A Book Transforms Valencian Lunch into a Cultural and Culinary Guide

The work Esmorzaret explores the tradition of the sandwich, the 'gasto', and the 'cremaet' as a social and gastronomic phenomenon in the Valencian Community.

Generic image of a stack of books on a wooden table in a cozy library setting.
IA

Generic image of a stack of books on a wooden table in a cozy library setting.

A new book transforms the Valencian lunch into an authentic cultural and culinary guide, exploring its tradition, its emblematic sandwiches, and its evolution.

The journalist based in València has published Esmorzaret, a work that is not just a recipe book, but an immersion into Valencian gastronomic culture. The book highlights the importance of lunch as a way of understanding gastronomy, street life, and daily life in the Valencian Community.

"If they haven't served you your small plate of 'gasto', with olives, peanuts, and lupini beans, and then your sandwich and your coffee, it's not an 'almuerzo'."

the book's author
The author emphasizes the unique liturgy of the Valencian lunch, which she considers unparalleled in other places. The book begins with the "gasto", that small pre-meal appetizer that accompanies the drink and marks the beginning of the ritual. This custom is not only maintained but is gaining popularity, as many people prefer to meet for lunch or an aperitif because it is a more economical and social option.
Esmorzaret also takes a journey through the history of the Valencian sandwich, including emblematic proposals such as the Superbombón from La Pérgola, the classic almussafes, the brascada, or the figatells, along with a selection of up to 45 recipes. The work criticizes the tendency of some establishments to "hamburgerize" the sandwich with sauces or ingredients that stray from its humble origins, arguing that "a sandwich is a lifesaver".
The book, which blends journalism and gastronomy, also incorporates proposals adapted to new eating habits, with options for vegan or celiac individuals, demonstrating that lunch evolves without losing its essence. It also dedicates space to essential elements such as bread, with special attention to the pataqueta, pickles, alioli, or the classic cremaet after lunch.
Beyond recipes, Esmorzaret champions lunch as a social phenomenon, a moment of gathering, pause, and conversation. The author, who has tasted a large portion of the proposals included in the work, summarizes that "there are as many sandwiches as there are people in the world". With this publication, the book aims to be a living archive of the Valencian lunch, a tradition that continues to reinvent itself daily in bars and taverns throughout the Valencian Community.