This section lists different documents related to Romesco. Most of the original graphic material is in the possession of Romescolab and have been obtained with the collaboration of Enrique Alonso (all of material have been reproduced here in their highest quality available).
The Cartoon of the City of Tarragona (L´Auca de la Ciutat de Tarragona, in catalan) was published by Gogistes Tarragonins in 1985. One of the vignettes is dedicated to Romesco (front and back):
In the book El Tarragonès (D. Culturals, 1993) Francesc Roig dedicates almost two interesting pages to Romesco:
On page 362 of the famous and thick book La cocina española. by the famous Segovian chef Cándido, there appears a recipe for fish Romesco that the author mentions having received from Antoni Alasà (something really true due to his unmistakable literary style).
The book Àgora Ciutadana by Francesc Roig (Ed. Gogistes tarragonins, 1991) is dedicated to the centenary of the Rambla of Tarragona (1854-1954). For that occasion, a cartoon (auca in catalan and aleluya in spanish) was published, the work of M. Riera and J.B. Caselles, in which two of his vignettes were dedicated to Romesco (in catalan).
Two pages from the book Més personatges tarragonins que he conegut (J. M.Alegret Tondo, 2004, Arola editors), specifically from the part dedicated to Antoni Alasà (Máximo Burxa). Josep Pla is mentioned, since Alasà and Pla had a good relationship, which is why Pla wrote the preface to his 1951 book dedicated to Romesco for Alasà (in catalan).
An interesting allusion to Romesco that appeared in a 19th century publication, in its edition of November 29, 1868: Lo que passa. It mentions various ingredients of Romesco, so this could be the oldest known culinary reference containing details about Romesco (written here as Rumesco). It is taken from a book of the same title dedicated to this publication (“Lo que passa”) published in 1994 by Hemeroteca Caixa Tarragona (Authors: P. A. Heras Caballero and M.I. Sánchez) (in catalan).
Jordi Bertrán makes a very relevant assessment of this document. Its date of 1868 confirms that the Romesco predates the Serrallo: the first reference to the nomenclature of the Serrallo neighborhood is from 1867, and its construction from that same decade (before the fishermen lived in the Upper Part of Tarragona). These dates are too close, so everything indicates that Romesco was already made in Tarragona, although the boom in fishing at that time particularly developed this dish in the context of a flourishing Serrallo (Bertrán wrote in this same sense in 2015, and Maria Mercè Martorell also emphasizes this idea in her prologue).
Probably the first televised Romesco recipe it took place on the legendary RTVE program Con las manos en la masa on September 25, 1984. Among other catalan dishes, Manuel Vázquez Montalbán cooked with Elena Santonja a Romesco of rabbit (from minute 16:15, in spanish).
The ribella: Fuensanta and Manolo recently received a gift that a friend found in an antique shop: a basin (ribella in catalan). It is a kitchen utensil with the appearance of a glazed basin about 50 cm in diameter, like the ones Manolo had used years ago on the boat. This utensil was common among fishermen and was used to pour all the fish stew into it once it was cooked (whether it was Romesco or other stews). The crew members, armed with a slice of bread for a plate and a spoon, were taking pieces directly from their side of the ribella.
Photo of the first pages of a copy of La cocina de mi tierra, autographed by its author (Antoni Alasà) for Dolores Sanz Mouzo de Placa, wife of Josep Placa (president of the Fishermen’s Guild between 1945 and 1979).
From Xavier Veciana and through David Solé, we get this page from the Tarragona newspaper Diario Español of September 23, 1955. This article describes the intention of a local cannery to can romesco sauce. It´s not known whether this was really carried out, but this could be the sauce that Antoni Gelabert questions and disapproves of in his book El llibre dels Romescos (1963).
Report of the IX Contest of Mestres Romescaires (Spanish Film Library; August 17, 1975: first two minutes):
Cover and back cover of a two-sided booklet signed by Joan Bertrán and dated the same day as the 1st Mestres Romescaires Contest that took place (measures: 21 x 16 cm). In this short text, the author makes a curious differenciation between two types of Romescos. The author is supposed to be Joan Bertrán Borràs (1906-1965), an intellectual and industrialist who was mayor of Reus between 1952 and 1963:
Two-sided hand program of the I Romescaire Olympiad (measures 16 x 10.5 cm):
Two-sided flyer published on the occasion of the tribute to Antoni Alasà, on June 20, 1982:
Ad that appeared in La Vanguardia of the I Romesco Contest on June 3, 1951 (Hemeroteca de La Vanguardia):
Two press clippings from Tarragona Camp, signed by the famous local journalist Antoni Panadés:
Romesco recipe by Rosa Mallol, which was published together with an interview in a free magazine published by Port de Tarragona:
In the Mestres Romescaires Contest, a title like this was awarded to the contestants who had not been able to obtain the title of Mestre Romescaire. This one in particular dates from the first contest, in 1951, and shows that the titles were extended on another day and not on the same day of the contest. The president of the SIT was at that time Joan Noguera Salort.
Photo dated on September 23, 1953 (courtesy of V. Canadell -son-)
