The culinary tradition of Soria has been changing in the recent years. Soria’s province represents a paradise for mushrooms lovers due to the great variety of mushrooms growing in this region because of Soria being a mycological enclave. In addition, a half of the huge quantity of valuable black truffle found in Spain is actually found in the province of Soria. During the last years, the breeding of ducks has been encouraged, whereupon the culinary customs have subsequently changed. Soria has diverse well known products such as the butter, which has the title of Designation of Origin; the torreznos or fried bacon with the integral quality system’s “marca de garantía”, sausages, lambs, and cheeses.
The aforementioned mushrooms and truffles are the protagonists of the dishes served in two restaurants that have the «Estrella de Michelín» quality classification.
One of these “Michelin” restaurants has Elena Lucas as owner and chef, having the nickname her grandmother gave her when she was a child as the name that designates her restaurant, “La Lobita”. In its dishes, this restaurant shows its influence of Soria’s traditional recipes such as “migas” (toasted bread crumb with chopped vegetables and meat),”bola de cocido” (a stew served in a round shape and elaborated with chickpeas, meat, vegetables, and sausages), or “setas al ajillo” (mushrooms with garlic).
The other “Michelin” restaurant of Soria, Baluarte, is managed by the chef Óscar García Marina and it is considered as the best restaurant of this city and one of the biggest restaurants in Castile-León.
In the capital of Soria, practicing the Spanish custom of “tapeo” is practically compulsory during the touristic visit of Soria’s downtown. It is highly recommended to savour the “almitas” of torrezno (a very finely cut fried bacon) in the beer bar named Torcauto. The called “cojonudos” is offered in Poli bar. This is a dish elaborated with quail eggs, tomato, and paprika covering a piece of bread. The delicacy of brines and soused fish can be tasted in Silencio bar, while the migas dish is served in El Mesón Castellano.
If you are more adept of enjoying a sterling dish of meat, El Fogón del Salvador offers a great variety of this type, from «chuletas de ternera gallega» (Galician veal cutlets) to «cabrito frito» (fried kid) and «asado de cordero» (roast lamb) or «asado de cochinillo» (roast suckling pig). Also, in this restaurant, you can see how they prepare the dishes in the oven placed at the entrance.
Another highly recommended restaurant is El Ventorro, specialised in traditional cuisine and typical dishes such as those of mushrooms or crayfish.
As it can be noticed, both in the capital and province of Soria, the gastronomical offer is very diverse, especially because of the type of meals prepared, so it is highly recommendable to visit it during autumn and winter.
