Most people know La Rioja from a wine label. The region itself is small, in northern Spain on the River Ebro, with Logroño as its capital. Its cooking is plain, country food built on vegetables, pork, lamb and the vineyards themselves.
One point of confusion first: the Rioja wine region doesn't stop at La Rioja's borders. Parts of it lie in the Basque Country (Rioja Alavesa) and Navarra. Our Rioja guide covers the wine side.
The dishes to know
- Patatas a la riojana. Potatoes stewed with chorizo, onion, garlic and pimentón, often with dried choricero pepper. The potatoes are usually broken into pieces rather than cut, which releases starch and thickens the broth. Riojan chorizo has its own protected status, Chorizo Riojano IGP; our cooked chorizo guide has more on chorizo.
- Chuletillas al sarmiento. Small lamb chops grilled over sarmientos, the vine shoots cut back when the vines are pruned. The shoots burn hot and fast, and the dish is closely tied to wine country.
- Pochas. Fresh white beans picked before they dry, stewed with vegetables or chorizo. Navarra cooks them too; see our Navarran food guide.
- Caparrones. Small red beans stewed with chorizo and other pork.
- Bacalao a la riojana. Salt cod cooked with tomato and red peppers.
- Pimientos rellenos. Peppers stuffed and baked, a common way to use the region's peppers.
Protected local produce
Several Riojan products carry a protected name. Among them are Queso Camerano DOP, a fresh or cured goat's cheese from the Cameros mountains; Peras de Rincón de Soto DOP; Coliflor de Calahorra IGP; Pimiento Riojano IGP; and Aceite de La Rioja DOP for olive oil. La Rioja is also one of Spain's main growers of cultivated mushrooms.
Calle Laurel and the pintxo bars
In Logroño's old town, Calle Laurel and the streets around it are packed with small bars. Many are known for one or two pintxos of their own, and the evening routine is to move from bar to bar, with a small glass of wine at each stop. Mushroom pintxos are a Laurel classic.
The Camino de Santiago also crosses La Rioja, through Logroño, Nájera and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Harvest time brings Logroño's San Mateo festival in September, and in June the town of Haro holds its Batalla del Vino, a wine fight in the hills outside town.
Where to try Riojan cooking and Rioja wine
For Riojan cooking, one restaurant in our directory names La Rioja in its own record:
- Galerna, Paris: small plates to share, inspired by traditional recipes from northern Spain, from a chef who wants to express the culinary traditions of La Rioja, his native region.
For Rioja wine, these two list it in their records:
- Pintxito, London (Covent Garden): an all-Basque drinks list that includes Rioja and Txakoli, served in 75, 125 and 175 ml.
- Enrique Tomás, Santiago de Surco, Peru: a ham and cured-meat specialist with Spanish wines from Ribera del Duero and Rioja.
