Arròs al forn —or cassola al forn, as it is called in Ontinyent— is the most representative dish of the town's cuisine. It is cooked in a clay pot in a wood-fired oven, with pork ribs, black pudding, chickpeas, tomato and broth. Every household has its own family recipe, handed down from generation to generation.
Usual ingredients
- Rice and chickpeas, with broth (traditionally, the leftovers from the previous day's stew).
- Pork ribs, botifarra de ceba (onion black pudding) —what makes it unmistakable— and blanquet (white sausage).
- Sliced potato and tomato.
- A whole head of garlic in the centre.
A dish for celebrations
It is the star of many family meals and festive lunches. On the day of the bull, during the Puríssima festival, every home in Ontinyent cooks a cassola al forn. Some families still take it to the local bakery's oven to be cooked, as they used to.
More rice dishes
Ontinyent's cuisine has a wide range of rice dishes. Another local classic is arròs amb fesols i naps (rice with beans and turnips). Many restaurants in town serve these traditional dishes, and food festivals are held throughout the year, such as those of the MOS Ontinyent brand.
