Tárbena
 

A few facts about Tárbena. It has a population of just a few hundred. It is situated high in the sierras overlooking the Costa Blanca. The village has a distinctly grandiose parish church with a landmark tower. The church is in the village's tiny square. Tárbena has a fairly checkered history and a turbulent yet colourful past.

Tárbena's past has been blighted by religious depopulation, then fortuitously re-populated later by an entirely different race of people. The village was abandoned at the time of the Spanish Inquisition - whether the population was formerly of Jewish origin or whether it was a Moorish stronghold is hazy but significantly there is a Castillo de Moros in the vicinity.  Finally, it was repopulated by impoverished Mallorcans who took over the eyrie-like site and turned it into a semblance of the village it is today.

Legend has it that the Mallorcans were initially introduced into the area by a rich tradesman who thought rather than shipping his goods back and forth he would set up in Spain. Mallorca was especially well known for its black puddings and popular "embutidos". This hardy community used their butchery skills to survive and established a cottage industry producing black, red and white sausages using pork offal. The industry thrives today and the factory in Tárbena produces black puddings (botifarres), blanquettes (lighter in colour with a base of bacon and herbs) and sobrasada, the red, more peppery variety of sausage.

Although the black pudding industry still exists, what really put Tárbena on the map is Casa Pinet. Signs can be found all the way down in the valleys. Due to Casa Pinet, Tárbena is visited by tourists and locals regularly. Casa Pinet was once local watering hole, Hostal del Pobre, until taken over by the rather extraordinarily extroverted, beret-toting and one-armed Geronimo Pinet. His ambition and hard work have lead to Pinet building up a legend around himself and his popular and very busy restaurant.