After driving through the bountiful Vera valley dotted with fruit trees and modest farms, Tim and i were greeted heartily by two millers, José María Hernández and his son, Alvaro.  I always appreciate the "down to earth" quality of people whose livelihood is tied to the soil.  Soon Alvaro proudly showed us group pictures of the three generations who  pioneered the production of pimentón de la vera, the famous smoked paprika of Spain.  He identified  each member of their family, one by one! 

	Eva came down from Madrid especially to greet us.  Speaking in flawless English she guided us through their warehouse, which was a virtual working museum of paprika mills dating back to the early twentieth century. The mills were engineering works of art and José María was particularly proud that La Dalia paprika was still  produced using the original granite millstones.  The unique properties of granite assure the amazing fineness of the rich red powder that came from the little smoked peppers the farmer brought from the field. 

	<a href="/food/smoked_paprika.html">See our artisan smoked paprika ►</a>

José María Hernández - Paprika Miller

Our friend Pepe Ruíz provides our Calasparra paella rice, and we always enjoy visiting the tiny town of Calasparra to visit with him.&nbsp; The rice grown in fresh water, high in the mountains along the Mundo and Segura rivers.&nbsp; Why grow rice in the mountains?&nbsp; One story is that centuries ago malaria affected the low lands near Valencia, and as an accident of history, they blamed the disease on the location of the rice fields. When they moved the rice crop to the mountains of Calasparra, the mosquitoes were left behind.&nbsp; In the new climate the grains of rice took longer to mature, and so are able to absorb an amazing amount of rich broth – the secret of good paella!&nbsp; Calasparra rice is the only DOP protected rice growing region in Spain, and it is still artisan grown with no insecticides or herbicides.<a href="/food/rice-and-pasta">See our artisan paella rice ►</a>

Pepe Ruíz - Rice Farmer

We drove into the driveway of Alfonso’s dairy which was guarded by a great old dog with the wisdom of the ages. Alfonso’s children were playing among the furrows of the farm, and in the background we could see the sheepfold full of ewes who produced the milk for the beautifully handcrafted cheese that Alfonso produces. Among the most interesting were cheeses which had been blended with red wine, others with rosemary. When we met his mother at her home, which served as a small cheese store, she proudly showed us a room full of trophies – it seemed that Alfonso was a champion long-distance runner!<a href="/artisan-cheese/all-cheese">See our artisan cheeses ►</a>

Alfonso Alvarez - Cheesemaker

Our friend Jaime Borrás is an enthusiastic owner of Catunambú, a coffee roasting company in Sevilla. He is an energetic man whom we first met in the nearby Parador in Carmona, where he regaled us with an immense amount of information about his favorite topic: coffee. A few days later, we met Jaime among piles of cloth and burlap bags of coffee beans in the warehouse of Catunambú, a famous old firm from Sevilla, founded in 1897. It was an amazing experience to stroll around the warehouse with Jaime - the aroma was unbelievable. We saw bags from up to 20 different countries, all ingredients in a bold yet smooth blend that is the signature flavor of Catunambú - the coffee of Andalucía!<a href="/food/pantry-staples/beverages">See our Spanish coffees ►</a>

Jaime Borrás - Coffee Roaster

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