Forn del Raval de la Peñita

The Forn del Raval de la Peñita is a wood-fired oven of Moorish origin documented since the 16th century, though it may date back as far as the 15th. Located in the Raval quarter of Jijona, it is considered the oldest traditional oven still in operation anywhere in the Comunitat Valenciana.

An oven that has never stopped working

Unlike other historic ovens in the region, now preserved only as museum pieces, the Forn del Raval de la Peñita is still active, wood-firing Jijona’s traditional sweets: toñetes made with almond, cinnamon and flour, doblaes, madalenas and tortadas, among other recipes passed down with few changes.

The heat of burning wood, as opposed to the gas or electricity used in modern ovens, is what those who run it point to as the main difference in the result: a crust and a bake that are hard to replicate with other methods. The building itself, with its original vault and chimney, is as much part of the interest as what comes out of it.

Bread and sweets bake directly on the oven’s stone floor, heated first with bundles of wood that are cleared away before the dough goes in, the same method used five centuries ago.

It makes a short stop, free to view from outside, that fits well into a walk around Jijona alongside the Iglesia de la Asunción and the Museo del Turrón, and among the province’s free things to do. Morning is the best time to visit, when the oven is usually working and the process can be seen up close.