Miguel Espinosa, from El Albergue de Calahorra (La Rioja), and Alberto Montes, from Atrio in Cáceres, completed the podium of a competition that brought together the best creators of legume tapas from each Autonomous Community.
May 3, 2025
Castilla y León |
Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development
Chef David Lorente, from the Zaragoza restaurant Nola Gras, became the champion of the II National Championship ‘Uncover the Legumes’ Tierra de Sabor with his proposal ‘Ramensillo’. The podium was completed by Miguel Espinosa, from El Albergue de Calahorra (La Rioja), with his proposal ‘La Alforja’, and Alberto Montes, from Atrio in Cáceres, with the tapa ‘Tierra de Sabor’.
The grand final, held at the International Cooking School of Valladolid and hosted by the popular journalist from radio and television, Goyo González, featured the participation of the best tapas creators with legumes from each Autonomous Community in the country. The event was graced by the presence of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Jorge Llorente, who expressed his «enthusiasm and satisfaction for giving well-deserved prominence to an essential product, whose modesty and dietary habit during the winter season has overlooked its extraordinary agricultural and culinary merits in any season, through a cutting-edge gastronomic challenge.»
Representatives from each autonomous community demonstrated their creativity in the kitchen by preparing and presenting their tapas to a professional jury. After tasting each of the finalist tapas, presented by their authors, the jury deliberated to select the winner of the competition, along with the second and third placers and the awardees in the other two categories.
A Jury of Experts
For this second edition, the jury consisted of five professionals specializing in gastronomy, agriculture, and communication.
Chaired by chef-entrepreneur Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, known for her role in the TV show Master Chef and as the owner of the restaurant Casa Taberna in Pedraza (Segovia), the jury also included renowned figures in gastronomy such as Jesús Santamaría, president of the Pintxo Donostiarra Institute and director of the Bokado Group in Guipúzcoa; Iván Cadenas, a Castilla y León farmer expert in legumes and CEO of Triticum Agro; Carla Royo-Villanova, a journalist specialized in travel and gastronomy; and Teo Rodríguez, chef of the Trasto restaurant in Valladolid and current World Champion of Tapas.
The jury evaluated each proposal considering the taste, originality, technical skill, presentation, commercial application, and, of course, the role of legumes. An emphasis on innovation and local products that managed to surprise.
National Champion
The first place in the II National Championship ‘Uncover the Legumes’ Tierra de Sabor went to David Lorente Blasco, from the Nola Gras restaurant in Zaragoza (Aragon), for his tapa ‘Ramensillo’. The trophy that accredits him as the Champion of Spain and the 4,000€ check were presented by Rafael Sáez, General Director of ITACyL, alongside the jury president, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera.
‘Ramensillo’ features chickpea noodles from Pedrosillo MG, in a miso broth with Teruel ham, Pyrenees trout roe, chopped borage, slow-cooked egg yolk, and gochugaru chili oil. According to chef David Lorente, it is «a traditional ramen that fuses the legumes of Castilla y León with the pantry provided by the products of his community and the innovative gastronomy of Japan.»
Runner-Up
The second place and runner-up went to Miguel Espinosa Ciordia, from El Albergue restaurant in Calahorra (La Rioja), for his tapa ‘La Alforja’, where the La Bañeza-León IGP bean took the spotlight. The trophy accrediting him as the Runner-Up of Spain and a 2,000€ check were presented by the Jury President, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera.
‘La Alforja’ refers to the gathering of legumes along with the collection of firewood for family kitchens, using the only means of transportation from yesteryear, the donkey. The recipe consists of white beans from La Bañeza-León IGP, with cod. The bags used to transport the legumes are made of edible paper. It is a tapa with flavors of tradition and culinary innovation.
Third Place
The third place was awarded to Alberto Montes Pereira, from Atrio restaurant in Cáceres, for his tapa ‘Tierra de Sabor’. The trophy accrediting him as the third-place finisher and the 1,000€ check were presented by Cipriano García Domínguez, General Director of Caja Rural de Zamora.
The Garbanzo de Pedrosillo MG was the star of the tapa ‘Tierra de Sabor’, where it showcased its virtues: a crispy chickpea flour, fried chickpeas, chickpea tempura, sprouts from the chickpea itself, and, finally, a liquid surprise: the traditional Indian stew called «Chana Masala» transformed into a spiced emulsion.
Most Timeless Tapa
The special recognition for the ‘Most Timeless Tapa’ went to Mónica Calderón Cruz, from La Pradera restaurant in Cantabria, for her tapa ‘Cocido Montañés a Nuestra Manera’, highlighting the La Bañeza-León IGP bean.
Most Innovative Tapa
The special recognition for the ‘Most Innovative Tapa’ went to Aitor Martínez Ros, from Can Ros Restaurante in Burriana (Valencia), for his tapa ‘Vaya Lentejas Tronco’, featuring the Lenteja de Tierra de Campos IGP.
The closing of the second ‘Uncover the Legumes’ Spanish Championship, before the gastronomic farewell to the authorities and attending public, was led by the Jury President Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, who expressed her «satisfaction with the experience and congratulations to the participants for taking on an uncommon gastronomic challenge.»
Meanwhile, Rafael Sáez, Director of the Agricultural Technology Institute of Castilla y León, praised «the development of the Championship, the generosity of the sponsors who understood its scope, and the relevance of the products with the Tierra de Sabor quality brand, which have generated a magnificent response from culinary professionals from all the Communities of the Country by using them in their gastronomic proposals.»
Legumes
Recognized by the FAO as a key product for sustainable nutrition, legumes are rich in fiber, iron, and plant proteins, and are associated with the most environmentally friendly agriculture due to their nitrate content and low water consumption.
In this second edition of the championship, legumes with the Tierra de Sabor quality seal, such as Judías del Barco de Ávila (IGP), Alubias de La Bañeza (IGP), Lentejas de La Armuña (IGP), Lentejas de Tierra de Campos (IGP), Garbanzos de Fuentesauco (IGP), Garbanzos de Pedrosillo (MG), Garbanzos de Valseca (MG), and Judiones de la Granja (MG), will be the stars of the tapas in competition.
With ‘Uncover the Legumes’, Spanish gastronomy continues to bet on culinary innovation, positioning legumes in the universe of gastronomic creativity, and reaffirming their role as a gourmet product with great versatility.