“El Desarme” festivities (Oviedo)

Chickpeas with cod and spinach, local-style tripe and rice pudding. This is what you will be served in the restaurants and cider bars of Oviedo on the occasion of the celebration, every 19 October, of the Desarme, one of the oldest gastronomic festivals in Spain.

The so-called 'peace menu' is a tribute to the militiamen who defended the city in 1836 against the siege of the Carlist troops, during the first of the three civil wars that took place in Spain in the 19th century known as the Carlist Wars. With the final end of the conflict in 1876, it became a celebration of peace and coexistence and a symbol of reconciliation and fraternity that endures to this day.The Desarme Gastronomic Days offer the opportunity to enjoy, with family or friends, the traditional Desarme menu in the city's restaurants. Many establishments also take part in the “Bocados del Desarme” contest, offering special pinchos and tapas made with the ingredients that make up the hearty menu (chickpeas with cod and spinach, Oviedo-style tripe and rice pudding).The Gastronomic Society of El Desarme also organises several cultural activities based on the festivities, including photography exhibitions, children's drawing, poetry and period costume competitions, concerts, talks and a music band festival. The end of the festivities is marked by the solemn act of the Grand Chapter of the Cofradía del Desarme, with a grand parade to the historic University of Oviedo.