Arts & Entertainment

An apple a day: Traditional Asturias cider in quest for Unesco status

Oviedo, Spain, Nov 20 (EFE).- Cider is woven into the cultural heritage of the Asturias region of northern Spain, where the traditional drink has a history of more than 2,000 years and remains popular to this day.

The cider culture of Asturias is to be presented to Unesco in March 2022 as Spain’s official candidate for Intangible cultural heritage status, according to a recent decision from the culture ministry.

Such international recognition would not only place the spotlight on Asturian cider, boosting demand and tourism, but it would help preserve its traditional production.

“It would of course be a definitive accolade, international recognition of the importance of cider in our culture,” the general director of culture and heritage in Austrias, Pablo León, told Efe.

Asturian cider is a staple of an evening with friends and is often served with a traditional pour that sees the bartender lift the bottle far above their heads, creating a stream that just catches the inside rim of the glass.

“What makes the cider tradition unique is that it has retained traditional uses, with local apple varieties and rituals when it comes to consuming it, like the pour,” Guillermo Guisasola, the president of the regulatory council for the Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP) of Asturian cider, said. EFE

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