Falset displays and sells ancient local varieties from Priorat at its Tomato Fair

This Sunday, August 10th, Falset's Plaza de la Quartera will host the latest edition of the Tomato Fair, an event dedicated to Priorat's local varieties and local produce. Visitors will be able to discover, taste, and purchase ancient tomato varieties and other products grown, according to the organizers, "with passion and respect for the land." Olive oil and wine from the La Trullola winery in El Masroig will also be on offer.

Organized by the Falset Town Council in collaboration with the La Safranòria Association, the fair focuses on the recovery and conservation of traditional seeds. According to the organizers, this work is carried out "thanks to the patient work of many farming families in the region."

Founded in 2017, La Safranòria is dedicated to the conservation and promotion of traditional varieties and the agrobiodiversity of Priorat. It continues the varietal recovery project initiated in the Montsant Natural Park and is supported by the Miquel Agustí Foundation. It defines itself as a collective territorial project. It is organized on an altruistic basis for the conservation, multiplication, research, and dissemination of local plant genetic heritage of agricultural interest.

The Tomato and Local Product Fair, according to the Falset Town Council, "is an opportunity to learn about Priorat's agricultural world firsthand, highlight the value of local produce, and enjoy a summer day filled with a good atmosphere, music, and gastronomy." It adds that this initiative "fills the Priorat capital with colors, flavors, and peasant culture."

The Councillor for Commerce and Tourism, Magí Batllevell, told La Vanguardia 's Comer channel that the Tomato Fair "is an exhibition that celebrates the native varieties of Priorat, a region where almost every family has their own vegetable garden and many have preserved the seeds from generation to generation, from grandparents to grandchildren."

In addition to the producer showcase, the day will culminate with a popular festival in the Euterpe tent in the capital of the Priorat region, where a communal lunch will be held, organized by the La Internacional and Bellmunt del Priorat hunting groups, along with the La Safranòria Association. The menu will include, for 3 euros, a wild boar chop fideuá and 100% Priorat tomato salad. Diners must bring plates and cutlery from home.

Just half an hour before the popular luncheon of this sixth edition of the Tomato Fair, at 1:30 p.m., there will be a concert by the local band Barón Dandy, a group that covers songs from the 1960s to the present day.