València, Spain 7
Our flight was in the early afternoon of Day 7, so we had time enough for breakfast and last minute shopping in the morning. We visited Horno Lourdes, a local bakery near the hotel. I had a slice of Torta de Nueces, a traditional Valencian walnut cake, and J did two empanadas (I don't know what fillings he chose). We also ordered drinks (chamomile tea for me, black tea for J, fresh orange juice for us), secured two high chairs and a part of the counter table in the back of the bakery, and enjoyed breakfast like locals. My walnut cake was very nice!
Then, we explored the Central Market one more time to find anything we would like to take home with us...
Tiger nuts! Since we loved unsweetened Horchata, I thought if we bought some tiger nuts, we could make our own Horchata. Alternatively, we found cartons of unsweetened Horchata in the market. We bought two cartons. I think it was wiser.
I picked up a Magdalena Calabaza for breakfast of the next day. Magdalenas are traditional Spanish lemon-scented, olive oil-based sponge cupcakes. Mine was a pumpkin version. It was light and tasty!
We stopped by a vendor selling lots of dried fish. We were curious about Mojama, a Spanish delicacy of salt-cured, air-dried tuna loin. We bought one in darker color and one in lighter color. It seems that the color is different by loin part. The lighter was tender (probably fattier) and milder (less fishy); the darker was more chewy with a more intense flavor (more fishy).
At the end we bought eight empanadas at La Porteñita, a highly-rated Argentinian empanada store in the market. The fillings we chose were ham&cheese x2, tuna x2, chorizo x1, pumpkin x1, goat cheese x1 and one I forgot. They were delicious. The fillings were very tasty (a little salty for me, though). I liked the dough very much. It was thin and light - neither oily nor flaky - holding the generous filling without breaking as I ate. It also tasted neutral and tasty. I would like to have a recipe of the perfect empanada dough.
Despite the flight trouble, the trip provided us with many wonderful experiences. In particular, we ate very well! Valencia was a truly amazing place for foodies. We also walked a lot as always. The city was not too large or too small, flat and pedestrian-friendly, encouraging us to keep walking all day. Valencia is now on my list of great winter-vacation destinations.
p.s. the trip had ended but the taste of Valencia remained in our pantry and refrigerator for a while. It didn't last long, though...
Papúa Chocolates' artisan treats were my favorite. They were absolute gems!
