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Discover the most traditional Murcian dishes to taste during the Bando de la Huerta and Spring Week in Murcia.
The arrival of Spring Week in Murcia is synonymous with joy, tradition and, of course, good food! It all starts on the first Tuesday after Easter, when the awaited Bando de la Huerta is celebrated, the event that marks the turning point between the solemnity of Easter and the joy of the Spring Festival. During this day, Murcia is filled with color, music, typical costumes and, above all, the most authentic flavors of the Murcian orchard.
At Casa Ballester, as good ambassadors of Murcian gastronomy, we love to live and share this festival, making available to you the finest products to celebrate the Bando as tradition dictates, both in the orchards and at home.
What is the Bando de la Huerta?
The Bando de la Huerta is much more than a party; it is an authentic recreation of the huerta life that fills the historic center of Murcia. It is celebrated on the first Tuesday after Easter and is the great starting signal of the Spring Festival, which continues throughout the week with popular events such as the Battle of Flowers Parade or the hilarious Burial of the Sardine, which takes place the following Saturday and puts the finishing touch to the most joyful week of the year in Murcia.
During the Bando, the city is transformed into a showcase of the best of the Murcian huerta. Murcianos (and not a few visitors) dress up in the huertano costume, parade floats adorned with flowers and vegetables that are distributed among the attendees, and the streets are filled with music and joy. But, above all, it celebrates the love for the customs and flavors of always, with special prominence for the most traditional cuisine linked to the garden.
Gastronomy in the orchards of the Peñas Huertanas
If there is something that defines the Spring Week, besides the colorful huerta costumes and the joy that is breathed in Murcia, are the famous Huertos de las Peñas Huertanas (vegetable gardens). Every year these gardens transform El Malecón and other green corners of the city into authentic gastronomic paradises. It’s like an express trip to the heart of the huerta without leaving the city!
The Peñas Huertanas, which are the authentic guardians of the Murcian tradition, set up huts full of flavor, good humor and festive atmosphere where they prepare the most traditional dishes of the local gastronomy, always with fresh local products. There you not only eat, you live the orchard! The most typical dishes are served at the bar or at outdoor tables: from a fresh Murcian salad to the classic zarangollo, salted meats, sausages and, of course, the unmistakable paparajotes. All washed down with laughter, conversation and the occasional toast with beer or local wine.
The best part? You can go from garden to garden tasting a little bit of here and a little bit of there, as if it were a gymkhana of flavors. And if you’re still hungry for more, at Casa Ballester we select the best products so you can take that garden flavor home with you any day of the year.
So you know, during the Bando, no diet is worth it! Put on your tie, take your handkerchief and get ready to enjoy, because in the orchards you can eat, laugh and celebrate the most authentic Murcia.
Typical Dishes of the Bando de la Huerta (Vegetable Garden Festival)
In the Bando de la Huerta, food is the real protagonist. It’s the perfect excuse to get together, enjoy and, above all, pay tribute to the incredible Murcian pantry. If you pass through the orchards or want to take the party home, take note of these essential dishes that you must try:
Murcian Salad
There is no Murcian celebration without Murcian salad. Simple, fresh and delicious. It has canned tomato, tuna, spring onion, hard-boiled egg and olives. The secret is in the quality of the ingredients: at Casa Ballester we select the best canned peeled tomato and tuna, so that you get the same taste as always, but in gourmet category!
Zarangollo
Another dish that cannot be missed is the zarangollo, a typical scrambled egg and zucchini, onion and, depending on the family, some potato. Perfect as a tapa or as an accompaniment.
Paparajotes
Do you know that nobody forgets their first paparajote? They are lemon tree leaves dipped in batter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. They are served freshly made, very hot. And if you want you can accompany them with a pot coffee with aniseed.
Sausages and salted meats
The tray of sausages and saltedmeats is the queen of the Murcian snack. There is no shortage of sausage, chorizo, black pudding and, of course, salted meats such as mojama, roe or salted tuna.
All of them can be found in Casa Ballester, selected among the best artisans of the Region of Murcia.
Goat cheese
To round off your table, add a table of Murcian goat cheeses, from the most cured with wine, rosemary or paprika, to the freshest grilled cheese with sobrassada.
At Casa Ballester you can find the PDO varieties of goat cheese with wine, with its intense color and mild flavor, goat cheese with rosemary, with a touch of the countryside, or with paprika, a key spice in our gastronomy.
Olives and Appetizers from the Orchard
Are you one of those who never forgets a good appetizer? Then you have to try the olives in different preparations, pickles or fried marcona almonds, perfect for snacking and to accompany any dish or simply to whet your appetite while enjoying the festive atmosphere.
In short, in the Bando de la Huerta you don’t count calories, you count memories! And if you want to follow the party, you can find many of these products in our physical store in Plaza de Verónicas or order them in our online store. Because at Casa Ballester, we want every celebration to have the authentic Murcian flavor.
