Last Friday, May 10, 2019, the IV Fair of Fine Sands was held in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz, Costa de la Luz, Southwest of Spain).
Aerial view of Sanlúcar
Sanlúcar up close
This has been the poster announcing the Fair, this year:
The Poster
The Mayor of Sanlúcar, Víctor Mora, presented the fourth edition of the Fair of Our Fine Sands Products, which is dedicated to the Circumnavigation, this year. Mora said that "it is a pleasure to be able to share with all this IV Fair of Fine Sands, a mark that we have managed to make in Sanlúcar, from the City Council, both the cooperatives and the Montilla Market, to give the value it deserves to the products of this land".
The event took place at the headquarters of the women's association Ager Veneriensis de Bonanza, where Víctor Mora stated that "it is a brand that is synonymous with quality, with some great products and also generating employment in the city, because do not forget that agriculture in Sanlúcar generates a lot of employment", highlighting the increasingly important role of women, in the agricultural field.
This was the presentation of the Poster, in the Association "Ager Veneriensis":
The Mayor in the Ager Veneriensis Association
The Mayor watching the poster of the Fair
The Mayor stressed that the secret of the quality of the products of the area, in addition to the sand, is none other than water, "so during these years, to give them guarantee and safety we have contributed to the construction of the new raft ".
Project for Improvement and Modernization of the Irrigation Community Colonia Agrícola Monte Algaida
Mora continued explaining that "we want to continue collaborating, to continue betting on the products of Sanlúcar", and took the opportunity to invite all bars, restaurants and markets to buy products from the area, because, in addition to giving quality, it is guaranteed that the employment stays in the city.
The Mayor of Sanlúcar was calling on everyone to go last May 10, to the Plaza del Cabildo, to enjoy the products, see auctions and enjoy the daily life of a cooperative and, of course, taste great dishes by the hand of Ager Veneriensis.
Plaza del Cabildo
The Mayor with the waitresses of Age Veneriensis
Peppers, potatoes, cucumbers or melons all of them, always from the fine sands of Sanlúcar, once again the city council, in collaboration with the cooperatives of Sanlúcar, have exhibited the products grown in the lands of the Algaida.
A stand with vegetables in the Plaza del Cabildo
Another fruit and vegetable stand but on the ground
The same fruit and vegetable up close
Another stand
More fruit and vegetable
Another view of the same stand
One of the Cooperatives, which collaborates in the Fair of Fine Sands, is the Cooperative "Virgen del Rocío".
The two basic crops of this Cooperative are carrots and, above all, potatoes, although white courgettes, Italian peppers and goat horn, pumpkins, turnips, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potatoes are also grown ....
Many potatoes in the Cooperative Virgen del Rocio
Carrots in the Cooperative Virgen del Rocio
Another vegetables in the Cooperative
The potato of Sanlucar is characterised by its regular and elongated shape, because when growing in fine sand the terrain allows the tuber to grow freely. Its colour is white, unlike the one cultivated in albariza of yellow or reddish colour. Its skin is fine and that of the new potato comes off with the fingers. In greengrocers, we can recognise them because, unlike others, it is covered with sand and not with soil.
Picking potatoes grown in sand
The potatoes from Sanlúcar
Currently, the potato of this area is marked with a special badge to avoid fraud: "Fine sands". This brand only has potatoes grown in Bonanza and Algaida, the only ones raised in sand.
The brand Las Arenas Finas
The seeds come from the Netherlands and, to sow them, they are cut into pieces. The potatoes produced here are not used to prevent genetic degeneration of the plant.
The potatoes are sold freshly picked (new), from November to March, the so-called "winter potatoes" or seasonal or are stored in cameras (old). New potatoes are better for frying and have more water and less concentration of starch. The old ones are normally used for stews and are sweeter because the starch is progressively transformed into glucose.
Mr. Antonio Lara, vice president of the cooperative explains that there are currently 400 members and that there are three auctions a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. The price is set by the auctioneer at the top and goes down until they are bought.
 in Sanlucar.jpg)
Auction of papas (potatoes) in Sanlucar
Many people tasted great dishes, made with vegetables from Sanlúcar, by the hand of Ager Veneriensis.
Dishes prepared by the Ager Veneriensis
Most of the sales remain in the province of Cádiz.
Well, I hope that you will like this article.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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