If you visit Murcia, don't miss....(2)

Bread from Tio Benito. This isn'y your flabby, square, packed in plastic horrid stuff, or the mass produced baguette types you get at a petrol station. It's not even comparable to the barras from your local bakery. This is the real thing. Homemade and baked in their own oven.



I first heard of Benito's bread when a friend of mine turned up one day with half a loaf. Wow. Just by itself it's great, but with a drop of olive oil or used as a scoop for any sauce it is in a class of it's own. And if you toast it a bit, douse in olive oil and add some proper tomato (the pig ugly ridged ones with blotchy colour) then you are close to perfection. If you rub a clove of garlic onto it before adding the oil and tomato, they you are almost in heaven.



The amazing thing is that Tio Bentino is situated in a tiny village, Los Ventorillos, on the road between El Palmar and Mazarron. However his bread is famous throughout the Murcia region, and it is a fame well earned.



They bake bread every day except Tuesday. Go late afternoon and you may have the pleasure of a loaf that's still hot, fresh from the oven....but be careful, the smell that fills your car will have your stomach grumbling to unheard of levels. And only 5 euros for a loaf that will last you a week, can be frozen and still taste great once out of the freezer.




El Ventorillo del Tio Benito....should be a candidate for a UN world heritage site. His embutidos are also not to be missed while you are there.