On the dinner table

With increased consumption comes increased respect, and cider is slowly edging its way onto our dining tables. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports

There’s more to cider and food than a Ploughman’s lunch or a leg of pork braised in the stuff.

In the Asturias region of Spain, the local sidra is a commonplace companion with the gorgeous cuisine of the area. At a swanky restaurant in the city of Gijon during last year’s international cider exhibition SICER, I was served Sidra Brut (6%) with a creamy crab-based mousse. It was a magnificent combination, as the creamy mouth feel of the sidra dovetailed with the mousse, while its brisk carbonation cut through the creaminess, cleansing the palate for the next mouthful.

The other cider on the table was Sidra Natural de Nueva Expression (6%), which had an austere lemony nose and a dry strait-laced body — this worked well with the main course of hake, as the acidity cut through the sauce served with the fish.

Tasting the local ciders, alongside some from the neighbouring Basque country, it is apparent that many have an ascetic yet complex character. They are dry and slightly acidic with sharp fruity notes; they are not unlike traditional lambic and therefore not to everyone’s taste. They are certainly challenging to drink on their own, but on the other hand they are magnificent when served with food, especially fish and shellfish.

Maybe that’s the reason they have survived and thrived in the area.

Around the streets of Gijon it’s not hard to miss the various sideras, where the fermented juice of the apple is matched with local cuisine.

Can you imagine such a thing in Somerset.....

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By Sally Toms

Section : Cider Special

Page number : 45