Zaragoza has just concluded a special edition of the Gastronomic Route of Toro Meat. Ten years after its inception, this event is no longer just a local gathering. It serves as a window into the work of chefs who have managed to transform a traditional product into a small creative laboratory. The awards ceremony held at the Mercado Gastronómico Puerta Cinegia confirms this leap in quality.
The organization, led by Agencia Almozara and with Las Moradas de San Martín as the sole sponsor, gathered chefs, specialized journalists, and collaborators to acknowledge this year’s winners. The level of competition, as explained by Miguel Ángel Vicente, director of El Gastrónomo Zaragozano and promoter of the route, was so high that several ties led to a new round of visits to determine the final awards.
The Winning Dishes
The award for the best tapa went to Costa 8 with a proposal that encapsulates the intent of the route: technique, flavor, and local nuances. Their oxtail with red vermouth, served on a crunchy corn arepa base, accompanied by Costa 8 sauce and tender shoots, narrowly edged out Hermanos Teresa and Oisi.
In the dish category, the recognition went to Los Xarmientos. Their timbale of low-temperature oxtail, served with roasted sweet potato cream, Golden potato, pickled zucchini, and a gel of red fruit tepache, was deemed the most complete proposal. La Doris and El Foro were very close runners-up in scoring.
Pairing also took a prominent place. Rusticco won the award for best pairing with white wine thanks to their gnocchi with oxtail ragout and cheese foam, paired with Ensayo ECO 2020. For red wine, the best harmony was awarded to Kentya with their oxtail stew accompanied by Senda ECO 2021. Both pairings positioned the wines of Las Moradas de San Martín at the center of the day’s gastronomic conversation.
The Mercado Gastronómico Puerta Cinegia received a special mention for fully embracing toro meat with a complete menu that integrated the range of wines from the Madrid winery.
A Product Finding Its Place
Toro meat is not common in many kitchens outside of Spain. Its potency and texture require slow cooking and technique, exactly what this route has praised. In Zaragoza, this difficulty transforms into a creative challenge for chefs, who year after year seek new ways to work with it.
The public has responded. Sixty establishments participated in this edition, a number that Óscar Valenzuela, area manager of Enate, celebrated as a sign of the good culinary moment the city is experiencing. According to Valenzuela, the culinary level has notably increased, and the route has become a reference for Zaragozan cuisine.
The other protagonist is the winery Las Moradas de San Martín. Its wines—Albillo Real, Senda, Initio, Ensayo, and Las Luces—have accompanied the proposals of the chefs for years. This continuous presence has strengthened its relationship with the local public and increasingly, with visitors who are beginning to associate Zaragoza with a strong and diverse wine offering.
A Showcasing with Projection
The Gastronomic Route of Toro Meat does not compete in volume with major European events, but it plays with another advantage: identity. Toro meat is a product loaded with character, difficult to tame, allowing chefs to showcase their technique and personality. The prominence of wines with a distinct signature completes the experience.
For the international reader, the route serves as an entry point to a Zaragozan cuisine that combines tradition and risk. For the city, it is an opportunity to showcase talent, promote new establishments, and reinforce Zaragoza’s image as a gastronomic destination.
Ten editions later, the route has become established. And if creativity continues at the pace seen this year, we will soon see it mentioned outside of Aragon with the same naturalness with which other Spanish gastronomic events are currently discussed. Toro meat is finally finding its voice.
