From today until Monday, October 5, the Calp Town Council is participating in Alicante Gastronómica 2026 with an extensive program designed to promote local products and highlight the richness and diversity of Calp’s gastronomy. The municipality has its own stand—larger than the one used in the previous edition—where tastings of local products and various promotional activities will be offered throughout the four-day fair.
A key feature of Calp’s presence will be the Calp White Prawn. The Fishermen's Guild will offer various preparations of this iconic local product. Today, visitors could taste it boiled; on Saturday and Sunday, a *fideuà* (noodle paella) featuring the Calp White Prawn will be prepared; and on Monday, it will be served fried in paper cones. The tastings will be accompanied by white wine from Bodegas Casanova.
The program will also showcase other products representative of the municipality's gastronomy. Butcher shops Calpe and Cloti—the latter under its brand *Embotits Artesans de Calp*—will offer tastings of local cured meats, while bakeries Ca Loli and Pa i Dolç Rosa will introduce visitors to different varieties of *coca* (a traditional flatbread). Bodegas Casanova will round out the offerings with white wine and *mistela* (a sweet fortified wine).
Calp is also participating in the "Saborea Costa Blanca" area with two live cooking demonstrations featuring local restaurants. The first is led by Casa Cantares Restaurant, which has prepared a "Calp White Prawn Tartare with a citrus touch and extra virgin olive oil."
The second culinary demonstration, presented by Bambero Restaurant, will take place on Monday and feature "Grilled rock octopus, Calp White Prawn, toasted corn, coconut, and lime." Both dishes showcase a style of cooking rooted in local products and traditions, yet open to creativity and innovative methods of preparation and presentation. Calp’s participation brings together various sectors of the municipality, featuring the Fishermen's Guild, AEMCO, participating butcher shops and bakeries, Bodegas Casanova, the restaurants Casa Cantares and Bambero, and the Calp Town Council. Furthermore, the stand’s visual design incorporates brands and elements linked to the local culinary identity, such as *Gamba Blanca de Calp* (Calp White Prawn), *Peix de Calp* (Calp Fish), the Fishermen's Guild, and AEMCO.
A key new feature of this year's event is the Town Council's organization of two free bus excursions from Calp to the *Alicante Gastronómica* fair, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, with a total of 110 available seats. The initiative aims to make it easier for residents and visitors to travel to the fair and enjoy both the event itself and Calp’s culinary offerings.
On both days, the buses will depart from the Calp bus station at 9:30 a.m., with the return trip from *Alicante Gastronómica* (IFA) scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Registration will be handled via a form distributed through the *Portal del Comerciante* (Merchants' Portal) website.
Through this participation, the Town Council seeks to strengthen the promotion of gastronomy as a key element of Calp’s identity and appeal, showcasing both its signature products and the professionals, establishments, and organizations that make up the local culinary sector.
