The flavour of Rototom

When we live the Rototom experience, we do it with the five senses, and taste could not be less. Meals from the 5 continents unite at the festival in order to offer a wide food tasting. Both the traditional "paella" and the Senegalese "Mafe" will allow us to discover new tastes with the best quality products.

The culinary proposals are various, from the Oriental "Kebab", to the unknown dishes from Ethiopia, the healthy vegetarian, the delicious Italian pizza, the succulent Argentinean grill, or our sacred Spanish omelette...To the yummiest tropical fruit juices, the Valencian "Orxata" or the Cuban "Mojito". A complete sensation of scents and flavours worthy to try.

Although beyond the personal tastes of each one, food has a cultural side, which has not been forgotten at the Rototom: the end of the Ramadan. This is why, a prayer has been organized in the morning and then they have cooked a special meal, the "Lakh", a kind of semolina with milk and yogurt mixed with sugar. "It has been a very nice experience because people have eaten and prayed together in such a special moment", explains one of the organizers of the African Village, Mbaye Thioune. According to one of the participants, Max Thiam, he has felt himself "liberated because it is something we do once a year and now it is finished. The strange thing now is to start eating, drinking and smoking during the day".

Not forgetting that for those who prefer to cook their own meals, the festival has fitted out an area at the camping site – together with a small market right next to it – where it is possible to prepare whatever anyone feels like. According to Mónica Gutiérrez, who has already used the facilities, she comments that "it works very well. The electric hobs are a great solution in order to avoid problems with fire. Besides, there is a cool atmosphere; it is like going back to school". Though one of her friends, Cristina Moreno, adds that "sometimes there are a lot of people because we all go at the same time".

A journey through flavours

"This is my first year, although I have had a very good welcome. I can feel that people like more and more the food from Ethiopia" explains the owner of the L'Abyssine, the Ethiopian Alemnesh Moges, while she prepares one of her star recipes: the "Injéra". "It is a unique dish, rich, very nutritious and spicy. People passing by comment on the scent that it emanates. We take much care on the ingredients, we use fresh meat...Even my mother sends me the spices from my country".

Wandering around the African Village, we find a Berber tent, the "Haima". Under it there are a lot of people drinking mint tea and eating Moroccan desserts sold at the Oriental bakery. According to one of the waitresses, Emily Seillan, "people generally come knowing very little of our pies. I advice and explain to them how each one is. The Tunisian "Zlabia", made with semolina and honey or the "Baklawa" with pistachios, honey and almonds are a total success". Because, as the DJ and communicator from Bivouac, Robert Dray, comments "have a tea and a pie at the "Haima", with the blowing wind...It is like travelling through the desert".

Robert Dray also talks about the delicious Moroccan dishes that can be tasted. "You have to try the vegetable couscous and the one with "Kefta" (meat). They are delicious. And the "Tajine", another dish from Maghreb cooked on a special recipient during 3 or 4 hours, lovely".

If you love the African continent, you can also taste the Senegalese dishes, at the Thiossam restaurant, where its cook, Fátima Aisata explains to us some of the dishes. "The "Mafe" (beef with peanuts and vegetables cream) or the "Yasa" (chicken with onion, lemon and olives with rice and couscous on the side) are some of our specialties". And if you venture yourself to try the Senegalese food, you can also taste its drinks, like the ginger cocktail, the "Bissap" or the Senegalese punch. Max Thiam, owner of the restaurant, shows us his joy at being able to "spread the Senegalese food and see that people love it".

We move continents and arrive at Cuba, where the rice "Congrí" (black beans) with roasted pork or "Ropavieja" (beef) and yucca are waiting for us. The owner of the Cuban restaurant, Altagracia Cuza, talks about this year's good results "we are selling even better than last year and people are pleased".

Considering that we are at the biggest European reggae festival, the Jamaican jerk cuisine could not be missed. "Few people know our traditional dishes like the "Ackee", made of vegetables. Or the roasted chicken with rice on the side cooked with coconut milk and black beans, or our typical Jamaican kiwi cocktail", says the cook of the Jamaican Area, Nadir. However, the ones never missing this restaurant are the artists. "They go mad. Yesterday, Morgan ordered us some food. Moreover, they always ask us to put a lot of chili so it is very spicy, like in Jamaica. Normally, we do not put too much salt or spices so to adapt ourselves to the European taste".

But even all the variety, we end up eating the food from our land. That is why, the "Paella", the "Fideuá" and even the "Gazpacho" could not be missed at the Rototom. "Very often, people from here likes to eat what they already know and foreigners have a lot of curiosity. They even take pictures! We are like a shop window" declares the manager of Mesones y Ferias, Salva Pérez.

The Italian Donatella is sitting down with a piece of Spanish potato omelette in front of her at the Spanish restaurant. She finds "Spanish food very good. It is a pleasure to eat Spanish omelette". Next to her, the Brazilian, Pablo Rose Guimarães, confirms having tried "everything: from Creole chicken with rice, pizza, potatoes "a lo pobre", grilled ribs...All is really nice, although some of the dishes could be a little bit cheaper". And on the table next to them, eating a "Paella", Cristina Moreno explains that "she likes very much how it has been cooked and the price is good. Yesterday I had crepes and they were amazing, besides the people treated us very nicely". "And do you remember the bit of pizza we had yesterday, very tasty!" adds her friend, Mónica Rodríguez.

If you still feel like tasting drinks, you can start with the sugar cane juice. It is worthy to visit their stall and you will even see how they make the juice extracting it with a device in front of you. "You can have it with rum, as a "Mojito" or on its own. It is a shame that people do not know that the original "Mojito" has sugar cane on it. So this is very good in order to show people the true origin of this drink", explains the waitress, Silvia Fernández.

This little walk through flavours is just a small tasting of everything you can experiment. From "Hummus", "Falafel", vegetarian food, Greek yogurts, kebabs, fresh fruits...A whole menu at hand 24 hours a day. After all these delicious dishes, what do you feel like eating today?

Montse Rosell | Translated by: Mª Paz Marcos Silvestre