MARÍA JOSÉ
(
below, right
): “
When I was five or
six, my parents took me to the place where they
make the
horchata
[
a nut-based drink] for
Peret
[
Paseo Explanada de Espana; tel: +34 965 960 606
].
There were 20 women there, all dressed in blue,
choosing the best
chufas
[
tigernuts], which they
use to make the horchata. They’d crush them in
something like an olive press, and mix them with
water and sugar, and that’s it. That was 50 years
ago and they still make it almost the same way now
–
no additives. When I was pregnant with Geni
I used to come here all the time because I needed
their ice cream. I was all the time saying to my
husband, ‘Can you stop? I need to go to Peret!’”
geni
(
left
): “
I like the ice creams but I don’t like
horchata – I think my mother had too much when
she was pregnant with us! My favourite is the
limon granizada
.
It’s just lemon, ice and sugar, but
it’s what you need when it’s hot. They also make a
drink called
leche preparada
[
milk cooked with
cinnamon, lemon and sugar]. When I smell
cinnamon it reminds me of Peret.”
mj:
“
I also like to have tapas at
Bar Guillermo
[
21
Calle del Pintor Velázquez; tel: +34 965 200 184;
barguillermo.es
],
where they’re still doing things as
they were 40 years ago. Or
Nou Manolin Tapas
Bar
[
3
Villegas; tel: +34 965 200 368, noumanolin.
com
],
which is an icon for Alicante and has the best
mojama
[
dried tuna] – very typical of here.”
g:
“
I like
Katagorri
[
35
Rambla Méndez Núñez;
tel: +34 965 153 517, katagorri.com
].
It’s a Basque
restaurant, so they have
pintxos
[
tapas on sticks].
They make different ones every day and you never
know what they’ll have, but it’s always nice.”
María José &Geni San Román
The mother and daughter restaurauteur team behind Monastrell are regular visitors
to Peret, the 97-year-old ‘Horchateria’ on Alicante’s esplanade
AS TOLD TO TREVOR BAKER. PHOTO KARL BLACKWELL
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