GASTRONOMY OF VILLAFÁFILA

This was based on the "cocido" or midday meal, according to the family economy, which was available, of chickpeas and family slaughter. A good "cocido" was the extraordinary food that the peasant had on holidays or guests! But this did not happen every day. The "lunch" based on garlic soup with bacon was very common, necessary for people who had to make notable physical efforts. Dinner with vegetables, pasta or potatoes, eggs or fish was usual. It was the daily food diet. Monotonous and austere diet, which did not allow excess, covering the necessary food needs.

There were cases among poorer peasants, there were none of solemnity! From the sale of hams from the family pig to acquire more bacon, cheaper and more necessary. The following anecdote was told in this regard. One of the clergymen of the town who bought the aforementioned hams was criticized, he, for this reason, addressed his parishioners saying: "you are saying that D. Pedro, the one who eats the hams of the town, you know, also does Secundino rib And you don't criticize him." And after failing, he repeated to himself: "Here lies D. Pedro León who reached ninety-two by dint of trickery and ham . "

From the pig that is raised at home for the slaughter, it is fed with flour, several products are obtained, highly appreciated, hams, bacon, chorizo, salami, ribs, loins, are the most appreciated, it is also obtained, snout, ears , heart, livers, legs, backbone, brains, steaks, tail, etc. everything was used from the pig.

Apart from providing the aforementioned products, it makes families come together on those days around the slaughter.

Wheat bread was made, the baking was done in the peasant's own house, in the oven: the dough of flour fermented with the "urmiento", passed through the "borreguil" and in the form of bread was introduced in that, previously " rosy". With cereal straw and vine shoots, for its cohura. In addition to ordinary bread, oil "cakes" were made, different from that.

In the vicinity of the festivities, taking advantage of the heating of the oven, typical sweets, donuts, pasta, buns, shortbread, etc. were made. The "bolo maimón" has always been a typical sweet of the town.

Today bread is no longer baked in the oven, cooked bread is eaten once a week at most, since chickpeas are no longer planted, being replaced by other foods in all houses there are all products. The consumption of meat and fish increases, with a decrease in legumes and potatoes, the slaughter products continue to be maintained, as are the typical sweets of each date, hens are also raised to obtain eggs, chickens, rabbits, the farmers they self-supply from their production, lambs, calves and suckling pigs.

Milk, lacking before, is nowadays very abundant. Due to the numerous cattle and sheep farms. Milk is used to make cheese, custard, rice pudding, and flan, which are the most typical. In San Isidro it is typical to make rice pudding and cheese with sheep's milk.

In February, which are the Compadres and Comadres, the typical sweet is the ears.

The orchards and fruit trees have completely disappeared, there are only a few small orchards.

The lofts that provided so many pigeons have largely disappeared, they are no longer used as a great source of food for the resource that they were, but some are still in production.

Author, photography, transcription and montage:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

All text, photographs, transcription and montage, the rights belong to their authors, any type of use is prohibited without authorization.