Four Spanish Food Products Gain PGI Status

Spain’s Newly Approved PGI Products

The Teruel Black Truffle
The Trufa Negra de Teruel (the Teruel Black Truffle) is harvested in Teruel, a high-altitude province in the mountainous Aragon region of eastern Spain. The area’s extreme Mediterranean mountain climate features cold winters and hot, short summers, creating the perfect climate for truffle production. What’s more, the limestone soils provide the ideal conditions for fragrant, rich-flavored truffles to flourish.

The scarcity of wild truffles across Europe makes Teruel truffles all the more special. The area’s advanced trufficulture means it accounts for roughly 75% of Spain’s total production, with highly controlled cultivation that involves trained dogs sniffing out each truffle.

Teruel truffles are characterized by a deep, earthy flavor, with undertones of cocoa, hazelnut, and toasted wood. They are typically grated over simple dishes such as tortilla de patatas.

The Bierzo Pear
Notable for its relatively large size, exceptional flavor, and intense sweetness, the Pera de El Bierzo (the Bierzo Pear) is cultivated in the unique microclimate of the Bierzo valley in northwestern Spain.

The region is surrounded by mountains that protect the valley from harsh Atlantic winds. Mineral-rich soils and a temperate climate enable the pears to develop maximum natural sugars. The Bierzo Pear is known for its distinct russeting, a textured, golden-brown skin that illustrates the quality of the fruit’s maturation, protecting the flesh while intensifying its flavor.

When fully ripe, the Bierzo Pear is incredibly juicy, with a honeyed sweetness, silky smooth flesh, and satisfying crunch. The growers in Bierzo follow strict criteria for size, firmness, and sugar content, ensuring every single pear is up to standard.

The La Granja Bean
The newest addition to the long list of Spanish pulses with PGI and PDO status, the Judión de La Granja (the La Granja Bean) is famed for its delicate, thin skin and buttery soft texture. When cooked, this exceptional bean retains its thin skin and shape while developing a melt-in-the-mouth creaminess and velvety texture.

These beans are cultivated in La Granja de San Ildefonso, a municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León region. The area's mineral-rich soils, formed by metamorphic rocks from the Sierra de Guadarrama, together with the high-altitude microclimate, form the perfect conditions for bean cultivation.

You can buy La Granja beans cooked, preserved, and jarred from online colmados such as La Tienda. La Granja beans are often stewed with meats such as chorizo, morcilla, and Ibérico pork, especially for the famous Fabada Asturiana, a favorite during the fall and winter months. In warmer weather, those make the ideal protagonist in a bean salad.

The Valderredible Potato
The Patata de Valderredible (the Valderredible Potato) is cultivated in the fertile, high-altitude valley of the river Ebro in the Cantabria region. Historic flooding has led to highly fertile soils, while the presence of gravel, sand, and stone provides excellent draining and heat retention, creating the ideal conditions for potato cultivation.

The Valderredible Potato has a vibrant yellow flesh and mild, earthy flavor. It has a much higher percentage of dry matter compared to many potatoes, enabling it to retain its shape when cooked. It’s a highly versatile ingredient, ideal for traditional roasting and stewing, as well as potato salads and classic Spanish potato dishes such as patatas bravas.

Search the Foods and Wines From Spain exporters page to find producers from across the country exporting many more PGI and PDO products.