March 6 to 22 Artichoke Festival in Lorca!

20 bars and restaurants in Lorca compete to produce the best artichoke dish

Agriculture is one of the main pillars of the economy in the huge municipality of Lorca, and the latest gastronomic event sponsored by the Town Hall consists of two weeks celebrating the locally grown artichokes.

Artichokes may not be everybody’s favourite, but they are a remarkably successful crop in Murcia, where more of them are grown than in any other region of Spain. Murcia accounts for 30 per cent of Spain’s artichoke exports (60 per cent of the artichoke fields are in the Guadalentín valley, around Lorca) and the vegetable is much used in the regional cuisine, as is demonstrated by the fact that 20 restaurants and bars are taking part in the “Jornadas Gastronómicas de la Alcachofa”.

These restaurants are Cuatro Bellotas, Cervecería Las Columnas, La Alacena de Braulio, La Mafia se sienta a la mesa, Restaurante Los Cazorlos (in Campillo), Phelan’s Irish Pub, Vinoteca El Parloteo, Venta Cristóbal, Chiringuito Marinero (in Purias), Tostadelia, Parador de Lorca, Restaurante Tebeo, Tapería Mimo’s, Bar-Restaurante Tahití (in Almendricos), Vinoteca La Vendimia, Leonardo Gastrónomo, Bar Medieval (in Zarcilla de Ramos), Restaurante Paredes and Gastrobar Cañarejo (in Cazalla).

Both locals and visitors are welcome to join in the voting for the best of the dishes featured on the “Rutappa” app (available on both Play Store and App Store), where they stand a chance of winning prizes by choosing their favourite way of making the most of this healthy ingredient.  After tasting their first dish, participants can request from the establishment their unique voting code.

At the end of the fortnight there is a prizegiving ceremony and a show cooking event at the San Juan Bosco secondary school, featuring Repsol and Michelin starred chef Pablo González Conejero. This takes place on 24th March at 10.30.

For more local events, news and visiting information contact the tourist office at the Palacio de Guevara (telephone 968 441914) or go to the home page of Lorca Today.