Playa Candela wins the ninth Malaga sardine competition organised by SUR

The aroma is unmistakable: salt, firewood and the sea - a scent that permeated every corner of El Balneario - Baños del Carmen, the venue that hosted the grand finale of the ninth Ruta del Espeto. The aim was clear: to showcase the sardine espeto, one of the defining features of Malaga’s culinary heritage.

This eagerly awaited culinary competition is organised by Diario SUR and its foodie supplement Málaga en la Mesa, and is sponsored primarily by Sabor a Málaga and the Malaga provincial council (Diputación). Furthermore, the event is made possible thanks to the collaboration of Cruzcampo, Comerco and the Playas de la Costa del Sol Economic Interest Group, organisations dedicated to preserving culinary traditions.

Toñi Ledesma, Vice-President of the Diputación, was responsible for presenting the first prize. The competition saw the participation of 81 establishments from across the province. SUR's editor-in-chief Javier Recio, moments before the final round began, wished to “thank everyone for the fantastic turnout at this year’s event and for being the guardians of this tradition”. The People’s Choice Award went to Restaurante Antonio (El Palo), while the Comerco Award, which recognises respect for the produce, was won by Restaurante Narval, also in El Palo. A total of 3,600 people submitted their ratings for this year’s competition.

From 7.30pm on Tuesday, the nerves and anticipation were palpable. The judges' secretary, Marta Pinto, was in charge of calling the participants for the draw that determined the order in which they would prepare their dishes. The final demanded a high level of skill; each of the beach bars competing for the top prize had to prepare four skewers (with a minimum of six sardines on each), using two different types of fish which they had to identify and select in advance. The sardines to be chosen came from Huelva, Castellón and Portugal. The finalists had to choose the one they considered most appropriate for the time of year (although they were not told where each one came from).

To make matters more complicated, the 'espeteros' had a maximum of 15 minutes to prepare their dishes. The challenge was clear: to present all four skewers at the same time to the judging panel. The use of the traditional bamboo skewer was an essential requirement to ensure the authenticity of the method; on this occasion, the stainless steel skewer could not be used.

Javier Vílchez, originally from El Palo, has been working in front of the embers since he was 16. At just 20 years old, he has won the top prize in this ninth edition. For Vílchez, the key to making the best espeto is: “The embers must be just right, the sardine with a touch of salt, and it mustn’t be too close to the fire so that it doesn’t burn.”

The judges, faced with a difficult decision, selected the winner in a blind tasting, without knowing which restaurant had prepared each dish. The event was chaired by the chairman of the judges, SUR’s food critic Enrique Bellver, who revealed that the winner had been chosen "unanimously". Bellver also emphasised that "the true flavour of Malaga lies in the espeto".

Alongside him, leading professionals from the sector contributed their palates and expertise, including: Leonor García Agua, director of Sabor a Málaga - Málaga provincial council; Azahara Molina, Trade Marketing at Heineken; Samira Alaoui, from El Balneario; Pablo Castillo, from Comerco; and Alberto Gómez, chief reporter of culture and gastronomy at Diario SUR.

The criteria for scoring the finalists left no room for improvisation. The experts meticulously assessed four key areas: preparation of the raw ingredients, cooking temperature, flavour and presentation.

The hard work and endurance on the boat paid off handsomely. The establishment that won the judges' prize was awarded an advertising campaign in SUR's gastronomy supplement Málaga at La Mesa, valued at 3,000 euros. Meanwhile, the public’s favourite will receive 1,000 euros to be spent on an advertising campaign. Comerco also presented a special award recognising the care, respect for the product and technique of the best ‘amoragaor’, the name given to the sardine chefs.

With the judges' final verdict announced and the awards presented on the beach, the event brings a fitting conclusion to a festival which, year after year, stokes the embers to keep the flame of Malaga’s popular culture alive.