After driving through the bountiful Vera valley dotted with fruit trees and modest farms, Tim and i were greeted heartily by two millers, José María Hernández and his son, Alvaro.  I always appreciate the "down to earth" quality of people whose livelihood is tied to the soil.  Soon Alvaro proudly showed us group pictures of the three generations who  pioneered the production of pimentón de la vera, the famous smoked paprika of Spain.  He identified  each member of their family, one by one! 

	Eva came down from Madrid especially to greet us.  Speaking in flawless English she guided us through their warehouse, which was a virtual working museum of paprika mills dating back to the early twentieth century. The mills were engineering works of art and José María was particularly proud that La Dalia paprika was still  produced using the original granite millstones.  The unique properties of granite assure the amazing fineness of the rich red powder that came from the little smoked peppers the farmer brought from the field. 

	<a href="/food/smoked_paprika.html">See our artisan smoked paprika ►</a>

José María Hernández - Paprika Miller

Our friends Bernát and his son of the same name work together in a modest workshop in a village on the island of Mallorca. They are a vanishing breed of craftsmen who create olive wood bowls, plates, mortars and pestles and other utilitarian objects from whole pieces of olive wood – nothing is laminated or glued together. The search for large pieces of fallen olives trees is a daunting task, but once the olive wood enters their workshop, father and son transform it to a thing of beauty.  Standing next to them amidst the sawdust and the lathes is a magical event.

	<a href="/table/olivewood.html">See our artisan olive wood ►</a>

Bernát Fiol - Olive Wood Carver

Not far from Madrid is Sigüenza, a hill-town topped with a fairytale castle. &nbsp;In this ancient village, Jesus Blasco works with his brother and son to cut and stitch bota wineskins by hand, as they have been made for thousands of years. &nbsp;His small workshop is not much different than that of his father and grandfather, both of whom practiced this ancient trade.Jesús greeted us at his door and proudly showed us the painstaking process of cutting a goat hide, stitching it together, then sealing it with pine pitch to make it waterproof. &nbsp;Jesús and his son are proud of their skills, and are innovating to help preserve this craft for generations to come.<a href="/table/wine-service">Shop Bota Wineskins&nbsp;&nbsp;►</a>

Jesús Blasco - Bota Wineskin Maker

On the banks of the Ebro and Ega rivers, a few miles from La Rioja, you will find the finest farmland in Navarra. This is the ideal environment for growing some of Spain’s most iconic vegetables, like sweet piquillo peppers, meltingly tender white asparagus and delicate baby artichokes.

In 1960, José Salcedo Soria and Amalia Herce Herce began preparing these delicacies in the family home in San Adrián. Today their son, José Pedro Salcedo Herce, carries on the "obsession" for quality. We have worked with José and his nephew, Patxi Pastor Salcedo, for nearly twenty years, and we are always amazed by the exceptional quality of their products. What is their secret? They use only freshly harvested vegetables raised within a few miles of San Adrián, and everything is packed by hand with no preservatives. We have never tasted higher quality jarred vegetables in Spain, or anywhere else in the world!

	<a href="/el-navarrico/">See our El Navarrico vegetables ►</a>

José Salcedo - Vegetable Producer

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Sliced Serrano Ham by Peregrino, Nitrate Free - 6 oz

Serving Sliced Jamón Serrano Video

Bone-In Jamón Ibérico Ham by Fermín - FREE SHIPPING!

La Tienda's Jonathan Harris demonstrates how to slice a whole Spanish jamon

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It's Grilling Season

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We're All About Familia

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It's Grilling Season

Share the Joy of Tapas

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We're All About Familia

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