Spanish Cuisine
Food in Spain is fresh, abundant and full of taste. The origin of Spanish food has to do with its geographical position. Primarily the country is located on the Iberian Peninsula and is therefore, more or less surrounded by water. Owing to the location, seafood is the mainstay of Spain’s gastronomy. Most of it is uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally Spanish people like to eat their food with bread, often dipped in olive oil.
Spain’s unique fare offers a huge range of mouth-watering Spanish dishes to pamper your taste buds. Spanish cuisine is freshly prepared dishes with extra virgin olive oils, wines, cheese, Chic peas, lentils, parsley, rice almonds, garlic, saffron, cinnamon and fresh fruits, tomato being an essential ingredient in Spanish cooking. The Spanish like fresh tomatoes in salads, sliced on French bread or cut into half and eaten like an Apple, but with a pinch of salt. Although, most of the food is cooked in Spain using only a few spices, garlic is found in large quantities in most food in Spain.
Classic Spanish Meal
Breakfast
Breakfast in Spain is a light meal of the day usually consisting of a cup of coffee with a slice of toast and jam; the bolos (as they are called) are sweet jam filled rolls that are amongst the most famous breakfast items in Spain. Magdalena (lemon flavoured cupcakes) and sugary Churros are other famous Spanish food items that are eaten for breakfast. One popular and pleasure-seeking breakfast combination is chocolate and con churros (thick hot chocolate served with a kind of deep-fried doughnut encrusted with cinnamon sugar). Another preferred Spanish breakfast is Torrijas (Spanish bread pudding or French toast). Not as common as the above mentioned, but a must if you can find it. Freshly squeezed orange juice is well-liked and rather common throughout the country
Lunch & Dinner
La comida or Lunch is the most important meal of the day in Spain where food is consumed in large quantities and in multiple courses. Food can be served in three or more courses for lunch, often with soup or stew as a starter.
Spanish people eat lunch quite late in the day, often from 2pm onwards followed by a siesta (nap). La cena or dinner is a lighter affair and might consist of the same dishes as lunch. Dinner includes fresh fish or seafood, roast chicken or lamb, fried potatoes or rice. A simple and quick dish, usually eaten at dinner is Arroz Cubano (a mound of white rice, topped with tomato sauce and a fried egg). Green salad and/or a vegetable dish are standard at lunch and dinner. The most famous dishes in Spain are La Pealla (the world famous rice dish), El Jamon Serrano (Spanish Ham), El Gazpacho (cold vegetable soup), La Tortilla (Spanish omelet) and many different sausages. Other famous dishes include meatballs in tomato sauce, garlic, mushrooms, shrimp or cooked Chorizo in wine.
Snack
La merienda or the late-afternoon snack is quite popular. It could be anything from a piece of French-style bread with a piece of chocolate on top, to bread with ham or salami.
Dessert
Turron Almond Nougat candy and Flan, Vanilla custard with caramel sauce are the two most famous Spanish desserts. Many of Spain’s best-known desserts are smooth, creamy, formed by the country’s high quality milk and eggs. Most of them are easy to prepare. Other popular dessert items include apple pie, almond cake and orange cake. Apart from these, fresh fruits also make popular desserts.
Other Popular Dishes
Tapas
Tapas can vary from simple to multifarious food which includes cheese, fish, eggs, vegetable dishes, dips, canapés and pastries, nibbled away while drinking at a Tapas bar. The most popular tapas foods are the Tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions), the Patatas Bravas (potatoes served with spicy Brava sauce), and Gambas al Ajillo (shrimps in garlic).
The Spanish wine and the famous Sherry is also an important element of the Spanish Food. It is a common accompaniment to a meal in Spain. While many Americans consider Sherry a dessert wine, the regular Spanish prefer it as a cocktail beverage. However, not all “Sherry” is intended for dessert service. Many are somewhat dry and served before dinner with Tapas.
Trivia
- Manchego, the most famous cheese in Spain, has been consumed for the longest time, throughout the region of La Mancha. This has made it possible today for an important cheese industry to develop