Podcast Summary

Más de uno, Onda Cero

Episode: Comer por España: Corral-Rubio
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Carlos Alsina
Guests: David de Jorge (chef), Begoña Gómez de la Fuente
Special Guests: Miguel (vecino de Corral Rubio), María de los Llanos “Mari” (Mesón Cahuela)

Overview

This episode of "Comer por España" focuses on Corral-Rubio, a small village in Albacete, Spain, exploring its rich gastronomic traditions, local culture, and upcoming Festival de las Aves. The discussion is punctuated by humor, friendly banter, listener participation, and a deep dive into local delicacies with firsthand accounts from villagers themselves.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Town Selection Criteria

• Carlos outlines complex and humorous “criteria” for selecting a town to feature, poking fun at how specific and exclusionary they are:
  • Must have rained in last week
  • At least 200km from a provincial capital
  • Between 20 and 10 million inhabitants
  • Must have a resident priest and at least three bars
    (01:53)
• Running jokes about the difficulty of finding such a town and what constitutes a "curra errante" (wandering priest) vs. an established priest, and when a town becomes a "villa" based on bar count.
  • “Que tenga, y este es el criterio definitivo, que tenga al menos tres bares.” (02:36, A)
  • “Eso no es un pueblo, es una villa.” (02:47, B)

2. Introducing Corral-Rubio and the Festival de las Aves

• Antonio Guillén, a listener, invites the team to Corral-Rubio for the third annual Festival de las Aves, detailing its events and emphasizing local pride.
  (03:36–04:11, D)
  • “...quería invitaros al tercer Festival de las Aves... tenéis una muy buena excusa para conocer la riqueza de aves... a la vez que visitáis un bonito y acogedor municipio...” (03:37, D)

3. Banter and Stereotypes on Rural Spain

• Jokes about rural life, the charm of small towns, the hospitality of locals, and how unfamiliar the hosts are to their own welcome.
  • “Llegamos los tres en coche, todo el mundo corriendo…” (04:47, C)
  • Distinction between “Festival de las Habas” and “de las Aves” (beans vs. birds). (05:04)

4. Discovering Corral-Rubio: Population, Nature, and Local Attractions

• The team calculates the likely radio audience in Corral-Rubio (approx. 300 inhabitants).
  • “¿Cuántos habitantes tiene Corral Rubio?... 300 habitantes.” (05:37, C and B)
• Description of the local landscape: “tierras blancas y salinas... lagunas estacionales... parada obligatoria para el turismo ornitológico.” (06:57, A)

5. Listener Call: Miguel, Proud Local

• Miguel (23), a born-and-raised neighbor, student, and local tour guide, calls in with palpable pride in his town.
  • “Por supuesto que sí. Nacido, criado y mientras que pueda, seguiré viviendo. Me encanta vivir en mi pueblo.” (09:56, E)
• Discusses his studies (future geography and history teacher), work in local tourism, and local mysteries, including the rumored palace-to-church tunnel.
  • “Es un misterio y siempre quedará ahí…” (11:29, E)

Notable Miguel Moments:

• On local food: “...se compone por el gazpacho manchego, el ajo de mataero, el atascaburras, los huevos con espárragos, el arroz con carne de caza...” (13:04, E)
• On the Festival de las Aves: “...conferencias, hay charlas, hay rutas de observación... es la tercera edición y...” (14:30, E)
• On village secrets: “...confiesa que no tienes ni puta idea.” (11:50, C, jokingly addressing Miguel’s mysteriousness)

6. Gastronomy Deep Dive with Mari (“María de los Llanos”)

• The team calls Mesón Cahuela; Mari, the owner, describes typical winter dishes:
  • “...ajo de mataero, nazcacho, man ciego, atascaburras, cualquier cocido, cualquier olla potajuda, cualquier platico de cuchara.” (18:48, F)

Ajo de Mataero Recipe (Step-by-Step from Mari):

• Traditional matanza dish made with pig’s liver, breadcrumbs, garlic, various spices (pepper, pimentón, nutmeg, a hint of cinnamon), finished with pine nuts.
  • “...antes lo hacían con mortero, ahora con batidora... hace como una masa... con pan enmigado, agua, vueltas y vueltas, queda una gacha dura... acompaña con cajaicas fritas, hígado, panceta, costillicas...” (19:11–20:46, F)
• “Eso se acompaña con unas cajaicas, se fríen aparte... está buenísimo.” (19:56, F)
• On the magic touch: “Unos piñones.” (21:01, F)

Gazpachos and Baking:

• Gazpacho manchego with “tortas cenceñas” from a neighboring town’s bakery, as the local oven no longer bakes bread.
  • “Todo con las tortas que nos hace el panadero... ahora las traen de Bonete...” (24:45, F)

On Local Traditions and Business Origins:

• Bar Mesón Cahuela has a family history: “El bar era un bar, lo crearon mis padres... y ya pues lo llevo yo...” (25:37, F)
• On the name: “Cahuela” derives from her father’s nickname “Güela” (grandma, used humorously for her father) and previously, “el Bar Tejero.” (26:01, F)

7. Village Priest and Social Commentary

• Ongoing jokes about the resident priest, his quirks and expectations:
  • “Lo tenemos muy especial, don Miguel.” (16:05, E)
  • On the priest’s dislike for ringing phones in Mass and his interactions, especially with women.
  • “He oído cosas” (22:22, F), “¿Le llama la atención a las mujeres?” (23:52, F)

Memorable Quotes & Humorous Exchanges

On Rural Selection Criteria

• “Instar es como hazlo, pero no estás obligado.” (01:35, A)
• “No solo eso, hoy vamos a subir el grado de exigencia... han sido instados a seleccionar mensajes...” (01:09, A)

On Local Identity

• “Uno siempre lleva orgullo de su pueblo.” (09:34, E)

On Gastronomic Lore

• “El ajo de mataero... es una comida típica que se hacía aquí cuando se mataba el cerdo... con hígado... la receta de mi madre...” (19:11, F)
• “Eso se sofríe y una vez que está todo sofrito, se agrega el pan que ya está enmigado...” (19:46, F)
• “Unos piñones.” (21:02, F)

On New Birds in Town

• “Aquí. Antes yo creo que no venían [flamencos, garzas].” (21:41, F)
• “No me suena de que hubiera cuando yo era pequeña, por aquí estas aves.” (21:45, F)

On the Social Life and Humor

• “Yo los entierros sí, no me lo falto.” (Entierros sí, misas no; 22:53, F)

On Local Pride and Hospitality

• “Si vienes a Corral Rubio, se conquista con el paladar.” (12:44, E)
• “Os invito a que visitéis, por supuesto, igual que os diría en todos los sitios, pero nosotros con más ganas aún.” (10:45, E)

Noteworthy Segments with Timestamps

• 01:53–02:47: The town selection process, bars, and priests banter
• 03:36–04:11: Note from Antonio Guillén about the Festival de las Aves
• 05:37–06:10: Counting inhabitants and speculating about listener audience
• 09:09–10:45: Call with Miguel, presenting young pride and studying life
• 11:01–12:20: The palace, the underground tunnel, and mysterious legends
• 13:04–13:20: Local cuisine summary by Miguel
• 18:48–21:06: Mari explains typical winter foods, especially ajo de mataero
• 24:45–25:14: Traditional baking and tortas for gazpacho
• 26:01–26:39: Family history of Mesón Cahuela and the story behind its name

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is lively, irreverent, and affectionate. The hosts mix dry wit and genuine curiosity, gently mocking each other and the interview guests but always with warmth and humor. Interactions with Miguel and Mari are especially dynamic, with easy rapport and a recurring theme of village pride and culinary nostalgia.

Useful Takeaways

• Corral-Rubio is a proudly small, tight-knit village with unique cultural and culinary traditions.
• The third Festival de las Aves is the key annual event, combining nature tourism and community pride.
• Local gastronomy shines with dishes like ajo de mataero, gazpacho manchego, and atascaburras.
• Village life is sustained by strong family roots, a sense of humor, and dedicated women running local bars.
• The podcast captures the spirit of rural Spain with authenticity, verve, and a healthy dose of self-deprecation.

For listeners interested in rural Spanish culture, authentic gastronomy, or simply in search of good-natured entertainment, this episode offers a real treat.