Malaga to push for UNESCO protection for ‘espeto’ sardines

FAMOUS: Espetos

MALAGA’S culture committee has agreed to push to have ‘espetos’ recognised as an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. 

The popular sardine skewer is ’emblematic’ of the whole Malaga coast and should be protected and safeguarded, the committee argued.

Partido Popular representaitve Manuel Marmolejos said the skewer is ‘a typical dish of the whole coast of Malaga’ and is associated with the villages of seafaring tradition and even with the coast of Granada or Cádiz and other points along the Spanish coast where you will find sardines prepared this way.

Espetos is a tradition dating back to at least 1882, when there were establishments that offered the espeto de sardinas as a typical Malaga dish.

The dish continues to be served in dozens of chiringuitos along the Costa del Sol.

“The continued tourism will consolidate this dish as part of Malaga gastronomic culture,” said Marmolejos.

The PP senator added that putting forward espetos for UNESCO recognition will be a ‘unifying project’ that will help preserve the ‘acenstral and collective’ knowledge of cooking espetos.

the project ‘seeks to protect and become aware of a heritage which is part’ of the diversity of culture and which ‘unites all the people of Malaga’.

“It is vital that the skewer is included in the inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity and actions are developed to safeguard it,” he concluded.