Asturian-American Migration Forum

What is generally considered to be the best brands of Asturian cider? Among those that have been suggested to me are:

Val d'Ornón
Valdedios
Zythos
Villacubera
Valle, Ballina y Fernández
Zapica
Prau Monga
Españar
Escalada
El Santu
Val de Boides
Urriellu
Poma Áurea
El Carrascu

My cousin Nando from Xixon is really into his 'cucharaes' (spoonfuls of medicinal cider), as his wife calls it. So I've learned, through him, that the best 'palu' (the cider type) is Viuda de Angelon, from Nava.

Every night of the week, with the exception of Mondays, Nando will go out to 1. La Peluqueria (not a beauty salon, but a former hairdresser that has become a cider tavern in La Calzada) 2. Tony's (an oldtimers' sidreria, also in La Calzada; the guy pouring the cider is from L.luarca and his name is Benja) and others in between. Nando always knows what 'palu' is being served at which cider tavern, so he bases his 'cucharaes' on that. Sometimes, Tony's carries two makes at the same time and you have to specify which one you like.

Anyway, my parents always buy a crate of Vda de Angelon to eat with their seafood and fish dishes. It's so good, it almost tastes like champagne. I've been to the bar/restaurant in Nava that is run by the Angelon family, just across the train station stop on the line to L'Infiestu. Stop and try it next time you're there. But it should definitely be at the top of your list.

By the way, I'd be curious to know where you got that list of 'palos'. I've never-ever heard of Prau Monga, Españar, Escalada, El Santu, Val de Boides, Urriellu or El Carrascu. I have heard of Zapico (not Zapica), though. Are these very small 'llagareros' (cider makers)? Or could the list be outdated?

It looks like Sidra Camín won this summer's (2007) prize for best cider at the Xixon Cider Festival. According to the article below from the LNE, it was the 5th year in a row it got the prize.

http://www.lne.es/secciones/noticia.jsp ... o-Trabanco

That said, I'll be able to update you on what my cousin Nando thinks is the best 'palu'. For me, he and his buddies at the sidreria, are the ultimate judges.

slightly off topic tho not entirely ... I think these days cider is a lot lot better than it used to be 5 or 6 years ago when I lived in asturies ... without going into detail I now find plenty of places that offer top notch stuff ! I remember when I lived there you kinf of needed to know where you went to get good cider ,,, now it is a lot easier ,,, congratulations to the llagareros on a job much better done ,,,

You are absolutely right, Quality of the cider is getting better by moments Myself that only drink cider three times a year (when I am in Asturias) I used to have problems with the acidity of the cider the first days after drinking it. I have a weak stomach and for sure I always overdo it once I am there.

However now I like to start drinking a couple of bottles of what it is called sidra oro o pata negra, and that seems to help my stomach to assimilate the stuff.

What I really miss is the sidra del duernu. This is a first juice after squeezing the apples. The name "'duernu comes from the recepient where the apples used to be squeezed to get the liquid or mosto. I believe it is non comercialized product, as it can be pausterized. My brother that lives in a cottage near Pola de Siero, gets the stuff for my family. I just love it. It is a pity it only last a couple of weeks

Tienes razon. La sidra cada vez esta mas buena. Yo que tengo problemas de estomago y abuso de ella cada vez que voy a Asturias (tres veces al ano) solia siempre tener problems con la acidez de la misma.

Sin embargo ahora suelo empezar bebiendo lo que se llama sidra oro o de pata negra, lo que hace que mi estomago se acostumbre antes a la misma.

De todas maneras lo que yo echo de menos es la sidra del duernu. Es el primer jugo o mosto producido al mayar las manzanas. Duerne es el nombre de la artesa donde se solian mayar las manzanas. Creo que no se comercializa por que no se puede pausterizar. Mi hermano que vive en un casa de campo es el que nos consigue esta sidra. A mi simplemente me encanta. Es una pena que solo dure unas pocas semanas

oh mate ! you have just brought some old memories ,,, "duernu" cider , I have not had that glorious little drink for an awfully long time ! ... very popular drink for children when I was a kid since it is alcohol free ( or very little of it .. )

the problem with sidra del duernu is drinking too much of it ,,, ... above all make sure you do not combine it with eating chestnuts ! if you do , you risk spending the rest of your day sitting on the loo ,,,

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ay amigu que recuerdos ,, sidra del duernu ,,, fai la de dios que nun la bebo ,,, yera lo tipico que daben de beber a los guajes por tar dulce y por nun tener alcohol ( o casi )

L'unicu problema que tien la sidra del duernu ye la esforia que produz sobre too si lo mezcles coles castanhes asaes ,, yo tengo pasao tardes enteres sentau nel water comu consecuencia directa de bebelo ,,,

I had what I think was "duernu" cider when my cousin made some for us. It *was* very good. In fact, that's what we usually call "cider" in the US, except that we use different kinds of apples, which have different flavors than Asturian apples. I like the "pulp," which is the meat of the apple and what makes this type of cider cloudy.

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Bebí lo que pienso era sidra "duernu" cuando mi primo lo hizo para nosotros. Sí, fue muy rico. De hecho, eso es lo que generalmente llamamos "cider" (sidra) en los EE.UU., salvo que usamos distintas manzanas que tienen sabores diferentes de las manzanas asturianas. Gustame de la "pulpa", que es la "carne" de la manzana y lo que hace este tipo de sidra "nublado".

Sidra del duerna seems to be roughly equivalent to American sweet cider, as opposed to hard (fermented) cider. Tasty, but it certainly does lubricate the digestive tract.

Aparte de la sidra dulce o mosto de manzana una bebida derivada de ella que se puede considerar tipicamente Asturiana es el whisky con manzana. No soy un gran bebedor, y menos desde que estoy donde estoy pero cuando estoy en casina y salgo con los amigos de copas, me gusta pedir un whisky con manzana.

Esa es una bebida desconocida fuera de Asturias y realmente no puedo explicar los motivos para su popularidad aparte del hecho de que desde pequenos bebemos muchas bebidas derivadas de la manzana (sidras, mostos ) que en otras regiones de Espana.

Por ejemplo yo recuerdo de bien pequeno salir con mis padres a sidrerias y pedir siempre para nosotros trina de manzana, bigaros y cacahuetes para picar. Hablo de aquellas sidrerias con el suelo lleno de serrin, y picheles llenos de sidra a tu alrededor.


Coming back to the sweet cider or apple juice a drink that can be considered Asturian is the mix of whisky and apple juice. I am not a heavy drinker (especially since I am where I am) but when I am back at home and go out with my friends and I like drinking whisky & apple.

This is a drink totally unknown outside of Asturias, and I can’t explain the reasons for its popularity, except for the fact that in Asturias we drink more apple related drinks (cider, apple juices,) that in other areas of Spain.

For example I remember as a kid going out with my parents to sidrerias and always ordering: apple juice(Trina was the most popular brand), winkles and peanuts for nibbling. Sidrerias in those times where something else where the floors were full of sawdust and tankyards full of cider surrounding you.

la cidra que venden es Cidra El Gaitero...sabrosa en el mundo entero!

es una marca tradicional que por generaciones se ha tomado.

La cita de la sidra El Gaitero es "Famosa en el mundo entero" y no "sabrosa...

...Y de sabrosa, si te digo la verdad... lo justo; al menos para mi, ya que la factoría está centrada más que nada en la fabricación de la sidra achampanada. Es a la sidra lo mismo que a la fabada la marca Litoral.

Marcas de sidra que puedo recomendar, hay unas cuantas, pero ¡Ojo! Ya que no sólo hay que tener en cuenta las mismas, también los "palos" de las mismas, ya que a veces te ponen una buena marca y te sabe a puxarra.

Aún así, aquí pongo más marcas muy a tener en cuenta aparte de lañadidas por Bob:

Trabanco (try to find Trabanco Selección!)
Cortina
Peñón
Menéndez
Castañón

Sidra El Gaitero, famosa en el mundo entero.

Es cierto ...lo de "sabrosa" me salio al decirlo pues realmente
sabe muy bien! Saludos!!!