As every year, this first Sunday in May, Mother's Day is celebrated in Spain, a holiday that is commemorated in almost every corner of the world, on different dates depending on the place, but with a single objective: to highlight the role played by mothers as the pillar of the family and to publicly recognize all the women who take care of their loved ones day after day. We at IGP Chorizo riojano would like to join in this thanksgiving.
Modern, active, traditional, simple, direct, friendly or serious when angry, creative, sporty, enterprising... There is only one mother, but each one of them is a true all-rounder, capable of taking care of herself and her family. The world changes and so does the role of mothers, but there are traditions that remain intact.
Mother's Day has a universal character and its origins date back to Ancient Egypt, where the goddess Isis, the “queen mother”, was honored. Something similar happened in Ancient Greece with the goddess Rhea, mother of the gods of Olympus, and during the Roman Empire, where the goddess Cybele was the object of worship.
In Europe, Catholicism adopted the tradition honoring the Virgin Mary on December 8. Years later, in 1914, U.S. President Wilson would establish Mother's Day as an official celebration on the second Sunday of May each year, giving rise to the tradition we know today, which in Spain is celebrated on the first Sunday of May.
And we know a lot about traditions in La Rioja, because we have been preparing Rioja chorizo for centuries following the traditional recipe, which our grandmothers and great-grandmothers bequeathed to us and which today's mothers have been able to incorporate into more modern recipes without complexes.
The history of La Rioja is marked by the rural life that prevailed until the 19th century, in which the pig always played a fundamental role. Rioja chorizo has its origins in the festival of the slaughter of the pigs.
The slaughtering of the pig and the preparation of its meat and sausages was a family ritual of great importance, since the correct preservation of the meat and sausages would ensure the family's sustenance until the following year's grape harvest. This tradition has passed from generation to generation and is still practiced in villages throughout Spain.
Today, eating habits have changed and we pay a lot of attention to following a balanced diet in which the different food groups coexist in harmony so that our body can have all the nutrients it needs. And, of course, the best chorizo from La Rioja is still present.
In innovative recipes that combine the best of the past with a twist, such as these quinoa meatballs with chorizo or vegetable-based dishes like grilled zucchini or baked mushrooms, that allow us to eat healthily without giving up the best flavor.
Lifelong proposals that the youngest mothers have been able to adapt, recalling the memories of their childhood and adapting traditional flavors to the present so that the new generations maintain their link with their roots.
So this Mother's Day, nothing better than a lunch full of taste and tradition with which to spend a day with the family.
