Simple dishes of Spanish cuisine. Dishes and history of Spanish cuisine. Traditional Spanish dish: roast suckling pig

Spanish national cuisine or cuisine of Spain is a rich variety of dishes that vary from region to region. Historical processes have had a huge influence on the formation of the cuisine of this country. For example, thanks to the ancient Romans, the Spaniards began to cultivate fertile fields by planting olive groves. By the way, Spain to this day traditionally holds the lead in olive oil consumption per capita. In addition, the discovery of America by the Spaniards brought the following products to this country: potatoes, tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, zucchini, zucchini, vanilla and chocolate. The seven-century rule of Muslims also had an influence on traditional Spanish cuisine, which diversified dish recipes by adding products such as almonds, citrus fruits, as well as all kinds of spices and herbs.

When you go to a cafe or restaurant with Spanish cuisine on the menu you will find so-called Tapas in great abundance. Tapas is, in our understanding, a snack. It is prepared on the basis of olives, nuts, citrus fruits, cheeses, and seafood. You can also find jamon (cured pork ham) as tapas.

Spanish snacks can traditionally be cold or hot. They are always served in small portions, but don’t let this fool you into thinking that after enjoying tapas you will remain hungry! The Spanish snacks are quite filling. By the way, as tapas you can be served a pie with vegetable, fish or meat filling.

As for the traditional Spanish lunch, it begins with a light vegetable salad, which, as a rule, is seasoned with olive oil (this, by the way, is one of the features of national Spanish cuisine). After the salad comes soup. It can be a dressing or, as it is also called caldo, and it can also be a cream of soup or crema.

The real national pride of the Spaniards is Olla Podrida, which is a very thick soup that is more reminiscent of meat stewed with vegetables. The most popular first course can certainly be called Gazpacho. It is prepared without heat treatment, simply grinding the vegetable components into a homogeneous mass. Gazpacho must be served cold, sometimes even adding pieces of ice.

One of the culinary features of Spain is the fairly widespread use of rice in cooking. For example, a well-known dish based on this grain is paella. It is prepared, as we said earlier, on the basis of rice with the addition of seafood, chicken, herbs, spices, and white wine. It turns out amazingly delicious!

If you are still wondering: what else to try in traditional Spanish cuisine, then we recommend paying attention to desserts. For example, one of the most famous is turron. This is something like kozinaki, nougat with nuts. By the way, tourists are very fond of turron, which is why it has turned from the category of festive Christmas dishes into an ordinary everyday dessert. Another famous sweet among the Spaniards is polvoron, a very crumbly cookie.

We can continue to describe the national dishes of Spain for quite a long time, but we invite you to pay attention directly to those recipes with photos that are given in this section of the site. They will introduce you much closer to traditional Spanish cooking. Don’t worry about the complexity of preparing dishes, it’s quite possible to prepare them all at home, especially since you will see detailed photo recipes before your eyes.

Good luck in preparing traditional Spanish dishes!

Tapas, chorizo, gazpacho, paella, fabada, jamon... If these sonorous names are empty words for you, it means that you have not yet visited sunny Spain, but are only planning to visit there. And sooner or later a number of questions will arise in your head - What will I eat there? How will I understand the menu, I don’t know Spanish?

So I have prepared a small cheat sheet of gastronomic terms, which you can print out and carry in your pocket if you wish.

Spanish cuisine leads the world in the variety of dishes, you can’t try everything! But there are dishes and delicacies without tasting which you will not get a complete picture of Spain.

Order a fragrant cold Gazpacho, a popular Spanish omelette made from potatoes and eggs - tortilla. Appreciate the flavor of Paella and fish Zarzuela. Go bar hopping and try their signature Tapas and Pinchos. Be sure to taste the spicy chorizo sausage, jamón ibérico (hard to find outside Spain) and the famous Spanish blue cheese cabrales.

Try the sweet white nut mix - Horchata. Don't miss the chance to buy the iconic churros (kind of like cookie doughnuts) with hot chocolate and Turron honey nut nougat - a Christmas delicacy, but sold all year round.

Sauces – Salsas

3 main Spanish sauces: alioli, Romesco and Salsa verde (photo: Santi)

Alioli– traditional Catalan garlic sauce, made from garlic, olive oil and egg yolks by whisking. Suitable for fish, meat and poultry.
Resto verde– “green pesto”, an Italian sauce, but it is popular in Spain. Ingredients: basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt.
Pesto rojo– “red pesto”: sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese.
Romesco– tomatoes, chili peppers, sweet red peppers, roasted almonds, garlic, fried bread, olive oil, vinegar, salt.
La salsa de tomate- tomato sauce.
La salsa de soja- soy sauce.
La mostaza de Dijon– Dijon mustard.
El Vinagre(balsámico, de arroz, de manzana, de vino) – vinegar (balsamic, rice, apple, wine).

Snacks – Entremeses

Snacks at the bar (photo: Marcus Hansson)

A real Spanish meal begins with light snacks - Tapas, which can be either cold (Entrantes frios) or hot (Entrantes calientes). Their main task is to whet the appetite.

Among other snacks, mini-sandwiches, pinched on a pointed wooden stick or an ordinary toothpick - Pinchos - stand out in a special way.

Olives are the leader among Spanish snacks. They are strung on skewers with pieces of vegetables and stuffed. “Cult” dishes include Tapas based on sausages, ham, vegetables, and cheese. People in Spain love pies: each region has its own recipes.

Rinones al jerez- buds in sherry.
Chistorra– thinly sliced sausages.
Chorizo- spicy sausage.
Menestra– stewed vegetables with ham (there are many varieties).
Entremeses– assorted appetizers of sausages, cheeses, pickled vegetables.
Escalivada– a variety of stewed vegetables.
Panaché de verduras– a mixture of vegetables, usually stewed (artichokes, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, endive, spinach, garlic, oil, salt).
Pisto– stewed vegetables, often with the addition of a boiled egg.
Pimiento asado- roasted pepper.
Revuelto- a dish of beaten eggs, similar to an omelette, with the addition of mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, salmon, etc.
Huevos revueltos- omelette.
Tortilla- omelette with potatoes.
Tortilla Sacromonte– an omelette-type dish: potatoes and onions are stewed over low heat in olive oil, pieces of ham, green peas (and other ingredients) are added, poured with beaten eggs and fried on both sides.
Patatas- potato.

Salads – Ensaladas

Orange spinach salad (Ensalada de lechuga y espinacas con naranja) (photo: etringita)

The Spaniards prepare salads from seafood and fish, beans and vegetables. Mixes of tomatoes and garlic with herbs (Ajotomate), potato Ensalada Malagueña with olives are popular. Some salad mixes include oranges; dressings are made from olive oil, wine, vinegar.

Ensalada Mixta– salad (lettuce, potatoes, egg, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots...).
Ensalada aragonesa– Aragonese salad (lettuce, green pepper, olives, tomato, boiled eggs, serrano jamon).
Ensalada de colors– salad (potatoes, cucumber, boiled beets, boiled eggs, salted salmon).
Ensalada de Valencia– Valencian salad (rice, chicken breast, pickled cucumbers, tomato, green peas, onion, coarse salt).
Ensalada Formigal- salad, which was in all catering establishments in Formigal (chicken or tuna, corn, tomatoes, eggs, lettuce or Chinese cabbage, vinegar dressing and olive oil). Sometimes found as tuna salad or chicken salad.

Soups – Sopas

Thick lentil soup – Lentejas con chorizo (photo: Con Mucho Gusto TV)

Soups are cooked cold, warm, pureed and seasoned. The most popular are Gazpacho Andaluz and Salmorejo. Thick cold cuts Olla podrida, stewed in a pot with vegetables, have been known in the country since the Middle Ages.

Gaspacho- cold tomato soup.
Gaspacho andaluz– cold thick puree soup of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions and garlic with olive oil and pieces of fried bread.
Salmorejo- similar to gazpacho, but with two fundamental differences: salmorejo has different proportions and the cucumbers are replaced with white bread and it is thicker.
Ajo Blanco– a soup, also known as “white gazpacho,” made from boiled chopped almonds mixed with bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil.
Crema– vegetable puree soup, depending on the composition, can be either hot or cold. It can be made from eggplant, zucchini, carrots, leeks or a mixture of vegetables.
Sopa de cebolla- onion soup.
Sopa de fideos- noodle soup.
Sopa de hortalizas- vegetable soup.
Sopa de cocido- broth seasoned with noodles or rice, onions and bread.
Sopa de pescado- fish soup.
Suquet de peix- rich fish soup.
Patatas a la marinera– potato, fish and seafood soup.
Sopa de ajo– garlic soup, white bread is fried in oil with garlic, then filled with water or vegetable broth and cooked with the addition of paprika.
Sopa castellana– Castilian soup, one of the variants of garlic soup, to which an egg and, sometimes, jamon are added.
Caldo or consomé– chicken broth or bone broth from jamon.
Potaje castellano– Castilian stew: chick peas, spinach, carrots, garlic, boiled egg, flour, black pepper.
Potaje canario– white beans, pumpkin, zucchini, tomato, boiled corn, garlic, onion, bacon.
Fabada Asturiana– stew with white beans, lard and sausages: morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (pork sausages with red pepper), jamon.
Lentejas con chorizo– thick lentil soup stewed with chorizo, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaf.
Sopa tropical– soup made from mashed avocado mixed with natural yogurt, lemon juice and meat broth.
Рuchero- thick soup made from beef, chicken, ham, dumplings or rice, potatoes, garlic.

Fish and seafood – Pescado y mariscos

Canarian fish dish (photo: draculina_ak)

The same fish can be prepared in different ways: “a la sal” (baked in salt), “a la plancha” (fried in olive oil), “a la marinera” (stewed with other seafood).

Atun– tuna in various varieties.
Sardinas– sardines.
Pez espada– swordfish with various side dishes.
Raya– stingray with seasonings.
Rape- "angler".
Lubina- sea pike perch.
Rodaballo- halibut.
Bacaladilla- not a very large fish up to 15 cm, it can be simply fried in a frying pan, somewhat reminiscent of pollock in taste. Not dear.

Octopus Galician style (photo: Flávia Junqueira)

Spanish cuisine is unthinkable without seafood and fish. Cod and mackerel, shellfish, squid and cuttlefish are excellently prepared here; Small fish are skillfully fried: espeto sardines, anchovies (boquerones). Tuna is used to make the delicacy Mohama. On holidays, they serve Sarsujela, a complex stew of fish and seafood.

Pulpo condimentado con tomate y ajo– octopus in tomato-garlic seasoning.
Cazuela del pescador– “Fisherman's Pot”: fish and shrimp cooked with rice in fish broth with white wine and seasonings.
Frito mixto– assorted fried seafood. Usually includes 2-3 types of fish and 2-3 types of seafood.
Mariscos– seafood (shrimp, etc.)
Mariscada- assorted seafood.
Mejillones a la marinera– mussels, sailor style, cooked in white wine with onions, garlic and spices.
Merluza en salsa roja– hake in red sauce: stewed in fish broth with white wine in a sauce made from spices used in the production of chorizo sausage.
Merluza en salsa verde– hake in green sauce: stewed in fish broth with white wine and parsley sauce.
Mero al canario– Canarian Mero: Mero fish, fried and cooked with garlic-nut paste and roasted peppers.
Pulpo a la gallega– octopus in Galician, also known as “ Pulpo a feira“. Pieces of boiled octopus with boiled potatoes, seasoned with paprika, coarse salt and olive oil.
Zarzuela– “paella without rice”, fried fish in tomato sauce and Andalusian seasonings.

Meat dishes – Carne

El cordero en chilindrón – lamb, Navarre (photo: rosarioaldaz)

Popular meat dishes include Cordoba beef, banderillos with kidneys, and sausages (the most famous are chorizo and morcilla). Dried ham (jamón) has become a national treasure. Various types of poultry are served: turkey, chickens, duck, capon.

Carne de res or carne de vacuno- beef.
Carne de ternera– veal.
Carne de cerdo- pork.
Carne de cordero- mutton.
El cordero en chilindron– lamb (Navarre).
Carne de cabra- goat meat.
Carne de conejo- rabbit.
Carne de pelo- rabbit meat, hare meat.
Carne de Monte- game.

Carne blanca- young meat.
Carne magra- lean meat.
Carne asada- meat from the oven.
Carne estofada- minced meat
Albondigas- meatballs.
Carne guisada- goulash.
Casuela– roast (Catalonia).

Conejo a la jardinera- rabbit fried in a sauce of white wine, tomatoes and onions, and stewed with green peas in meat broth. Actually, any dish ending in “a la jardinera” implies stewing with vegetables.
Cabrito– roast baby goat.
Cordero asado- roast lamb.
Chuletillas de cordero lechal– lamb chop on the bone.
Navarro cochifrito- spicy lamb stew.
Lomo de buey- ox shoulder, usually grilled.
Rabo de toro– oxtail stewed in red wine.
Capi-i-pota- stew of pork head and pork legs.
Orejas a la plancha- Grilled pork ears.
Cochinillo asado– roast whole suckling pig.
Codillo alman- the shoulder part of a pork carcass on the bone, boiled in broth with spices and lightly baked. Often served with mashed potatoes and German sauerkraut.
Carrillera de cerdo or Carrillada de ternera– pork or veal cheeks stewed with wine, onions, garlic and paprika.
Solomillo a la plancha– grilled tenderloin (pork or veal).
Solomillo- tenderloin, usually pork or beef, fried in olive oil and salted with coarse salt. As a rule, no additional ingredients or sauces are added, since this meat does not need them at all.
Calderillo- veal boiled in a broth of onions, carrots, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers. Before serving, fried potatoes are also added to the broth.
Filete de ternera a la plancha– grilled veal fillet.
Escalope milanesa– Milanese escalope: breaded and fried veal. Sometimes served with cheese and tomato paste.
Redondo– thin round slices of stewed veal in a thick flour sauce.
Carajaca- fried beef liver, previously soaked for several hours in a sauce of garlic, hot and hot peppers, cumin, olive oil and vinegar.
Callos a la madrilena– intestines, beef lip, beef leg.
Olla podrida– lamb, calf, beef tails, ham, peas and vegetables.
Cocido or Segundo cocido– assorted boiled beef, pork, chicken, sausages, lard, chickpeas and potatoes.
Pinchos morinos– marinated and skewered meat (south).
San Jacobo- a dish better known in Russia as “cordon bleu”. Two pieces of meat, layered with ham and cheese and breaded and fried.
Escalope- a thin, boneless piece of meat, can be from: veal, pork, turkey, or salmon.
Parrillada– assorted grill. It can be fish, seafood, or mixed.
Cocido madrileño– Turkish peas with meat and vegetables.
Callos– tripe with blood sausage and pepper sauce (Madrid).
Fabada asturiana– stewed beans with smoked sausage, lard, etc.
Habas con jamon- beans with ham.
Torreznos- cracklings, fried pieces of lard with a layer of meat.

Rice dishes – Arroces

Scrambled eggs with rice and tomato paste (photo: Pablo B)

Arroz a la cubana– scrambled eggs with rice and tomato paste.
Arroz a la zamorana– rice with boiled pork ribs, pork ear and red pepper.
Аrroz de la huerta– rice with tomatoes, legumes, artichokes and other vegetables.
Arroz con bonito– rice with tuna and vegetables.

Paella

Paella – Arroz pescador (photo: Viandas Cádiz, Sl)

National Spanish (Valencian) dish of rice, tinted with saffron, with the addition of olive oil. In addition, seafood, vegetables, chicken, sausages are added to paella... There are countless recipes for this dish. Here are the 3 main popular types of paella:

Paella mixta– mixed paella.
Paella valenciana– from rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans and seasoning.
Paella de marisco– rice with seafood, it does not contain beans and vegetables.

A bit more:

Arroz a la marinera– paella with squid, fish (monkfish), and green pepper.
Arroz a la Milanesa– paella with chicken liver, jamon, cheese, tomato and hot pepper.
Arroz negro- paella with squid, lobster or shrimp, mussels and the usual monkfish. The black color of rice comes from cuttlefish ink.
Arroz pescador– paella with squid, monkfish, mussels, almeja (a type of shellfish), lobster and red pepper.
Arroz con costra– “rice with a crust”, prepared from rice, saffron, chicken broth, tomatoes, garlic, chicken, white and blood sausage, sausages and eggs.

Desserts, sweets – Postre, dulce

The cult dessert of the Spaniards is Turron - honey and nut nougat. Many sweets are made from fruits: stuffed baked apples, puddings, pies. For Christmas, crumbly macaroons called Polvorón are baked. The Spaniards love dessert creams (cremas): almond - almendras, vanilla - vainilla, egg - huevo.

Quesada pasiega- Spanish cheesecake.
Crema de membrillo con queso– curd and cheese dessert with jam.
Flaó- shortcrust pastry pie with cottage cheese, with the addition of anise or mint.
Bizcocho- biscuit.
Tarta de San Marcos- sponge cake filled with cream or jelly. Castile and Lyon.
Brazo de gitano- roll with cream filling.
Tarta de almendras- almond pie.
Soplillos- Bizet with almonds.
Tartita de manzana- tartlet with apple.
Natillas- custard made from milk, sugar and egg yolks.
Piononos de Granada– pastries with custard. Andalusia.
Miguelitos– puff pastries with custard. Castile, La Mancha.
Susos de crema– pastries with custard. Catalunya.
Galletas Ohuelas– cookies, composition depends on the region. It is usually made from a wheat flour-based dough, fried in oil and soaked in syrup, honey or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Galleta de pistola- shortbread cookies.
Galletas Almendrado s – macaroons.
Galletas Sachepos– cone-shaped cookies, sprinkled with syrup (egg, sugar, flour, syrup, cinnamon).
Arroz con leche– rice boiled in milk with sugar and egg.
Cuajada- a dish reminiscent of a mixture of cottage cheese with yogurt and sugar.
Crema catalana- a dessert prepared from milk, egg yolks and corn flour.
Flan– a jelly-like dessert made from beaten eggs, milk and sugar, often flavored with vanilla.
Leche frita– fried pieces of dough made from flour, eggs and milk.
Galletas lenguas de gato– flour, butter, sugar, eggs.
Yemas de Santa Teresa- a dessert made from eggs, sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, powdered sugar.
Turron de Alicante– nougat, white (honey, sugar, water, egg whites, almonds).
Turron de Jijona– soft nougat from Gijona is quite different from hard nougat from Alicante. Moreover, the difference lies not only in the composition, but also in the method of preparation (honey, sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, egg whites).
Turron de Guirlache– like our kazinaki, with almonds and sesame seeds.
Arnadi- a traditional dessert of Valencia, made from pumpkin and sugar, cinnamon, flour, almonds, eggs. Sometimes pumpkin is replaced with sweet potatoes.
Rosquillas tontas– Madrid dessert, fudge donuts.
Rosquillas listas– Madrid lemon donuts.
Roscos de Anis– Andalusian donuts.
Torta de Aranda– flatbread (flour, yeast, water, olive oil), a dish of Castile and Lyon.
Torrijas– bread soaked in milk and egg with sugar and cinnamon, fried in olive oil.
Florones- a dessert, like our brushwood, shaped like a flower, (flour, eggs, milk, sugar) fried in a lot of butter. Castile and Lyon.
Coca boba- baked goods made from yeast dough. Valencia.
Trenza de Almudevar– a bun in the form of a braid with raisins and nuts, caramelized. Aragon.
Ensaimada- rolls made from yeast dough, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Balearic Islands.
Paparajotes- pies stuffed with lemon leaves. Murcia.
Tortas de alma- pies stuffed with pumpkin.
Carbayones– glazed puff pastries with filling (almonds, egg, sugar, sweet wine and lemon zest).
Frangollo– a milk dessert made from chopped almonds, currants, anise, butter, cinnamon, milk, lemon, sugar. Canaries.
Mazapán- dessert made from almonds, egg whites, sugar. Castile, La Mancha.
Zurracapote
Macedonia– assorted fruits in their own juice.

Coffee – Cafe

Black coffee (photo: Aroma de Café)

Solo– black, strong coffee in a small cup.
Cafe de puchero– strong black coffee.
Barista– high quality coffee.
Expreso– originally from Italy, black strong coffee.
Cortado o machiatto– espresso coffee with milk.
Blanco y negro- coffee with milk. Valencia.
Cafe Viennes– cappuccino with chocolate chips.
Moca– coffee with milk, with the addition of chocolate or cocoa.
Arabe– coffee with cinnamon and cardamom.
Turco o griego– Turkish or Greek coffee.
Biberon o bombon– black coffee with milk and condensed milk. Valencia and Catalonia.
Ebaki– coffee with a little milk and a lot of sugar. San Sebastian.
Cafe instantaneo- instant coffee.
Frappé– instant coffee with milk, very cold, Greek drink.
Cafe con hielo- iced coffee.
Mixto– iced coffee with horchata. Valencia.
Nube– coffee 10% and 90% milk, served in glass. Malaga.
Manchado– milk to which a little coffee is added.
Milkshake– a milkshake with coffee, added fruit and vanilla or chocolate flavors, very popular in Madrid and other large cities.
Suspiro–cold horchata drink with lemon and a little coffee. Valencia.
Cafe del tiempo– coffee, lemon, sugar and some ice. A popular drink in the summer in Valencia.
Carajillo– coffee to which alcohol is added: liqueur (Galicia), anise (Madrid), rum (Ibiza).
Irish– coffee, the third part is Irish whiskey.
Cafe Asiatico– coffee, flaming cognac and condensed milk, sprinkled with cinnamon. Cartagena.
Licor cafe– a liqueur based on coffee and sugar, served cold with ice. Galicia.
Biberón de Milan– coffee with condensed milk, egg yolks, vermouth, a slice of lemon, cinnamon and crushed ice. Murcia.

Drinks are popular both strong and non-alcoholic. Spain is famous for sherry and Sangria, monastery liqueurs and Aguardiente vodka. The most famous non-alcoholic drink is Horchata, a sweet white nut mix.

Lemonada fresca– a refreshing drink based on lemon or lime, sometimes with the addition of a small amount of alcohol. Adding wine (called Castilian or Leonese lemonade) will make the drink more similar to sangria, and using rum will turn the lemonade into a Cuban mojito.
Agua de cebada– barley decoction, a refreshing drink consisting of barley grain, water, lemon zest, cinnamon, sweetened with honey or sugar. Traditional in Madrid.
Horchata de almendra– a drink made from water, sugar, cinnamon and almonds, drunk very chilled. Traditional in the Spanish provinces: Murcia, Albacete and Almeria.
Horchata de chufa– a peculiar white, slightly sweet drink made from chaufa (ground almonds).
Granizado– juice or fruit or berry puree frozen to fine crumbs.
Gaseosa– carbonated water, usually sweetish, is not consumed on its own, but is used to prepare light low-alcohol drinks.
Sangria– its preparation is based on red wine and oranges. All other components can be changed at your discretion.
Aloja(bebida) – aloha, a honey drink with spices, sometimes with wine.
Mosto– approximately, this is grape juice (the raw material from which wine is subsequently made, but at this stage does not contain alcohol). Feels like non-alcoholic wine.
Sidra– cider, made from natural apple juice with the addition of honey. It becomes sparkling with skillful bottling.
Tinto de verano- a drink based on red wine (literally “summer red”), very similar to sangria, usually carbonated. It comes with or without lemon, as well as non-alcoholic.
Zurracapote– a drink consisting of a mixture based on red wine. It also includes various fruits such as peaches, oranges or lemons, sugar and cinnamon.
Malta– a soft drink based on malt and barley, our closest analogue is kvass.
Clara– a 50/50 mixture of beer and lemon soda.
Dorada– beer, the symbol of Tenerife.
Tropical– beer, Canary Islands

Culinary features by region:

Traditional Spanish snacks (photo: KeithEdinburgh)

Spanish cuisine is diverse. The formation of the tastes of the Spaniards was influenced by climate and lifestyle; The Romans, Moors, and French brought their own flavor to cooking.

A fairly large country has significant differences in culinary preferences from region to region. For example, in Catalonia they eat differently from Castile, and in the Basque Country they cook differently from Andalusia.

Northern cuisine

The favorites of Northern Spain are seafood and fish. The Basque Country is famous for its baked cod with garlic, but there are almost no sweets. In Galicia, on the contrary, they create delicious confectionery products and serve the freshest seafood. Vegetables form the basis of simple dishes in Navarra, Rioja, and Aragon. Cider is the hallmark of Asturias.

Mediterranean Kitchen

Mediterranean cuisine is based on olives, rice and vegetables; People here love thick creamy soups. In Valencia, fish dishes predominate; Here they prepare a unique paella (paella Valencia) with assorted seafood. Wonderful oriental sweets have been preserved from Arab times. In Catalonia they make original sauces; The cuisine of the Catalan mountainous regions is dominated by sausages and meat. The Balearics are famous for their vegetables and herbal liqueurs.

Cuisine of central Spain

Central Spain is characterized by hearty dishes: thick soups - cocido, lentils, beans, sausages, roast lamb and piglets, game, the famous jamon.

Cuisine of Andalusia

In hot Andalusia, the traditions of all regions come together. Andalusians actively use fish and meat, prepare vegetable and cereal soups, and make sheep and goat cheese. They serve the best Gazpacho and mountain ham.

Spanish cuisine is very diverse and consists of the culinary traditions of 17 regions. Although there are still common features - all Spaniards use a lot of olive oil, paprika, garlic: throughout the country they eat tapas, make paella and gazpacho. And, of course, what would dinner be without good wine!

10 Canarian dishes you need to try

Dishes of the Canary Islands are simple and high in calories, their simple composition emphasizes the freshness of the original ingredients. Cooking traditions came from the indigenous islanders; they were historically joined by the secrets of the skills of cooks from Portugal, North Africa, and Europe.

The article was written based on information from the site spain4you.es/forum.

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Cuisine of Spain, national and local: what to cook and where to eat. Recipes, cooking methods, snacks, desserts, hot dishes and drinks in Spain.

Last minute tours to Spain
Tours for the New Year Worldwide

Those who have already been to Spain will agree with us that traveling through this kingdom is an exciting and unique activity in itself. For every tourist, Spain is unique, but for gourmets, perhaps, it is a real Paradise.

Cuisine in Spain is one of the main attractions of the country. The original Spanish cuisine is quite simple, based on onions, garlic, bell peppers, herbs, sage and olive oil. Many dishes are characterized by cooking techniques such as grilling, baking with sheep's cheese and braising in wine.

Despite this, it is wrong to talk about a single national Spanish cuisine, because traditional Spanish cuisine is rather a community of cuisines from numerous regions of the kingdom. This is what makes her unique. The character of modern Spanish cuisine was once heavily influenced by the Romans, Moors and Americans. Each regional cuisine of Spain was influenced by climatic conditions, life and customs of the population, traditions and history.

Spain is a Mediterranean country, and therefore, like the population of any Mediterranean country, the Spaniards are very fond of fish and seafood. Seafood dishes are found everywhere: in restaurants, in homes, in stores. But despite everything, fish delicacies are not the main thing that Spanish cuisine offers us. It turns out that in reality there are more meat dishes in the country's traditional cuisine.

Spanish cuisine is endless, you can’t try everything in your entire life. However, each of you should definitely try the dishes that have become classics and the pride of Spain: the famous Valencian paella (paella, rice with seafood), delicious gazpacho (cold tomato soup), the popular Spanish omelette of potatoes and eggs - tortilla, the iconic churros (something like donut cookies) with hot chocolate, spicy chorizo sausage, the famous Spanish blue cheese cabrales and the national delicacy ham jamon.

Let’s also not forget that more than a hundred brands of wine are produced in Spain, as well as Asturian cider and the Tenerife beer Dorada and Tropical, popular in the Canary Islands.

Paella in Catalan style

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Northern cuisine

Northern cuisine is primarily rich in a variety of fish dishes, which is due to the presence of numerous fishing villages on the Atlantic coast. Popular fish dishes in the Basque Country include marmitaco (potatoes with mackerel), changurro (clams with crab) and delicious baby eels. In Cantabria, the cuisine was influenced by the mountains, rich in pastures - beef and cheeses are favorite dishes on the tables of Cantabrian residents. In Galicia, prominent representatives of the local cuisine are pote (pork and cabbage stew), pulpo a feira (boiled octopus) and whiting fish stewed in a clay pot. The calling card of the northern province of Asturias is cider, and the Principality of Asturias is also known for its traditional fabada - a thick bean soup with ham and sausage.

Cider

When in Spain, be sure to try cider. The best cider in all of Spain, and perhaps in the world, is produced in Asturias. The climate of Asturias is characterized by high humidity: the province receives heavy rains all year round. Thanks to this gift of nature, Asturias is the ideal region for growing excellent apples. It would be a sin not to produce cider in Asturias! It is here, in northern Spain, that 80% of the country's apple wine is produced. Cider is the wealth and attraction of Asturias. It is no coincidence that the Asturian proverb says: “If a man lost paradise because of an apple, then thanks to cider he found it again.”

In Asturias there are traditions of drinking cider. For example, it is not allowed to be mixed with other drinks, which is why Asturians even call cider the “jealous bride.”

Asturias has its own cider consumption traditions. Firstly, cider is not allowed to be mixed with other drinks, which is why Asturians even call cider the “jealous bride”. Secondly, the drink must be served at a certain temperature (+12...+14 °C), at which the unique apple aroma is emphasized. Thirdly, the glass should be made of thin glass, at least 12 cm in height, wide and slightly wider at the top. Fourthly, in order to pour cider into glasses, you need to have special skill. Standing straight, the bottle is held above your head at arm's length, the glass is held as low as possible with the other hand, a thin vertical stream of cider is directed into the glass so that the drink touches the edge of the glass, this is the only way to achieve high foam, and the cider gets rid of excess carbon dioxide. Fifth, drink the entire contents of the glass at once, before the optimal taste of the cider disappears. And yet, at the bottom of the glass they always leave a little drink, which is poured onto the floor. That is why in cideries the floor is covered with sawdust or shavings. There are several explanations for this tradition. The first explanation is that the cider is thrown onto the floor to give back to the earth what it has given. The second is to clear a glass for a neighbor at the table (previously, one glass was often shared at the table, and it was customary to drink cider in a large group). Third, to drain the sediment that appears at the bottom of the glass. The fourth explanation was most likely invented as a joke - to wet the neighbor’s feet.

Mediterranean Kitchen

Mediterranean cuisine is rich and varied. She is famous for her eponymous diet, based on the trinity of wheat, olives and vines, to which are added fish and meat, rice and eggs, vegetables and fruits, cheese and kefir, garlic and herbs.

Catalan cuisine is based on sauces: sofrito (garlic, onions, tomatoes, peppers and herbs), samfaina (tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), picada (garlic, peppers and roasted almonds) or ali oli (garlic and olive oil). A favorite dish of the Catalans is cazuela (oxtail and vegetable stew). The chefs of Catalonia will also delight you with a stew of pork heads and legs, thick and aromatic monkfish soup and fried sausages with white beans.

If you are lucky enough to visit Valencia, try the famous paella and fideua. Real Spanish paella is a dish of rice, tinted with saffron, with the addition of olive oil, as well as various fillings (seafood, meat, vegetables, etc.). Fideua, or vermicelli in Valencian style, is a dish of vermicelli and seafood. There is a legend that fideua is a dish that was born thanks to the absent-mindedness of a young fisherman. A fisherman, preparing paella for his comrades, mistakenly, thinking about his beloved, poured vermicelli into the dish instead of rice. Fishermen really liked Fideua and quickly spread along the entire Mediterranean coast. Unlike paella, which contains not only seafood, but also meat and vegetables, fideua is prepared only with seafood.

In Murcia, the cuisine is also based on seafood, for example, in this province a popular dish is caldero, prepared from rice and fish, traditionally in a cauldron.

But the city of Mahon, on the island of Menorca in the Balearic Islands, is the birthplace of mayonnaise, which has spread throughout the world and is well known to you. So, when you find yourself in the Balearic Islands, try this popular sauce. I wonder if it is different from the “Provençal” we are used to?

Walk through the market

Cuisine of Central Spain

The nature of the cuisine of central Spain was greatly influenced by the geographical location and occupation of the population: there is a harsh climate, mountainous terrain all around, and people engage in hard physical labor. Therefore, the food in this region is hearty, mainly meat, game, various sausages, beans, lentils and rich cocido soups.

A special asset of Spanish cuisine is the dry-cured pork leg of the hind leg, popular throughout the kingdom - jamon.

Chorizo (or chorizo), chistorra, lomo, salchichon, morcilla, sobrassada, butifarra, fuet - all these are the names of numerous and beloved Spanish sausages all over the world. Surprisingly, Spanish sausages are very popular among tourists as souvenirs. By the way, you can try Spanish sausages not only in Central Spain - each region of the kingdom is famous for its variety of Spanish sausage.

A special asset of Spanish cuisine is the dry-cured pork ham of the hind leg, popular both in Central Spain and throughout the kingdom.

Ham, like good expensive wine, takes many years to be born and has its own quality mark (Denominación de Origen). It is no coincidence that Iberico jamon is delivered to the royal court.

The most valuable jamon is jamon iberico, or it is also called jamon pata negra, which translates as “black leg”. This jamon is made from the meat of black pigs of the Iberian breed, fed on a special diet: either acorn-based - beyota, or combining acorns with fodder - resebo. Serrano jamon is considered a cheaper jamon. It is made from the meat of white pigs, usually fed on forage. In addition to the jamon itself, there is also jamon delantero, or it is also called jamon paleta, which means “front leg”.

Southern cuisine

Southern cuisine merges the cuisines of all the peoples who once lived on this fertile land. For example, the famous and beloved cold soup made from pureed vegetables, primarily tomatoes, gazpacho, as well as the intoxicating sherry from the city of Jerez de la Frontera were born in Andalusia, and this province inherited sweet turrones from the Moors.

Not a single Christmas table in Spain is complete without traditional Spanish turron, translated as nougat. The most famous traditional Spanish turron is the soft turron of Jijona (turron de Jijona), it is prepared by hand in the town of the same name in the province of Alicante. Once upon a time, turrons were prepared exclusively with almonds (ground or whole - hence the two ancient types of turrons: Gijon turron - soft, Alicante turron - hard), currently the range of turrons has increased, and the sweetness is prepared with various nuts and even chocolate and dried fruits and puffed rice.

Southern cuisine merges the cuisines of all the peoples who once lived on this fertile land.

Turron has been eaten in Spain since ancient times. He was brought with him by a people unfriendly to the Spaniards - the Arabs, or as they were called then, the Moors. The Moors left, but the Turrons remained, and now it is difficult to imagine Spain without national nougat, especially during the Christmas holidays. And in Gijon, province of Alicante, there is even a museum of these sweets made from nuts, honey and egg white or yolk.

But no one brought Churros to Spain, and Spain itself is considered the birthplace of these sweet fried sausages or rings of choux pastry, shaped like a multi-pointed star in cross-section, where this dish is traditionally served for breakfast. Real Spanish churros are consumed by dipping in hot, gooey chocolate, which is always served with pastries.

Where to taste Spanish cuisine

Once in Spain, you can easily find a place where you can eat tasty and satisfying food everywhere. Perhaps many tourists will be pleased by the fact that food in Spain is most often an inexpensive pleasure (on average 12-18 EUR), although there are restaurants with higher prices, in which the bill for lunch will be from 25 EUR. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.

By the way, it’s worth paying attention to how the prices are written on the menu. If IVA is written next to the figure, then when calculating the cost of the dish you will have to add VAT equal to 7%. If the inscription is IVA includo, then VAT is already included in the price.

For those tourists who are interested in eating inexpensively and who do not want to end their meal with an unexpectedly large check, we advise you to choose establishments where menus with prices are presented at the entrance. The “star rating” of the restaurant you choose, indicated by the corresponding number of forks, also plays a role. Moreover, keep in mind that the cost of ordering at a bar at the counter will be approximately 15% lower than at a table. But if you decide to taste Spanish cuisine outdoors, it will cost you a little more than if you do it indoors in a restaurant. Also pay attention to the presence of a special menu - Menu del dia, offering you set meals that are cheaper than the included dishes, paid separately.

As for the service charge, it is included in the price of the dish listed on the menu. Therefore, tipping in Spain is a purely personal matter for each guest, although for good service it would not be a bad idea to thank the waiter by giving him 5-10% of the check amount. In bars and street cafes, the bill is usually rounded up; otherwise, you can leave the change given to you as change on the table.

Catering establishments in Spain usually have a day off on Sunday or Monday and also close for lunch, so plan your lunch an hour and a half earlier. And don't forget that Spanish cuisine is a pleasure that is pleasant to stretch out. ¡Buen provecho!

Bon appetit to you, tourists of Spain!

Spain is surprising in that there is no single national type of cuisine on its territory. Spanish cuisine consists of a huge number of regional culinary schools, each of which is characterized by its own traditions. At the same time, the culinary preferences of the regions of the country can differ quite noticeably from the generally accepted idea of what Spanish cuisine is.

The cuisine of Spain has absorbed Roman and Moorish traditions, elements of the culinary arts of France and Africa, the customs of Mediterranean cuisine, as well as some trends in New World cuisine. At the same time, the basis of local Spanish cuisine is incredibly simple: it is meat, spices, herbs and cheese, as well as. Almost the entire territory of Spain is characterized by such cooking methods as stewing in wine, baking with sheep's cheese, and using the grill. In addition, they remain invariably popular and are added to almost all dishes.

general characteristics

The next stage in the development of Spanish cooking occurred during the period of domination of the Iberian Peninsula by the Roman Empire. At this time, olive oil, as well as onions and cabbage, appeared in the diet of the local population. In addition to meat, fish and seafood, as well as mushrooms, appear on the tables. In addition, it was under the influence of the Romans that local residents began to prepare food for future use: drying, salting and pickling.

The basis of the identity of Spanish cuisine was laid in the Middle Ages under the influence of Arab and Christian traditions, as well as Judaism. Followers of Islam enriched the national cuisine with citrus fruits, as well as a wide range of spices. The influence of Jewish culture is the numerous recipes for marmalades, jams and preserves not only from fruits, but even from vegetables, as well as the habit of flavoring dishes with a lot of garlic. The Christian tradition has given Spain many dishes made from meat and fish, as well as grains and legumes.

According to experts, the heyday of Spanish cuisine occurred in the period following the discovery of America. At that time, very exotic ones began to appear in the country. It was at this stage that the cuisine of the Iberian Peninsula gained fame in Europe.

Since Spain belongs to the so-called Mediterranean countries, many believe that the basis of its cooking is the “Mediterranean diet”, which involves the consumption of vegetables, rice, herbs, grains and seafood in large quantities. However, in fact, the many regional cuisines that exist in the country have one thing in common - a huge number of meat dishes, the “king” of which is the notorious ham.

Regional culinary traditions

Gourmets often joke that Spain has as many as seventeen national cuisines - that’s exactly how many regions there are in the country. Indeed, each of the territories that make up Spain has its own culinary traditions. Often the same dish is prepared completely differently in different regions. An example is paella - there are more than three hundred recipes for its preparation.

So, let's look at the regional features of Spanish cuisine.

Basque cooking has won the title of the most refined of regional Spanish cuisines. It is a mixture of ancient Spanish and French traditions. The main ingredients are fish, seafood, and.
The cuisine of the northwestern coast of Spain has gained fame for its soups, as well as sauces and fish dishes. So, in Cantabria, fish is fried in batter, baked, cooked on coals, and stewed with potatoes. Local pride is that they are recognized by gourmets as the best in the world. In addition, the white is found off the coast of Cantabria. This type of fish differs from the world-famous red tuna in its more delicate taste. White tuna is used in stews and added to salads, omelettes and even vinaigrettes.
The staple dish of neighboring Galicia is boiled, sprinkled with paprika. It is served with boiled potatoes. Another “trick” of local cuisine is empanadas. This is a large pie filled with minced meat, chopped fish, seafood or vegetables.
The cuisine of the eastern regions was formed under the influence of the French and Italian culinary schools. In Catalonia and Valencia, popular dishes include: stews, fried sausages stuffed with white. The region has many vegetable dishes, which are often accompanied by cheese or dairy products. In addition, Catalonia is famous for its sauces. The four most popular are: picada (a combination of garlic, herbs and fried almond kernels), sofrito (tomatoes with onions, garlic, pepper and herbs), samfiana (pepper and tomatoes with spices), and ali-oli (garlic with olive oil). ).
The cuisine of the southern regions, for example, Andalusia, was formed under Arab influence. The main method of cooking here is deep frying. The products are rolled in flour and then fried in olive oil. In addition, the famous Spanish gazpacho soup comes from Andalusia - a cold dish of pureed tomatoes with the addition of onions, garlic and spices.
Aragon is known primarily for its incredibly delicious desserts. The most popular of them is in wine. They also make a very hot chili sauce made from tomatoes, onions and peppers.
Extremadura and Castile “specialize” in roasts. It is prepared here from lamb or pork. And the main delicacy of Salamanca is considered to be roast veal tail.
The specialty of Madrid cuisine is cocido. This is a very thick pea soup to which meat and smoked foods are added. In addition, they make an incredibly tasty blood sausage called morcilla, which is then used to make soups and paella.
The cuisine of Toledo has gained fame thanks to its sweets, especially marzipan, which is made from almond flour and. In addition, dishes made from wild animal meat - hare and wild boar - are very popular in Toledo. The famous cheese made from pasteurized sheep's milk is also made here.

Main dishes

As noted above, many Spanish delicacies are prepared completely differently in different regions of the country. However, it is possible to highlight a list of main dishes that are characteristic of Spanish cuisine.

Snacks

The so-called tapas are the basis of Spanish cooking. This name hides light snacks that are served either at the beginning of a meal, or as a “snack” between main courses, or along with alcohol. Spanish tapas are stuffed olives and black olives, fresh jamon, scrambled eggs, dried olives, squid meat, sandwiches, shellfish cooked in batter, fig bread, flatbread with olive oil and tomato pulp sauce, fried mushrooms or eggplant, and much more. . The list of variations is literally endless.

There are at least two versions of the origin of the tradition of serving tapas. According to one of them, in one of the bars in Seville, when a visitor ordered alcohol, they brought him a glass, having previously covered it with a piece. The second theory says that in Spanish taverns, glasses of wine were covered with small plates to protect them from annoying flies. At first they were empty, and then the enterprising owners decided to put various spicy snacks on the plates so that visitors were constantly thirsty and would order again and again.

Soups

Soups are very popular in Spain, especially creamy soups. The diet of local residents includes puchero (beef broth soup with chorizo sausage, ham and vegetables with dumplings), cocido madrileño (pea soup with small croutons), and creamy soups with shellfish.

Special mention should be made of gazpacho. It is prepared from raw tomatoes mashed into puree, olive oil and garlic. If desired, you can add onions, vinegar, and spices to it.

There are many variations of this dish in Spain. So, in Jerez it is prepared with large rings of raw onions, and in Malaga they use beef broth and add grapes and almonds.

According to the main version of the appearance of this dish, gazpacho was originally the food of mule drivers, who got used to preparing it on the road. All the ingredients were simply mixed in a clay pot, which was then wrapped in wet clothes to cool the soup.

Meat dishes

Meat in Spain is most often stewed with vegetables or grilled. One of the “highlights” of Spanish cuisine is the fact that local chefs often mix meat with fruit or fish in one dish.

Among the most famous Spanish meat dishes are chapfaina (stewed beef or pork liver with vegetables), pisto (ham fried with eggplant, onions and tomatoes and served both hot and cold), as well as chorizo pork sausages with garlic. and paprika.

Poultry dishes are common in all regions of the country. The most popular is chicken, which is fried on a spit or on a grill, stewed in wine or baked. Chicken is often stuffed with seafood or stewed with ham and herbs. In Galicia, one of the main delicacies is capon meat - a specially fattened castrated rooster. It is stuffed or served with different sauces.

In Navarre, which is located on the border with France, cooks “borrowed” recipes for meat dishes from their neighbors. Duck liver is cooked in plum sauce, the meat is made into a pate or smoked.

The legendary Spanish jamon deserves special mention. Dry-cured pork ham has become a cult dish not only in Spain, but also abroad. The history of this gastronomic masterpiece goes back at least two thousand years. There are two main types of jamon in Spain: serrano jamon (mountain jamon) and Iberico jamon. The main difference between them is that the meat of pigs of different breeds is used, which are kept on special diets. Today, jamon is produced throughout Spain, with the exception of the coast. At the same time, this dish is expensive, and therefore is served mainly at the festive table.

Fish and seafood

Despite the fact that the sea coast of Spain is quite long, fish and seafood here are not a cheap pleasure. However, Spanish cuisine knows many recipes for fish and shellfish dishes.

Among the most widespread are salted and smoked cod, squid and octopus dishes. At the same time, river fish in Spain is more expensive than sea fish. Spanish cooks boil, fry, bake fish in salt, and serve it with various sauces.

Vegetable dishes

Vegetables are present in the Spanish diet as an ingredient in salads, stews, soups and tapas. It is noteworthy that they are not used as a main dish, but as a means to emphasize the taste of the main product, most often meat, cheese or fish.

Benefit for health

Nutritionists note that the cuisine of Southern Europe is traditionally considered one of the most healthy and balanced. Spanish cuisine is no exception.

Firstly, the Spanish diet is characterized by a harmonious balance of animals and plants. Legumes are a source of plant proteins, which are very useful for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes and metabolic disorders.

Secondly, one of the main ingredients of most local cuisine is olive oil, which is a unique source and helps to effectively reduce the level of “harmful” oil.

Thirdly, dry wine is an essential component of a Spanish feast. It helps the body digest animal proteins, thins the blood, preventing the formation of blood clots.

Cooking meatballs in onion-carrot sauce in Madrid style

To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients: 30 g, a third of a glass, 500 g of minced beef, two cloves of garlic, three onions, one egg, half a glass of dry white wine, two large carrots, olive oil, salt and parsley to taste, and also two tablespoons.

Soak the bread in milk. Mix the minced meat with chopped garlic and one chopped onion, stir thoroughly. Add soaked bread, chopped egg, salt to the minced meat and mix again.

Place the finished minced meat in the refrigerator and start preparing the sauce. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a wide saucepan, add two onions, chopped as finely as possible, and simmer for ten minutes, stirring constantly. Add carrots, cut into slices, two tablespoons of flour, stir and simmer for another ten minutes.

Pour two glasses into the pan, add wine, add one and a half teaspoons of salt and leave on the fire for another ten minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens. After this, remove it from the heat and let it cool. After this, put the mixture into a blender and grind it until it becomes completely homogeneous.

Roll the minced meat into balls the size of a small nut. Roll them in flour. Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan, add the meatballs and fry for five minutes, turning constantly. After that, transfer them to a baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Place the dish in a preheated oven for a quarter of an hour.

The meatballs should be served hot with fried potatoes.

Cooking classic gazpacho

To prepare a classic Spanish soup you will need: 450 g of tomatoes, one onion, one canned pepper, one cucumber, three glasses, 35 g of cilantro, a third of a glass of red wine vinegar, a quarter of a glass of olive oil, and red pepper to taste.

Cut half the tomatoes into small pieces. Also chop half a cucumber and half an onion. Place everything in a food processor, add red pepper and puree.

Add tomato juice, chopped cilantro, vinegar, olive oil and a few drops of Tabasco sauce to the mixture. Stir thoroughly.

Cut the remaining tomatoes, cucumber and onion into cubes. Add everything to the soup. Add salt to taste and place in the refrigerator to cool the dish.

It is almost impossible to beat Spain's gastronomic diversity. There are so many regions in the country that tourists will be amazed by thousands of aromas and tastes, because each region has its own specialties.

Famous for flamenco, football, its beautiful coastlines, long sunny days, exceptional nightlife, siestas, incredibly long names of locals, islands and the fact that Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages on Earth after Mandarin and Chinese.

But don't forget that this vibrant region of the Iberian Peninsula is also famous for its excellent food.

Spanish cuisine is far from the healthiest cuisine in the world and it is not cheap, but it is not without its charm and surprises tourists with its colors, variety and incredible combination of flavors.

When I started writing this post, I wanted to make a Top 10 must-try dishes in Spain, but in the process I realized that I just couldn’t decide where to rank the dishes and instead I just decided to write a list. Each of these dishes reminds me of some amazing moment from my holiday in Spain, and I hope you will have pleasant memories associated with them too.

Tapas - Spaniards eat it at any time of the day or night

You can't visit Spain without trying the famous tapas! It's like going to and not seeing the Eiffel Tower, or like ordering American coffee in Italy.

First of all, tapas is not a special dish; This is a small snack that Spaniards eat at any time of the day or night, anywhere. I will not talk in detail about tapas, because there is a lot of information about them on the Internet, and it will probably take me several hours to share my impressions of tapas with you.

I'll just tell you some interesting facts about tapas.

Tapas is a part of Spanish culture, and to better understand this, you should know that in Spanish there is even a verb "tapear", which means "to eat tapas". Because of the hype around tapas, sometimes you have to pay for these snacks.

While in these cities and even tourists they are provided free of charge with every drink you order at a bar or pub, there are still places like or where you are most likely not going to get free tapas.

The best tapas I tried were in Madrid, in the popular bars of this city, where you don’t even have to pay for lunch or dinner, because every time you order a beer, they bring you a plate of mini sandwiches, almonds, squid or whatever... then other snacks. And the coolest thing is that the dishes are not repeated.

On the other hand, the most delicious tapas I ate was made from blue cheese, I tried it on the beach of Mallorca, I paid for it, but undoubtedly it was worth the money.

Tortilla Española

The first time in my life I tried tortilla was when I was traveling on a ferry to Ibiza. I remember it was “bocadillo con tortilla,” a tortilla sandwich. I liked it so much that I ate three more.

Later, I learned that there are many types of tortillas, some thick, others thinner and softer. This Spanish omelette is the most common dish in the country and it always consists of potatoes, eggs, onions, salt and pepper.

Although they say tortillas are easy to make, I always have problems with it. I've never been able to get it to bake in the middle correctly, I wonder why?

The recipe is as follows: cut the potatoes into thick slices and place them in a pan of water until it boils. Next, fry it in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Make sure it is soft and not browned. Then drain the liquid and mix the potatoes with lightly chopped onions and raw beaten eggs.

Fry this mixture in a frying pan (preferably with a ceramic coating) for a few minutes on one side, then turn over with a spatula and leave for a few minutes.

Everything is very simple! Let me know if you can handle it!

Paella - the national dish of Spain

Paella is a traditional rice dish that originated in Valencia. In Spain, there are three types of paella: Valencian paella (white rice, vegetables, chicken, duck and rabbit meat, snails, beans and spices), seafood paella (rice, seafood and seasonings) and mixed paella, which is a free combination products, usually rice, chicken, seafood including shellfish, vegetables, olive oil, saffron and other spices.

I love mixed paella, especially the one served in a paellera pan, just imagine a romantic dinner on the beach, late summer evening, a glass of cold sangria, a light breeze...

Gazpacho in Andalusian style

Like most Spanish dishes, gazpacho can be prepared in many different ways. Gazpacho can be warm or cold, as a soup, salad, or even as a stew. Typically, gazpacho is made from tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic, with a little olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and sometimes (but rarely) ham.

My favorite is gazpacho, a soup made with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olive oil, wine vinegar and salt. All this is mixed and served with croutons, ice cubes and chopped tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. The perfect lunch in Andalusia!

Crema catalana - Barcelona dessert

Many people think that Crema Catalana is the same as French Creme Brulee, but there are still tiny differences between these two incredible desserts. For example, crème brûlée is cooked in a bain-marie and is usually served warm, but creme Catalan is always served cold and its custard is made from lemon zest and cinnamon rather than vanilla, so it tastes fresher than the French dessert.

I love both desserts, I love vanilla, but on a hot summer day nothing beats Crema Catalana in Barcelona!

Gambas ajiyo - garlic shrimp

I'm usually a reserved person when it comes to seafood, but trust me, the gambas ajiyo in Spain is simply amazing! Whether served as tapas or as a main course, garlic prawns are quick and easy to prepare: take a few fresh prawns, cook them with a little garlicky olive oil and chili flakes and in about 10 minutes you'll have one of these on the table. delicious dishes. Buen provecho! (Bon appetit!;))

Queso Manchego - Spanish sheep's milk cheese

Queso Manchego, also called Don Quixote Cheese, as Cervantes mentioned it in his legendary work “Don Quixote of La Mancha”. This is a very tasty sheep's milk cheese. Authentic Queso Manchego is prepared exclusively in the province of La Mancha from a special breed of sheep called "Manchega", but you can try the cheese throughout Spain.

I was lucky enough to try it in Madrid and I can say that its bright aroma impressed me from the first seconds. Amazing!

Aioli

I always thought that aioli was Spanish mayonnaise with a lot of garlic. In fact, aioli is not of Spanish, French or even Italian origin. According to James Oliver, and I have no choice but to believe him, aioli originally originated in the Middle East.

Anyway, I first tried it in Spain and for me it is a Spanish sauce, exciting and insidious).

The aioli recipe is very simple and should be easy to make. Well, that's not true, at least not for me. That's why I prefer to eat it in Spain with anything: tortillas, fish, baked potatoes, anything but something sweet. , I miss so much!

Jamon Iberico in Madrid

What I loved most about Spain were the long, crammed bar counters with huge pieces of jamon hanging from the top instead of chandeliers. At first glance it seems surprising, but then original and cute. It was absolutely wonderful to have a drink while the bartender cut me a piece of incredible ham. An amazing experience in Spain that every tourist should experience!

Grilled fish on Marbella beach

If you are on holiday in Marbella, or somewhere in Andalusia, or, be sure to try grilled fish on the beach.

Take the time to find a restaurant; On Andalusian beaches there are original boats filled with sand, where fishermen cook the most delicious sardines on hot coals with their own hands. Delicious, healthy and cheap food, perfect for a hot summer day at the beach!

Finally, I must mention that every meal I had in Spain, in any part of the country or on any of its islands, traditionally began with bread (fried or not, white or black), a bowl of pickled green olives (sometimes served with pickled onions ), and the well-known aioli (sometimes replaced with butter).

I hope that my post will help add some spice to your holiday in Spain!