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The Wild Asparagus Hunters are Out and About

It´s that time of year. Cars parked in odd places, the solitary person - usually a man, popping up above a bank or from behind an olive tree. The hunters of the wild aparagus are here. The plentiful rain scattered with a day or two of sunshine has brought them out in droves. Some have their route, others instinctively know where to go. They appear, walking back to their cars, with a huge bundle of foot long green spears of asparagus. And off they go, probably not to be seen for another year - or another week if the rain continues. No matter how hard the shoots try and hide the older men hunt them down with stick in hand, to fob off the spiky old growth, and uncover the tender new stems of wild asparagus. Everyone has their favourite way of cooking them but the most common seems to be in a Tortilla - the thick Spanish potato omelette to which you can add anything that comes to hand - or is hunted down. My one or two shorter stem finds don´t come close to the experienced hunters catch. I...

Why do they Eat Grapes at Midnight in Spain?

Instead of dancing around singing Auld Lang Syne the Spanish tradition is popping a grape into your mouth at every stroke of the clock. Twelve strikes, twelve grapes. It may sound easy but pop in, eat, swallow and then pop in another one isn't as easy as it sounds. But why do they do it? I asked many Spaniards and nobody actually knew but the some had a rough theory.



Grapes at Midnight Tradition


The most popular story dates back to the early 1900s when a bumper harvest of white grapes led to producers sharing them out to one and all, and so began the tradition of popping grapes on New Year's Eve. Of course these days you can buy them prepacked, 12 to a tin or tub all ready for the countdown.

So why not give it a go? Large white seedless grapes and preferably a large mouth make for a quieter New Year's Eve as everyone is busy chewing, swallowing and popping. You have a few days to get in some practice before 31st December.



Happy New Year.

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