The 5 senses of rice

You should live Terres de l’Ebre with the 5 senses and, in each one of them, DOP Delta de l’Ebre rice is always present. You can feel it in the colour of the landscapes, flat and infinite; in the rice fields, a true feast for the eyes; the soft rumble of the wind caressing sprigs, which provides a feeling of quietness, rest, stillness. You can also feel it in the sweet and deep aroma of the crops that play with our sense of smell, the same way they will play a key role in the dishes you can try, on a powerful sample of the extraordinary cuisine of Terres de l’Ebre. Oh, and the touch, of course, everchanging on any vital process, from the moment it is planted to the moment it is harvested.

Thus, this cycle, which develops and is solved in just over 4 months, still preserves a double and beloved commemoration in Terres de l’Ebre: the plantada, or planting, due in June, and the sega, or harvesting, due in September and October.  

The latter, which starts as summer approaches its end, is a truly amazing celebration in Terres de l’Ebre. A number of villages organize the traditional Festes de la Sega (Harvesting Festivity) every year, which are complemented with other activities, aware though, that the main theme here is the harvesting of this beloved cereal. Deltebre, La Ràpita, L’Aldea, L’Ampolla, Amposta and Sant Jaume d’Enveja are some of those offering a balanced festive calendar, which emphasises the history of traditional methods once used to plant and harvest rice, as well as the celebration that would then follow, with “jotas” dancing, popular meals and traditional games, plus the common trips on a carriage.  

Because that’s what it is about: remembering, in essence, what this territory and its people were like, so that their future and present integrity and biodiversity is preserved, a true treasure of our country. 

Click this link to find out more about the Festes de la Sega due in Terres de l’Ebre, with details about the official activity programmes. Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy them with the 5 senses!