Baraja de la Cocina Española

According to one of the extra cards included in this pack, Spanish cooking and Spanish playing cards go hand in hand! Not only is this a celebration of Spanish gastronomy but it also commemorates Fournier’s 150th anniversary in 2020 (although I seem to recall that they celebrated their centenary in 1968 so I’m not sure how that ties up!). The highly original designs are by Silja Götz, a German illustrator living in Madrid. Against a grey-buff background she has depicted famous chefs, food writers, donkeys and bartenders on the courts and devised non-standard suits in place of the traditional Spanish ones: oranges (for coins), glasses of wine (for cups), fish (for swords), and Iberian hams (for clubs). See the box

On the extra cards (all in Spanish), one can find a title card (which doubles as an alternative Ace of Coins), a recipe for Spanish tortilla, two cards about the history of Fournier, two cards about the links between Spanish gastronomy and Spanish playing cards, and five cards with biographical details about the artist and about the personalities featured on the four kings.

Above: Baraja de la Cocina Española made by Naipes Heraclio Fournier, S.A., Legutiano, Spain, 2019. 40 cards + 11 extra cards in tuck box. Size: 62 x 95 mm. © 2019 Naipes Heraclio Fournier, S.A.

In 2020, this pack designed by Silja Götz was awarded first prize in the Best Applied Illustration category by the Asociación de Profesionales de la Ilustración de Madrid. Apparently the pack was very popular and may already be quite difficult to find.