Alardo
The alardo is the mock battle of the Moors and Christians fiestas, in which the two sides fight it out with arquebus fire for control of the castle.
FestivalsGlossary
Glossary of rice dishes, Valencian fiestas and catering
This glossary gathers the vocabulary you hear in an Aspe kitchen and at the fiestas around it: rice dishes and paella, Moors and Christians, Hogueras and Fallas, plus the language of catering and food regulations, such as allergens or the cold chain. Each entry explains the term patiently and without jargon. To find one, use the search box or browse by letter and by family. And if you would like to see these words on the table, take a look at our paella and show cooking and our service for local fiestas.
More words for food and fiestas
For a January outing, start with the Three Kings parade. You can also explore Falla, Ninot, Traca, Verbena, Charanga, Escuadra (Moors and Christians), Saffron, Caldero, Cremaet.
A
Alférez and captain
In Moors and Christians, the captain and the alférez are the fiesta roles that lead each side; alférez comes from the old officer who carried the flag.
FestivalsArroz a banda
Arroz a banda is a seafood rice typical of Alicante, cooked in the stock left by a fish stewed beforehand, served separately from that fish, with alioli.
RiceArroz con costra
Arroz con costra (crusted rice) is the rice dish of Elche and Orihuela: rabbit, local sausages and chickpeas under a crust of baked egg.
RiceArroz del senyoret
Arroz del senyoret is an Alicante seafood rice with the shellfish peeled and the fish boned, so you can eat it without getting your hands messy.
RiceB
Bomba rice
Bomba is a Spanish short-grain rice that soaks up a lot of stock and stands up to long cooking without going soft.
RiceBous al carrer
Bous al carrer are traditional Valencian bull events in which fighting cattle are let loose, led or dodged in the street, never fought as in a bullfight.
FestivalsC
Caldero
Turismo Región de Murcia describes caldero as the Mar Menor’s characteristic rice dish, made with fish and ñora peppers.
RiceCasal faller
The casal faller is the clubhouse of a Fallas committee in Valencia: the place where its members meet, organise the falla and socialise all year round.
FestivalsCatering
Catering is the service that prepares and supplies food and drink away from the client’s own kitchen: for events, companies, schools or transport.
LogisticsCharanga
A charanga is a wind and percussion band that brings music to fiestas and street parades; in Elche it also names a festive parade.
FestivalsCold chain in catering
The cold chain in catering means controlling the temperature of chilled food from the moment it is made until it is served, transport included.
LogisticsComparsa
In Moors and Christians, a comparsa (filà in Alcoy) is a troupe of festeros on the Moorish or Christian side, with its own name, costume, officers and base.
FestivalsCreamy, soupy and dry rice
The three ways a Spanish rice dish can turn out, depending on the stock: dry rice absorbs it all, creamy is like risotto and soupy is eaten with a spoon.
RiceCremà
The cremà is the burning of the Fallas and Hogueras monuments at the end of the fiesta; the plantà is when they are put up in the street.
FestivalsCremaet
A cremaet is coffee with flambéed spirits, usually rum, and flavourings such as citrus peel or cinnamon, associated with Valencian almuerzo.
FestivalsCross-contamination
Cross-contamination is the transfer of micro-organisms or allergens from one food, person or utensil to another food. Separation and cleaning prevent it.
Regulations and allergensCuartelillo
In Moors and Christians, the cuartelillo (quartelet in Valencian) is the clubhouse where festeros gather at fiesta time to eat, get ready and welcome guests.
FestivalsE
Embajada
In Moors and Christians, the embajada is the scene where an ambassador demands the castle’s surrender before battle – nothing to do with a real embassy.
FestivalsEscuadra (Moors and Christians)
An escuadra is a group of fiesta participants who parade as a unit within a comparsa or filà during Moors and Christians celebrations.
FestivalsF
Falla
A falla is a temporary monument made of figures and satirical scenes, installed in the street and burnt as part of the fiesta.
FestivalsFideuà
Fideuà is a dish from Gandia made like a paella but with short noodles instead of rice, cooked dry in fish stock and served with alioli.
RiceFinger food
Finger food is food eaten with the hands, in small bites and without cutlery. In Spanish, FundéuRAE suggests “comida para picar” or “picoteo”.
Corporate eventsFoguera (hoguera)
The foguera (hoguera) is the ephemeral monument each Alicante district puts up in June and burns on the night of the 24th; the word also means its committee.
FestivalsFumet
Fumet is a concentrated fish or shellfish stock that isn’t meant to be drunk on its own: it’s the base for rice dishes, soups and sauces.
RiceG
Garrofó
Garrofó (garrofón in Spanish) is a large, very flat white bean with a thin skin and a creamy inside, and an essential part of paella valenciana.
RiceH
HACCP (APPCC)
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; APPCC in Spanish) is the system a food business uses to identify and control its hygiene risks.
Regulations and allergensHogueras barraca
The barraca is the enclosure a barraca committee sets up in the street during the Hogueras of Alicante; the racó is a foguera committee’s clubhouse.
FestivalsK
Kábila
In Moors and Christians, kábila is what some towns call a comparsa’s clubhouse, and what others, such as Abanilla, call each group on the Moorish side.
FestivalsM
Mascletà
A mascletà is a daytime display of firecrackers and bangers set off in a rising rhythm, typical of the Fallas and of the Hogueras in Alicante.
FestivalsMise en place
Mise en place (“put in place”) is the advance preparation of everything needed to cook or serve. In catering it also covers loading, transport and set-up.
LogisticsMoorish and Christian entrance (entrada)
The Moorish and Christian entrances are the grand parades of Moors and Christians: in each one, a side symbolically takes the town with all its comparsas.
FestivalsN
Ninot
A ninot is a figure within a falla monument; several figures can make up a scene within the complete work.
FestivalsNit de l’Albà
The Nit de l’Albà is the night of 13 August in Elche: gunpowder all over the city in honour of its patron saint, climaxing with the Palmera de la Virgen.
FestivalsP
Paella pan
A paella pan (paellera) is the round, wide, shallow metal pan with two handles that paella is cooked in.
RicePaella valenciana
Paella valenciana is the dry rice dish of chicken, rabbit, flat green beans and garrofó born around the Albufera; add seafood and it’s another paella.
RicePlating and table service
Plating is putting the food on each guest’s plate before it goes to the table. Table service is how that plate reaches the person eating it.
LogisticsR
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 governs food information to consumers in the EU, allergens included; Royal Decree 126/2015 adds Spain’s rules for unpackaged food.
Regulations and allergensS
Saffron
Saffron is the spice made from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus, used to add aroma, flavour and colour to rice dishes and stews.
RiceSocarrat
Socarrat is the thin, crunchy layer of toasted rice that sticks to the bottom of the paella pan once all the stock has cooked away.
RiceSofrito
Sofrito is the flavour base of ingredients cooked slowly in oil (onion, garlic, tomato or meat, depending on the dish) behind rice dishes and stews.
RiceT
The 14 allergens
The 14 allergens are the substances that cause allergies or intolerances and must be declared by law in the EU (Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011).
Regulations and allergensThree Kings parade
The Three Kings parade welcomes Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, usually on the evening before 6 January.
FestivalsTraca
A traca is a string of connected firecrackers that explode in succession, used in fiesta pyrotechnics.
FestivalsV
Verbena
A verbena is an outdoor night-time fiesta with music and dancing, usually held as part of a wider celebration.
FestivalsGlossary of rice dishes, Valencian fiestas and catering
Frequently asked questions
What does socarrat mean?
It is the thin layer of toasted, crunchy rice that sticks to the bottom of the paella once the stock has been absorbed. The word comes from the Valencian verb “socarrar”, to scorch. It is not burnt rice, just lightly toasted and perfectly edible. The “Socarrat” entry explains how it forms and how to tell it from an overcooked paella.
What is the difference between a barraca and a racó?
At the Hogueras in Alicante, a barraca is the enclosed space that a barraca committee, with its own board, sets up in the street from 20 to 24 June. A racó is the social headquarters of a foguera committee, designed for its members to get together. The “Hogueras barraca” entry compares them point by point.
What are the 14 allergens?
They are the substances that, by law, must always be declared when used in a food, including the unpackaged food served by a caterer. They are listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and apply across the EU: gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs.