official website
– Tàrraco Viva on Twitter: @Tarraco_Viva
– Tàrraco Viva Facebook page
– Facebook Tarraco a Taula
Text and translation: Artur Santos (@artur_1983 on Twitter)
