
The Spanish Siberia is a 3-hour drive southwest of Madrid, home to the fabulous food of Esparragosa de Lares, is a small village surrounded by hills and rocky outcrops. It is famous for its asparagus, which grows wild in the autumn and winter months when the rains come. Three varieties of asparagus grow wild in the Esparragosa de Lares region, green, purple and white, and are delicious. A local cook made me a packed lunch with the preserved white variety, which was the sweetest I have ever eaten.