Javea's history of the raisin

We interview the Valencian writer and researcher José Font, who is passionate about Jávea and who helps us unravel all the secrets of the raisin, which for more than a century was the main economic activity in the Marina Alta region.

We discover the historical importance of the raisin in Jávea with the help of José Font, a Valencian writer and researcher who reveals the key to this product in the 19th century.

To talk about the raisin in the Marina Alta is to talk about our roots, tradition and past. Traditionally, Denia was the capital of the region that held the greatest prominence, but Jávea was a great exporter: two families of the Xabiera bourgeoisie had the best boats dedicated to the raisin trade.

We delve into the world of raisins, the process of l´escaldà and its impact on Jávea with the help of José Font, who also talks about how the houses of The Jessica Bataille Company, with their riuraus & naias, are heirs of the rural house that was dedicated to the agriculture of Muscatel grapes, the subsequent harvest and the production of raisins.

What was the origin of raisins in Jávea?

"The Romans were already drying food: there are sources that mention dried raisin in Jávea in the 15th and 18th centuries, but it was after the Napoleonic invasion that it began to be commercialized."

The lid of a small box for exporting raisins from Casa Bolufer. Source: José Font.

To which countries was it exported?

“The United States, the United Kingdom, France and Algeria received the Jávea raisin on boats from well-known families like Bolufer, the Albi, the Guardiola and the Ramos, with the Bolufer raisin being the flagship of the raisins in the province of Alicante, the most important and powerful economically and politically”.

Raisin box packaging from Casa Guardiola which was used to present the raisins inside the boxes. The presentation of the product was also exquisite. Source: José Font.

When was the evolution and why did that tradition die out?

“The evolution of the raisin trade transformed during the 19th century, reaching its apogee during the second half of the century. It began to feature at universal exhibitions which started in Paris with industrial exhibitions from all nations. Quickly this food type became popular in Europe and the rest of the world, as the raisin was an immediate and effective energy supply for the troops and factory workers, both in Metropolitan areas and the British empire.

At the beginning of the 20th century phylloxera (a wine disease) ended the raisin trade as it had been known, leaving behind an era of splendor. From the postwar period in the 1940s an attempt was made to recover this way of life, but this would soon be replaced by other economic models with sometimes a better or worse outcome”.

What does the l’escaldà process consist of?

“L’escaldà was the process of drying the grapes with boiling bleach, depositing the grape bunches into a large saucepan or strainer for a few minutes, cleaning it of impurities and leaving the perfect dried bunch as a result. The bunches were then deposited onto reeds stacked with wooden blocks so that it was in the open-air for a week, drying in the sun and in the riurau if it rained, after this it was then ready to be sold. There was then a party and many families and neighbors did this together.

This process existed until the end with the tradition of drying grapes and vegetables on reeds in the sun. The use of the riurau was not just a provisional measure but place to protect the dried products from the rain at the end of summer”.

What legacy has the raisin left us in Jávea?

“There is a double legacy of the Xàbia raisin, on one hand, the influence it had on the world with on theory being the appearance of the sultana variety of raisins which gave its name to the Bolufer family boat and its agricultural estate and later to their summer home, a story that marketed its products to the whole world.

Facade of the “Sultana” farm, the summer house of the Bolufer family, where there were many vineyards. Source: José Font.

As for Jávea, the pasero legacy is reflected not only in the architecture meant for the development of raisins and its process but the riurau, which is featured in the houses of The Jessica Bataille Company and also in the large houses of the great merchant families within the historic center and outside its walls, which appeared during the last third of the 19th century during the expansion of Jávea with Alicante Avenue and Principe de Asturias Street. In this way we realize the importance of Jávea over the other towns in the region. In addition, the boats that left the port of Jávea loaded with raisins returned with wooden furniture, Chinese art and other curiosities that filled the austere homes of Jávea with authentic wonders”.

Why has this tradition never been recovered?

“Summers are shorter now and not so family orientated. In the past, going to “La Caseta” or “La Renda” meant that the whole family would undertake summer agricultural work for their own consumption or to complement their income. Now it is a tradition or an anecdote that some families in the region continue to do as they did in the past”.