The raisin trail

The towns in the Axarquía region of Málaga province have a lot to show us about the culture surrounding the preparation of this delicious dried fruit

Did you know that the raisin is one of Andalusia’s truly local products? Málaga province is particularly famous for its raisins, so much so that there is a Raisin Trail which connects the villages and towns in the eastern Axarquía region known for making this product, covering 62 kilometres in total.

Totalán, Comares, Cútar, El Borge, Almáchar and Moclinejo have special climatic conditions that allow grapevines to flourish, the fruit of which are transformed into raisins. This age-old craft, driven by the sun, is carried out in the characteristic raisin-drying trays of the area, called paseros. These always face the south and rest upon the hills and ridges of the Axarquían landscape.

These raisin-drying trays, which are integrated into the homesteads of those who work the land, are rectangular with painted white frames, where the grapes are exposed continuously to the sun. The workmanship that goes into producing this dried fruit is remarkable, so it’s not surprising that the locals celebrate with feasts to enjoy this prized product, such as the Ajoblanco Fiesta in Almáchar, the Viñeros festival in Moclinejo and the El Borges raisin festival.

Raisins, rather than grapes, are used in the artisan production of the region’s Moscatel dessert wine, internationally renowned for its sweet, aromatic flavour. The wine’s floral aroma comes from this grape variety, due to certain essential oils found in the part close to the fine film that covers the grape seed; this aroma sets Moscatel apart from other dessert wines.

The Raisin Trail also contains many more sites of cultural and anthropological value. For example, no description of Axarquía should miss out the verdiales, a local fiesta in which musicians in traditional dress sing and dance a style of flamenco called fandango, accompanied by a local band. The local town of Comares has its own styles of verdiales, which is faster than other two styles (Montes and Almogía). The verdiales groups in Comares are proud of their reputation for giving the highest-quality performances: this is the best place to experience the festival in Axarquía. Other festivals in the region transport us back in time, such as the Monfí festival in Cútar, where the culture of al-Andalus takes centre stage and participants are invited to wear the dress of that era. Another event we’ll be sure not to miss is in Totalán, with its festival of Chanfaina: a tasty lamb-based stew.

And of course, our trip will include a Moscatel wine and raisin-tasting session, to savour the long cultural heritage Axarquía has built upon these fruits of the vineyard.