INGREDIENTS
Asturcilla is special because of what it does and does not contain. Here we tell you what our (only) ingredients are and where they come from.
Hazelnuts
When you eat Asturcilla, you are enjoying a hazelnut spread made mainly from local Asturian varieties, such as Amandi, Espinareu, Casina and Grandona. Savour them properly; you’ve probably never tasted these exquisitely flavoured varieties before. Hazelnuts originally come from Asia Minor and have been grown in Asturias since at least the 18th century. We love this nut not only for its flavour but also for its health benefits: it is rich in vitamins (B9, B3, C, E and A), healthy fats (Omega-9), fibre and minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, selenium, iron, zinc and iodine).
Hazelnuts are good for the heart thanks to the amino acids they contain, good to eat during pregnancy due to their B9 content, good for preventing anaemia, and they help alleviate premenstrual syndrome… they’re incredible! Asturcilla contains 25% hazelnuts sourced directly from small Asturian producers. When, due to a poor harvest, we cannot source all the hazelnuts we need in Asturias, we buy organic hazelnuts from Catalan producers.
Organic cow’s milk
Asturcilla contains 31% organic cow’s milk, which is simmered for over three hours to achieve the creaminess we love and which makes Asturcilla easy to spread. The organic milk we use comes from extensive livestock farming, specifically from La Roza farm (Nava, Asturias), which has 21 cows that graze on 14 hectares of pasture free from GMOs and pesticides, and which are never given hormones or other growth-promoting drugs. As well as being free from agrochemicals, organic milk from grass-fed cows is much richer in essential Omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, linoleic acid, vitamin E and calcium than milk from animals raised on industrial feed.
The fat and protein content of our milk varies throughout the year, as it depends on the cows’ diet which changes with the seasons. Furthermore, as it is not homogenised using artificial processes, the milk used to make Asturcilla is not always exactly the same. This is why batches of Asturcilla may vary slightly even though the recipe remains the same. We work with natural ingredients, and the result is a living product. Committing to extensive livestock farming in our region is not only a decision that benefits our health and provides us with a high-quality ingredient; it is also a commitment to the social and environmental sustainability of the rural area in which we live. La Roza Farm was the first organic dairy farm in Asturias, enabling the transformation and continuation of a family-run livestock business at a time when the dairy sector was being dismantled, and today it provides employment for several people.
Panela sugar
Our panela comes from Pakta Mintalay Corporation (Quito, Ecuador) and is supplied to us via the fair trade distributor Mundo Solidario. The Pakta Mintalay Corporation (a Quichua word meaning ‘fair trade’) was founded in 2010 and is made up of small-scale producers and traders who aim to support the fair marketing of food, preferably organic, from small-scale farmers in the rural areas surrounding Ecuador’s marginalised urban neighbourhoods.
Organic sunflower oil
Asturcilla contains 13% of “Ecopipa” organic sunflower oil, obtained through first cold pressing. This is very important, as it helps us achieve a better emulsion!
We use the oil uncooked, so that it retains its nutritional properties, such as its high content of vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids.
What’s more, the taste and aroma of Ecopipa are wonderful… 100% sunflower seed oil! This oil is produced by the Becerril Bilbao farming family in Padilla de Arriba (in the Odra-Pisuerga region of Burgos, on the Castilian steppe), who cultivate the land using organic farming methods: respecting the environment, without the use of chemicals; developing the social and economic fabric of this depopulated area; and producing products of the highest nutritional quality.
Pure cocoa
Asturcilla contains 6% pure fat-free cocoa. This may seem like a small proportion, but it delivers a very intense flavour. We love cocoa and local produce, but we’ve been unable to find cocoa grown in Asturias… so we’ve turned to the Fair Trade distributor Adsys Equimercado, which supplies us with organic cocoa from the CONACADO cooperative in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to CONACADO, Asturcilla has a tropical touch and a chocolate flavour. CONACADO was founded in 1985 through a partnership between small and medium-sized cocoa producers, with the support of the Cocoa Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and the German Cooperation Agency GTZ. Its aim is to improve the income and quality of life of cocoa producers and their families. We, here in Asturias, thank them for the exceptional ingredient they provide us with. And, although you don’t need an excuse to enjoy cocoa, we’d like to remind you that pure cocoa is rich in antioxidants, magnesium and iron, promotes a sense of well-being and, provided you don’t consume it mixed with poor-quality sugars and fats, is excellent for the heart!