Cider wants to obtain World Heritage status

The typical drink of Asturias is cider and probably has been since the time of the Romans. It is obtained by pressing three varieties of apples and has been bottled since the middle of the 19th century. An application has been made for Asturias' long and extended cider tradition to obtain Intangible World Heritage status. Asturian natural cider always has to be poured in a special way, known as “escanciado” (poured from a height). This is not a gimmick for tourists. This process requires pouring the cider with your arm extended above your head. The glass is held in your other hand at an angle so that the cider falls on the edge of the glass. The glass is large, wide and very thin. Each glass of cider is called a “culín” or “culete”. It should be drunk as it is served, without letting it stand, in one go. A small amount of cider is left in the glass and poured on the ground over the part of the glass from where you drank. Cider is sold by the bottle.

Although cider is drunk in many countries and in several other regions of Spain, the only place where it is “escanciado” is in Asturias.

Natural cider, fermented and made from up to 22 varieties of apple, is only one of three types that have a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). There other two are not “escanciado”: new expression natural cider, with microbubbles; and sparkling cider, with carbonic gas generated by the fermentation process.

There are also sweet cider or "del duernu", organic cider, brut cider and ice cider. Natural cider has an alcohol content of between 5 and 6 per cent and ferments in barrels in cellars. Sometimes, they are open to the public for tasting sessions and typical celebrations known as “espichas”.