Gastronomy - Protected Designations of Origin of the Community of Madrid

In 2025, Correos continues to promote Spanish products through its philatelic series GASTRONOMY Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications with two products from the Community of Madrid: Aceite de Madrid and Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama.

The production area is located in a unique space, given its orographic, climatological and edaphological peculiarities; the southeast of the Community of Madrid, in a total of 38 municipalities and an olive grove area of 23,600 hectares, where 13 mills registered in the PDO produce olive oil.

The main olive varieties used: Cornicabra, Manzanilla Castellana and Manzanilla Cacereña, together with other indigenous minority varieties: Carrasqueña, Gordal, Asperilla, and Redondilla, are perfectly adapted to the conditions of the region, ensuring a multi-varietal identity not found in any other olive-growing area in the world. This natural blend of main and minority varieties makes it possible to obtain unique sensory profiles, which is another of the oil's unique hallmarks.

The oils of the PDO ‘Aceite de Madrid’ are characterised by their intense aromas of olive, almond, grass, leaf, apple, tomato and banana, which vary depending on the percentage of each variety. And in the mouth it is recognised by a great balance between bitterness and spiciness, positive attributes of the oil.

The Protected Geographical Indication ‘Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama’ protects meat from beef cattle of the Avileña-Negra, Limousin and Charolais breeds and their cross-breeds.

Before slaughter, depending on the age of the animals and their feed, the following types are distinguished:

- Veal: Female animal, weaned at a minimum age of five months and intended for slaughter at a maximum age of 14 months, with a minimum finishing period of three months in intensive fattening and a minimum weight of 150 kg/carcass.

- Añojo: Animal weaned at a minimum age of five months, slaughtered at a maximum age of sixteen, with a minimum finishing period of three months in fattening and a minimum weight of 225 kg/carcass.

- Cebón: Male castrated at a minimum age of one month, weaned at a minimum age of five months and slaughtered at a maximum age of eighteen months.

Traditionally, in the Sierra de Madrid, beef cattle have been reared on pastures that make rational use of natural resources that are renewed year after year, grazing freely in the mountains and pastures. This ancestral livestock farming culture produces meat that has always been, and still is, distinguished and appreciated by consumers due to its flavour and tenderness.

This extensive grazing, which combines forests and balanced grazing, contributes to the conservation of nature, preventing fires and always reducing their devastating effect.

As evidenced by numerous historical references, life in the area covered by the Protected Geographical Indication was typically mountainous, characterised by a self-sufficient economy based on livestock farming.

The production area coincides with the Sierra de la Comunidad de Madrid, in which its orographic and climatic characteristics mark its vocation for livestock farming. It is an area unsuitable for agricultural practices because of its rugged terrain, where mechanisation is difficult, the poor soil and the harsh climate.

Traditionally, the Sierra was populated by cattle of the Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed, known by the name of Serrana due to its habitat, which were used as work animals, mainly for transporting stone (abundant in the Sierra de Madrid).

The disuse of these cattle as working animals led to their conversion to meat production. The area's resources, both natural meadows and pastureland, are rich in pastureland, enabling beef cattle to be reared. The hardiness of the Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed favoured its establishment and predominance in the Madrid mountains. Several decades ago, improved genotypes were introduced; the breeds that produced the best results in their crosses with the native breed were the Limousin and Charolais breeds, which adapted very well to the production area.

The climate allows livestock to be kept practically all year round, taking advantage of the natural resources. Even in the months with the harshest climate, the staple diet continues to be based on the natural resources of the area.