Rice is, without a doubt, the main protagonist of Alicante’s gastronomy. A protagonism that can and should be extended to the entire Valencian Community, although we all know that the best rice dishes are cooked and eaten in the province of Alicante. In the lands of Alicante is made the greatest and best variety of rice: a banda, black, senyoret, with rabbit and snails, with crust, with lobster, with vegetables … We could continue almost to infinity, and even beyond.
Leaving aside the recipes catalog and focusing on its unique protagonist, rice, we can say that the best variety of this legendary cereal is grown in Alicante’s lands. Yes, in the town of Pego, specifically in La Marjal which also extends through the municipality of Oliva in Valencia, the mythical Bombón Rice is once again being harvested, a variety superior even to the sensational Bomba Rice. In a place declared a Natural Park in 1994, which has its origin in the filling of an old bay, a group of rice growers cultivated until the sixties of the last century an exclusive variety taking advantage of the particular climatic and orographical conditions of the area: a warmer temperature than in other rice regions, very rich soils that make fertilizers practically unnecessary, irrigation with water from two rivers of clean water (the Bullent and the Racons), and a handcrafted harvesting and selection.
And what are the causes for the rice Bombon to be considered a gastronomic jewel? To begin with, it has all the characteristics of the Bomba rice, from which it only differs by small nuances. First of all, as the Bomba, it has a slightly smaller grain than other varieties, it needs a few more minutes of cooking, which makes it absorb more broth and therefore be more tasty. Although it is smaller before being cooked, during cooking its size increases up to 20% more than other varieties. And the key: it is a rice that does not break when it is cooked, so it always stays whole and, by releasing less starch, it does not get impregnated.
Before being harvested, it is a variety that is very resistant to diseases, so it needs less phytosanitary products and, besides being more respectful of the flora and fauna of the place where it is grown, it is more natural and ecological than other varieties. It is also the variety that best adapts to the characteristics of the soil, water and climate of La Marjal, as it is from there that it is native, so productivity is guaranteed.
From now on, the key is that Pego’s farmers bet on this variety in their plots and that the restaurateurs of the Valencian Community will opt for the rounded and semi-perfect grain of the Bombon as the ideal rice for their culinary creations.
A special mention to the local company Pego Natura that is doing a great job pushing everyone to work in the same direction to maintain and promote this fantastic local product.
Photos by: Pego Natura
