La cultura sidrera asturiana protagonista en FITUR

Asturian cider arrived at FITUR with a clear message: it is not just a drink, it is a living culture with enormous tourism potential. The pouring ritual, its landscapes and its people have a place of their own at the fair.

A round table to champion cider

The Principality's pavilion hosted a round table devoted to cider culture, with representatives of the appellation, the university, the tourism sector and the pourers' associations taking part. The tone was not merely celebratory: there was talk of quality, of drinking and service tradition, but also of the future and of projection.

The idea that hovered over the whole conversation is easy to sum up. Asturian cider works because it renews itself without giving up what makes it unique, and that balance between roots and present is what keeps it alive.

The pour as a mark of identity

Few gestures identify a drink the way pouring identifies cider. Raising the bottle, letting the stream fall and breaking the liquid against the rim of the glass is no whim: it aerates the cider and awakens its aromas just before drinking. It is a ritual learned by watching, part of the spectacle of an afternoon at the chigre.

• The culín, that short sip downed in one go, sets the social rhythm of the table.
• Sharing a glass is part of the code: cider is enjoyed in a group.
• The pourers' associations work to keep that know-how from being lost.

Cider tourism, a complete experience

Around cider a tourism offering has been woven that goes far beyond the glass. Visiting a llagar, seeing how it is made, walking through the apple orchards and sitting down to an espicha allow you to understand the drink from the inside. It is enotourism in an Asturian key, with green landscape, hearty cuisine and a recognisable hospitality.

That model of visit, in which the visitor not only tastes but understands the process, connects with the way the wineries and producers across the whole country are enjoyed today.

Towards international recognition

Cider culture aspires to recognition of international scope as intangible heritage, a candidacy that focuses efforts and gives visibility to the sector as a whole. Presenting at a fair like FITUR is part of that underlying work: telling the story, defending quality and showing that behind every bottle there is territory, craft and community.

Asturias has a lot riding on that bet, and the interest its cider stirs within and beyond Spain suggests that the path, demanding as it is, heads in the right direction.