Within the large number of Spanish celebrations, food festivals in Spain hold a special place, as delicious cuisine is a huge part of the Spanish lifestyle. Many top Spanish culinary events are called Gastronomic Weeks or Jornadas Gastronómicas in Spanish, allowing visitors to experience the authentic cuisine of different Spanish regions.

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Food Festivals in Spain: All About Spanish Gastronomic Weeks

Enjoying Culinary Events in Spain

As I mention on every occasion, food is one of the things I love most about being an expat in Spain. In my blog section, Spain for Foodies, I continue sharing unique dishes, locations, and events I discover during my Spanish road trips. However, temporary culinary events in Spain, often called festivals or Gastronomic Weeks ( Jornadas Gastronómicas), always end up on my list of favorite non-typical things to do in Spain, as they are frequently overlooked by international visitors.

Food festivals in Spain always revolve around a local seasonal product or typical dish and involve multiple activities organized by local authorities to promote the event. There might be some seasonal markets and street food, like during Medieval Fairs, but the focus here is definitely on the culinary side. Local restaurants are some of the key players during culinary events in Spain. Those that choose to participate create special menus (often with a creative twist) available for a limited time. All the courses on the menu typically include the featured product of the Gastronomic Week or food festival. For example, during the Gastronomic Week of Truffles in Morella (which takes place each year from the end of January to the beginning of March), nearly every dish on the special menu includes truffles. When you talk about truffles, it’s easy to imagine truffle-themed starters, main courses, and even desserts – after all, everything tastes good with a little truffle touch. But what about artichokes? Making everything taste great with those is a bit more challenging. Local restaurants often compete to create the most creative and delicious offerings, and healthy competition is the driving force of progress, isn’t it?

Attending Food Festivals in Spain

Attending food festivals in Spain is generally easy and open to all types of public, except for events like La Tomatina or the wine battle in Haro, where you might need to book transport or an entrance. However, I don’t really consider these food festivals, as the focus is more on having fun than on the culinary aspect. I’d suggest focusing on Gastronomic Weeks, which are entirely about trying delicious local foods. So far, I’ve attended several Gastronomic Weeks in Spain, including the Artichoke Festival in Benicarló, the Truffle Festival in Morella and Catí, Arroz a Banda Gastronomic Weeks in Grao de Castellón, Octopus Gastronomic Weeks in Peñíscola, Gastronomic Weeks of Valencian Rice and Wine, and the Cherry Fair in La Salzadella. While the list of Gastronomic Weeks in Spain is almost endless, and I love exploring lesser-known destinations across the country (like the Hazelnut Gastronomic Weeks I’m sharing in this post), at the end of this article, I’ll share with you the top 13 culinary events in Spain that I highly recommend visiting.

Attending food festivals in Spain is always easy, except for festivities like the tomato fight of La Tomatina or the wine battle in Haro. Personally, I don’t even consider these food festivals, as the focus is on having fun rather than the culinary side. So, I’d suggest focusing on Gastronomic Weeks, which are entirely about trying delicious local foods. So far, I’ve attended quite a few Gastronomic Weeks in Spain, including the Artichoke Festival in Benicarló, the Festival of the Truffle in Morella and Cati, Arroz a Banda Gastronomic Weeks in Grao de Castellón, Octopus Gastronomic Weeks in Peñíscola, and Gastronomic Weeks of Valencian Rice and Wine, as well as the Cherry Fair in La Salzadella. While the list of gastronomic weeks in Spain is almost endless, and I love exploring the lesser-known destinations across the country (like the Hazelnut Gastronomic Weeks I’m sharing in this post), at the end of this article, I’ll share with you the top 13 culinary events in Spain that I highly recommend visiting.

Visiting Hazelnut Gastronomic Weeks in October

While searching for hidden gems in the region of the Valencian Community, I discovered a lesser-known Hazelnut Festival in the small village of Benassal, which takes place every October. Roasted hazelnuts, candied hazelnuts, orange honey-glazed hazelnuts, hazelnut butter – I love hazelnuts in any dish thanks to their rich, nutty flavor. So, I was really tempted to visit Benassal and try the local hazelnut menu in one of the village’s restaurants.

Benassal, located in the province of Castellon, is also known for its mineral water, which is believed to have many health benefits. There’s even a spa with mineral baths in the town (although it was closed for autumn/winter when we visited) and the Font d’en Segures fountain, where you can fill up bottles of water for free. Benassal is an off-the-beaten-path village with 800 inhabitants and no tourists in sight. The town’s origins trace back to the Arab period in Spain and it was reconquered by the Spanish in 1234. Its ancient Muslim quarter of La Mola is full of hidden alleys from the 12th century, and its cobblestone streets and architecture are quite unique – making Benassal a perfect hidden gem for fans of Spanish medieval towns.

Hazelnut Menu in Benassal

After diving into the city’s history and architecture and wandering around for a while, we realized it was time to return to our initial reason for visiting Benassal – the Hazelnut menu. Three local restaurants were participating in the Hazelnut Gastronomic Weeks of Benassal. We chose one randomly (and booked a day in advance). However, for more popular food festivals and culinary celebrations in Spain, you might need to book earlier. The prices for these special menus during Gastronomic Weeks in Spain usually range from 20 to 40 euros per person, which is often well worth the price for a Michelin-star-quality meal you get. By the way, Michelin restaurants might also participate in the Gastronomic Weeks of their region. However, in those cases, you’re looking at 60-150 euros per person (or even more), depending on the restaurant and menu offer. Our hazelnut-themed meal in Benassal included 5 courses, dessert, coffee, water, and a bottle of local wine, and we paid 30 euros per person. So, what was on the menu?

• Bonbons with Benassal goat cheese, caramelized onions, and hazelnut
• Candied pork jowl with shrimp, hazelnut sauce, and wakame seaweed
• Octopus with grilled vegetables, toasted hazelnut, and local olive oil
• A Hazelnut Cappuccino (This Hazelnut Cappuccino is not what it looks like. It is typical for Spanish tasting menus to have a sorbet between fish/seafood and main meat courses, often pineapple, mango, or tangerine sorbet. In this case, the cappuccino was not sweet: it was a meat bouillon with crispy hazelnut, foam, and salt made from toasted Spanish cured ham. It was actually quite chilly outside, so this felt better than any sorbet for us.)
• Lamb with hazelnut sauce
• Dessert Plate: Local cheese, hazelnut pudding, brownie, carrot cake

The Hazelnut Menu in Benassal was such a unique foodie experience that felt amazing, as it was much less crowded compared to culinary events I’ve visited in Spain, like the Artichoke Weeks in Benicarló, which is quite popular among the locals in the region. Of course, all the gastronomic weeks taking place in major Spanish cities are much busier and well-established on the tourist track, but the gastronomic weeks in Benassal have once again reassured me that you don’t always need to search for famous food festivals to find the most delicious local delicatessen. In fact, it’s often the other way around. If you decide to visit, typically around September, the Benassal Tourism Office often shares the program for the upcoming Jornadas Gastronómicas de Avellana (Hazelnut Culinary Event) on their Facebook page and social media. Within the agenda, you can find events and specific restaurants offering special menus. Don’t expect everyone to speak English (except at the tourist office), but on the other hand, people in Spanish small towns are so friendly with strangers that they’ll try extra hard to make themselves understood.

Top 13 Food Festivals in Spain not to miss

Here are the most unique culinary events worth experiencing in Spain. Hopefully, with time, you’ll see them all covered in detail on my blog.

• Fiestas del pulpo en Carbaliño in Ourense / Galicia (August)
• Feria internacional del ajo in Las Pedroñeras / Castile La-Mancha (July)
• Feria del queso in Trujillo / Extremadura (May)
• La Fiesta de la Calçotada en el Valls in Tarragona / Catalonia (January)
• Fiesta de la Sidra Natural in Gijón / Asturias (September)
• Fiesta de la Aceituna in Martos / Jaen (november-December)
• El Día del Espárrago in Dicastillo /Navarra (May)
• La Semana Gastronómica del Atún in Barbate / Andalusia (May)
• Festival del oricio de Bañugues in Cudillero / Asturias (March)
• Feria de la Trufa in Abejar / Soria (February)
• Fiesta de la Cerecera in Valle del Jerte / Extremadura  (June)
• Tapas y Campeonato Mundial de Tapas de Valladolid / Castile-Leon (November)
• Fiesta de la Alcachofa de Benicarló / Valencian Community (January)

Read more about my foodie adventures in Spain:

• Winter Foods in Spain: The Best Hearty Spanish Stews and Soups to Try (read it)
• Best Local Food Experiences in Spain Not To Miss (read it)
• Top Foods in the Pyrenees of Spain (read it)
• Tapas & Flamenco Tour in Barcelona (read it)
• Delicious Breakfast in Madrid: My Favorite Spots & Avocado Toasts (read it)
• My Amazing Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid (read it)
• Family, Countryside, and Cooking The Traditional Paella (read it)
• Visiting Basque Cider House near San Sebastian (read it)
• Breakfast in Valencia: Cute Cafes You Will Love (read it)
• Spanish Eating Habits: Almuerzo in Valencia (read it)
• 10+ Best Local Food Souvenirs from Spain (read it)
• Traditional Spanish Food in Local Villages: Part 1 (read it)
• An Amazing Artichoke Tasting Menu in Benicarlo (read it)

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For more Spain travel tips check out my Pinterest board Spain Travel Collection and Flipboard Travel to Spain.

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