COME AND HEAR OUR STORY
1920
Year the family Teruel Preserve recipe was registered
A story of origin, product and artisans—told with calm, detail and true know-how.
FIRST ACT: THE BIRTH OF A GOURMET SECRET.
It all began with a secret: a closely guarded family recipe, registered by our founder’s grandmother in November 1920. With meticulous precision and hard-earned attention to detail, our beloved ancestor—born in the Teruel region—laid the first stone of what, a century later, would become GUALLAR.
A hundred years later, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, José Ángel Guallar and his wife Pilar Elena decided to retrieve the family recipe book, hidden beneath decades of old belongings and layers of dust in the village barn. The mission was clear: to revive tradition and share the delicacies of our land with the world.
AN EXAMPLE OF FINE SPANISH GOURMET CRAFTSMANSHIP
After many weeks at home—through ups and downs—the couple managed to match the process and flavour their grandparents achieved: slow confit and the right spices. But there was one final challenge: earning the approval of the village elders.
In the summer of 2020, after gathering more than twenty people aged between 65 and 95 in their hometown, they hosted an extensive tasting of our gourmet preserves. “It’s like when I was a child…” said Santiago M. (87), and “just like the one I used to make with my mother,” Brígida E. (94) told us. The experiment was a resounding success.
Nine months later, after building a new workshop on the outskirts of Zaragoza, CASA GUALLAR placed its first jar in a shop in May 2021. The rest is history: presence in more than 100 gourmet stores across Spain, the creation of our own distribution line, authorisation as a brand by the PDO Jamón de Teruel Regulatory Council, and much more we’ll continue to share with you.
SECOND ACT: THE FINEST RAW MATERIALS
We have always believed that exceptional craft begins with exceptional ingredients. As it could not be otherwise, at Guallar we are proud of our origins—of our region of Teruel and its treasures.
All our creations use prime cuts of PGI Teruel pork, a guarantee that you are enjoying fresh meat with certified origin and a production model tied to the province of Teruel. This Protected Geographical Indication covers meat from animals reared, slaughtered and cut in Teruel, with official traceability and labelling controls that ensure authenticity from origin to point of sale.
Its character comes from a defined genetic line: Landrace or Large White on the maternal side, and Duroc as the paternal line. This combination is designed to achieve a much sought-after gastronomic balance: strong conformation, intramuscular fat marbling, and a particularly rewarding meat in the kitchen—ideal for crafting our delicacies.
On the sensory side, PGI Teruel pork is recognised by its pinkish colour and marbling (intramuscular fat), which translates into a very specific experience: juiciness and a gentle, elegant flavour.
There are also technical parameters that underpin this quality: carcasses must reach a hot weight of ≥ 86 kg, and backfat thickness must fall between 16 and 45 mm, a range that helps ensure proper fat coverage and therefore a juicier, more consistent meat.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil P.D.O. Bajo Aragon
In the heart of Bajo Aragón, between the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel, an olive oil is born with a distinctive character and unmistakable elegance: PDO Bajo Aragón Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Protected Designation of Origin guarantees what is essential in a gourmet product: origin, traceability and know-how—since cultivation, production and bottling must take place exclusively within the PDO’s protected area.
The great protagonist of this PDO is the Empeltre olive, a native variety and emblem of the region. Its specification requires Empeltre to represent a minimum of 80% of the blend. That predominance is the secret of its style.
The organoleptic profile of Bajo Aragón olive oil stands out for its balance: fruitiness ranging from light to intense depending on harvest time, bitterness and pungency from light to medium, and an elegant finish of nuts—especially walnut and almond. Its colour evolves from green tones at the start of the season to a ripe yellow toward the end.
Beyond its gastronomic value, it is an EVOO naturally rich in compounds typical of extra virgin olive oil, such as vitamin E, valued for its antioxidant role.
Tasting note: “On the nose, it shows a fine, elegant fruitiness, with notes of olive leaf, sweet almond and ripe fruit. On the palate, it is smooth, fluid and silky, with light bitterness and very moderate pungency, leaving a pleasant, fragrant finish.”
THIRD ACT: MASTER ARTISANS
Selecting outstanding raw ingredients is just as important as having the knowledge to treat them as they deserve. It is the know-how of past generations that accompanies us in this story: a traditional and sustainable way of cooking that draws out maximum flavour and the finest texture. A craft refined over hundreds of years—now, thanks to our master artisans, used to create our delicacies.
A CENTURY-OLD CRAFT
As it could not be otherwise, the founders and guardians of the family recipe personally oversee and produce every gourmet delicacy made at GUALLAR.
Our small artisanal workshop allows each product to be crafted under the strictest sanitary controls. Proof of this is the frequent visits from veterinary faculty students, who come to study the set-up of a model food industry.
