La Pansa

Pansa de Moscatell (Muscat raisin)

The family of Ovidio Mas, from the town of LLíber, in Marina Alta region, is the last one to trade on Muscat raisin.

They keep on elaborating it following the traditional method of blanching and drying raisins under the sunlight on grids made from canes. The method was declared a process of Intangible Cultural Interest in 2018. Its origin dates back to ancient Rome and it remained unchanged in medieval times. The golden age of the raisin production was between the 17th and 19th centuries, but it declined in mid-twentieth century. It had been the largest industry in the area for centuries, and now it is being recovered, thanks to its link to cuisine in Marina Alta region and to its nutritional value.

The production of raisins, in addition, is closely linked to the architectural heritage such as the riurau, a construction where grapes were placed to dry and protected from the dew and the frequent heavy rains and storms in the area.