Zuera has once again made the tomato the centerpiece of its culinary agenda. The Zaragoza municipality celebrated the second edition of the Provincial Tomato Contest from August 21 to 22, an event that is part of the Zuera Sabor cycle, which this year centered around the theme Tomato: emblem of our garden.
The contest recognized the best products in two categories. Alfonso Azcona and Ana Lalaguna won the prize for the best Heritage Tomato with their specimens of the Zaragozano Gordo variety, cultivated in Villamayor from seeds sourced from the Aragón Seed Network.
In the New Generation Tomato category, the accolade went to Zuera gardener Elisa Arguilé, who presented tomatoes of the Golden Star variety. Arguilé herself and Rogelio Berbel were named finalists.
The awards were presented by the mayor of Zuera, José Manuel Salazar, and Javier Mené, head of Frutas Javier Mené and a regular collaborator of Zuera Sabor. Each winner received a prize of 300 euros, while both winners and finalists were honored with a ceramic plate.
A culinary experience featuring the tomato
The contest was part of a weekend dedicated to celebrating one of the most representative products of the Zaragoza garden.
The schedule began on Friday, August 21, with the reception of the participating tomatoes at the Zuera Community Center. That same afternoon, as a prelude to the San Licer festivities, a gastronomic experience was held that brought together 120 diners.
Attendees were able to sample five dishes featuring tomatoes as the main ingredient, paired with wines from Bodegas San Valero and AOVE from the DOP Aceite Sierra del Moncayo. Throughout the day, the specimens submitted to the contest in the Heritage Tomato and New Generation Tomato categories were also on display.
Promotion and defense of traditional varieties
The second day also included an educational aspect before the tasting and selection of the winners.
Cristina Mallor, a researcher from the Plant Science Department of CITA and head of the Zaragoza Horticultural Germplasm Bank, delivered a talk titled Tomatoes in the Germplasm Bank and the Recovery of the Zaragozano Variety. During her presentation, she addressed the diversity among the various tomato varieties and the work being done to preserve this plant heritage.
Meanwhile, Amparo Llamazares, president of Slow Food in Zaragoza and Teruel, led the presentation Not All Tomatoes Are the Same, in which she explained the importance of protecting agri-food biodiversity and the role of farmers in preserving products, recipes, and traditions.
Both experts later joined the professional jury alongside members of the Aragonese Academy of Gastronomy to conduct the tasting and select the best tomatoes from this second edition.
Through the Provincial Tomato Contest, the Zuera City Council aims to highlight a product closely linked to the local garden and recognize the efforts of those who keep its cultivation alive, combining gastronomy, education, and the conservation of horticultural varieties.
