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2 July 2012

Take yourself on a gastronomic tour of northern Spain this month.

Tapas are loved by many for their ability to satisfy the indecisive. Those of us who struggle to make decisions of the plated variety, can instead opt for numerous small tasty bites. Spanish in origin, tapas have become commonplace in New Zealand in recent years, but no one does them more authentically in our opinion than Bellota. Located in Auckland’s inner city on Federal Street, the bar and restaurant does a stellar job of focusing on authentic Spanish delicacies such as delicious Iberian Jamon, creating contemporary and classic tapas dishes for sharing.

Constantly changing their myriad of menu offerings, Bellota has recently embarked on a culinary journey of Spain, with a different regional menu served each month from May to October; an epic six-month tapas pilgrimage if you like. This month, the celebrated region is the northern region of Navarra, a land-locked pocket of gastronomic delight, bordering the Basque country, the famous wine region La Rioja and the olive laden region of Aragon. Navarra’s raw produce is creating quite a name for itself amongst foodies and chefs alike. Home to the steep snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains in the north, full of wild game and streams teaming with trout, along with the lush market gardens that line the river Ebro in the south of the region.

The current array of tapas on offer from the Navarra region includes salted blue cod paired with fleshy piquillo peppers, or veal flank steak with parsnip puree, butter braised spinach and truffle oil. Delicious examples of this area’s diverse offerings, and starting at only $5.50 per dish, these are a gastronomic bargain.

Bellota’s Navarra menu is light and elegant, and should definitely be accompanied with the white wine and rosé that the region is also renowned for.