Artichokes, and especially their gastronomic uses, continue to be a tourist attraction at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), especially in regions such as Valencia and Navarre. The City Council of Tudela will distribute a total of 2,000 artichoke buds for their tasting during the fair, held from the 18th until the 22nd of January. The event will also be the stage for the presentation of the initiative "Vegetables all year round". For its part, the Mascotas Verdes association of Tudela will set up a space to showcase the traditional way to grow artichokes.
The crop will also be present in the stands of other regions, such as the Vega Baja, in Alicante. The Provincial Delegation will include it in a trivia question about the area, as well as a gastronomic guide that will be presented at its stand.
Artichokes will also be the main ingredient in a showcooking, intended to promote the gastronomy of Orihuela, that will take place in the stand of the Region of Valencia. The Hotel Restaurant Palacio Tudemi will prepare a modern dish using artichokes.
The Artichoke of the Vega Baja del Segura is being promoted at regional, national and international level as a flagship product of the south of the province of Alicante by different companies working in the area, from canning and freezing firms to producers and distributors, who are in pursuit of the best productivity and yields possible. For its part, the PDO Alcachofa de Benicarló will present its flagship product through a gastronomic exhibition.
"Cinatourism". Support and ideas from the artichoke sector
The association Artichoke of Spain is, of course, backing all the initiatives organised in the framework of FITUR which pursue the same goal: to promote the virtues of the country's artichokes. Furthermore, the organization has raised the idea of the so-called "cinatourism," a type of tourism that is being promoted in the area of Alicante, Elche and Murcia, targeted at people who are interested in consuming this vegetable and learning about its versatility in the kitchen and its cultivation and harvesting.
The association is trying to promote this form of tourism while demystifying the initial fear that some consumers have when it comes to cooking the artichoke, since it is a very healthy and versatile vegetable which can be prepared in countless ways in an easy manner.
Artichokes are currently at their best, as their production increased by 3.4% in 2015, according to the latest data from the association, and the objective is to grow by more than 4% this year.