Valencia will celebrate from November 3 to 17 the second edition of the “Ruta de les Coques by Ambar”, a biannual gastronomic event aimed at enhancing the value of traditional Valencian coca. A total of 18 restaurants in different neighborhoods of the city will present their creative interpretations of this recipe, paired with different varieties of Ambar beer.
The project, which had its first edition in May this year, will repeat the formula: for two weeks, the public will be able to taste the proposals and vote for their favorite.
The hotelier Andrés García, who leads the project together with the journalist Iris Montoya, explained during the press conference that repeating the edition “means that both the public and the restaurants value what we do and, of course, the tradition”.
Expansion of areas and participants
In this second edition, the number of participants has increased to 18 and the areas in which to enjoy the route have been expanded to include Ruzafa, Cánovas, Ciutat Vella, Cabañal, Puerto, Extramurs, Campanar, Aragón and Ciudad de las Ciencias. According to the organization, the aim is that “year after year, more Valencian establishments and neighborhoods join in”.
Among the creations, there are both traditional and innovative options, and even gluten-free. In Ruzafa, Zalamero will prepare a coca of ‘figatell d’Ontinyent’ and roasted eggplant, while La Chata Ultramarinos will participate with ‘La Cabanyalera’, of titaina and starry egg. La Vendetta and La Santa Fe will offer options suitable for celiacs in this same neighborhood.
In the area of El Cabanyal and the Port, Fets will experiment with pumpkin and smoked products; Front will offer a coca of ‘ragut de mar’ and dried octopus; and Glops i Llandes will present the ‘Coca del bosque umami’, with shiitake cream and sautéed mushrooms.
The central area will feature Alenar’ s proposal (boletus and ajoarriero) and Tocar mare‘s ‘La iaia’, a tribute to traditional recipes with tomato confit, sausage and crispy black pudding.
In Extramurs, Timoteo will innovate with a coca of its Almussafes croquette and Camiri with one of veal sweetbread and marrow. For its part, the Beirut restaurant will offer the same shawarma and eggplant hummus creation in its three locations (Ruzafa, Aragón and Ciudad de las Ciencias).
Competition and popular vote
The route establishes a price of 10 euros for the special coke accompanied by a third of Ambar. There is also the option of pairing it with a glass of Corona de Aragón or Anayón de Grandes Vinos wine, another of the sponsors.
At the same time, a contest will be held to choose the “Best Creation of the II Ruta de les Coques by Ambar”. From November 3 to 12, the public will be able to vote for their favorite coke through a QR code available on the coasters of the premises.
The five most voted recipes will go through to a final, which will be held behind closed doors on Monday, November 17. There, an expert jury will be in charge of selecting the winning coke.
With the exception of the winning coca, which may remain on the menu for several weeks, the rest of the creations will no longer be available at the end of the event, in order to maintain the freshness of the proposal.