Valencia Finds: Bread Spreads

NOTE: Prices are as of September 2022. This article contains links to products and other info but the writer is not associated with or paid by any of these brands or stores.

Peanut Butter

We are a peanut butter family and when we went to Valencia, we were worried we wouldn't be able to get anything similar to what we're used to. My kids like the sweet-salty, thick, all-American Jif peanut butter while I like Pic's, a New Zealand brand that only has peanuts and sea salt and is quite runny. They commonly call peanut butter Crema de Cacahuete (as opposed to the google translation mantequilla de maní).

The one we found closest to Jif (though less sweet) is Capitan Maní, made of 90% peanuts, cane sugar, salt and palm oil which makes it thicker. It's available at Supermercado El Corte Ingles. You can get the 510 g jar of suave (creamy) or crujiente (crunchy) for EUR 4.25. They also have a 340 g jar with 100% toasted peanuts for EUR 3.59 but we haven't tried it yet. You can get it from Amazon.es as well, and cheaper on a subscription basis.

The one closest to Pic's but way more affordable is Mercadona's house brand Hacendado 100% Crema de Cacahuete for only EUR 3.10 for 500 g of either creamy or crunchy. I personally want my PB slightly salty so I sprinkle a bit of salt after spreading it on toast.

Butter

For me hands down, the best affordable butter would be Asturiana Tradicional. It's creamy, spreads easily, and worthy of toast. You can find it in different supermarkets but we've only found the salted one (con sal) in Carrefour priced at EUR 3.20 for a 250 g tub. For cooking, we use home brand butters, and in our experience, Mercadona's Hacendado items tend to be better quality than the ones from Carrefour or Consum. Their butter costs EUR 1.95 per 250 g pack.

Jam

The kids love to pair their butter or peanut butter with jam. Their gem of a jam is Bonne Maman available at Consum at EUR 2.49 per 370 g jar and contains 50% fruit. You could find some other jams for a bit less but their jams feel luxurious and taste really good.

Honey

Another favorite toast topper of my sweet-toothed teens is honey, and for this, our vote goes to the home brand Rosemary Honey or Miel Romero of Consum and Mercadona. Their 100% pure honey, priced at EUR 3.08 per 350 g in Consum and EUR 4.19 per 500 g in Mercadona, also come in other varieties such as Eucalyptus, Orange Tree and Floral, each with a thoughtfully designed dispenser bottle that prevents spills and messes.

Aioli

A surprise condiment that has now become a staple sandwich spread for our family is Aioli, or locally, Allioli. This Mediterranean sauce is similar to mayonnaise but typically made with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, with or without egg yolk. It is a staple in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, but there has been a debate of whether it originated from France or Spain, which you can read about in this Wiki.

My kids and I have always disliked store-bought mayonnaise that is vinegary so I used to make my own lemon-based mayo or aioli for salads or some fish dishes. Of course, freshly made aioli at home or in restaurants would be best, but the Chovi brand Allioli from the supermarket is so good, you wouldn't feel the need to take the effort to make it yourself anymore. You can find it in most supermarkets, thankfully for only EUR 1.60 per 180 g tub because we go through it so quickly!