The incredibly diverse Spanish cuisine is, in principle, divided regionally, but this is not noticeable to tourists, because almost everywhere you can taste dishes from another region. Travelers and gourmets recommend deciding what to try in Spain without missing out on some special delicacy in advance, on the eve of the trip.

In Spain there are special dishes and those that are similar to dishes in other Mediterranean countries. Which ones are definitely worth paying attention to?

Jamon Serrano

Jamon Serrano is a salted and smoked ham that is dried in the mountains in the open air. It often becomes a still life for photographers in bars, since this rather large specimen is piled up like a monument behind the bar counters.

Jamon Iberico is a much more expensive ham made from the meat of a special breed of specially fed pigs, considered royal food. Jamon is part of a selection of typical Spanish snacks called “tapas”, which are offered a la carte in all bars and restaurants.

The delicacy is consumed without any side dishes other than olives and washed down with sherry. The Spaniards never put this ham on bread, so as not to lose its pure taste; a sandwich with jamon will immediately give away a foreigner.

Paella

Paella resembles pilaf with chicken and seafood, often with vegetables; it is cooked over an open fire, and the cooking technology is surrounded by many legends. The difficulty of tasting it lies in the fact that this dish is prepared in a frying pan for two servings, and you can’t try a half serving for one person everywhere.

The most delicious paella is in Valencia, which is where this dish comes from. In Catalonia, around Barcelona or in the city itself, you can try fideua, a local dish similar to paella, using thin noodles instead of rice.

Chorizo

Chorizo ​​is a garlic pork sausage with red and black pepper. It can be sweet or spicy. Spicy chorizo ​​baked in cider is so amazing in its taste that there is not even any sauce left after it.

Another spicy sausage is called morcilla, it is similar to blood sausage, but much more tender. Both are of Andalusian origin and are popular in the south.

Spanish churros

Spanish churros taste similar to the well-known donuts. They are prepared right in front of customers by squeezing the dough from a pastry bag into boiling oil, after which the long spiral is cut into portions with scissors. The dish is very high in calories and is consumed by the Spaniards for breakfast or afternoon snack. Churros are usually dipped into a cup of hot chocolate or consumed with coffee.

Gazpacho

Andalusian gazpacho soup is almost always made from tomatoes, and less often from beans. This cold soup is incomparable on hot summer days, but is not served in winter. It can be bought in packages and brought home. Another cold soup, ajoblanco is a garlic almond cream soup.

Sheep cheese Manchego

Manchego sheep cheese, recognized as the king of Spanish cheeses, was mentioned by Cervantes in Don Quixote of La Mancha. This cheese comes in different types, each of which is good.

Turron

Turron is a sweet of several varieties, which is made from honey, sugar and almonds, and resembles halva. And one of the options - with the addition of egg yolks - is similar to nougat.

This traditional oriental-style dessert for Spain is the main decoration of the Christmas table, and often outside of Spain. However, the real turron is still of purely Spanish origin. Modern variations are presented in the form of turron with sesame seeds, puffed rice, almonds, caramel, milk and dark chocolate, and crocant nuts.

What Spanish drinks should you try?

1. Horchata is a drink made from groundnuts that grow only in the vicinity of Valencia, originally served in purely Valencian establishments - horchteria. It makes sense to drink only freshly prepared chilled horchata, and not the one sold canned in the store. Today the drink can be found throughout the country.
2. To try cider, you need to go to an establishment with a Sidreria sign. And in order to experience the full flavor of this drink, it must be poured correctly: experienced travelers recommend viewing such a very artistic spectacle.
3. Sangria is a wine drink infused with fruit. It is ordered in jugs of different sizes. They say that without a jug of sangria it’s not the same evening.
4. The delicious Andalusian sherry wine comes in both sweet and dry varieties. Dry Manzanilla sherry has a subtle nutty aftertaste and sourness, and a glass of sweet, for example, Pedro Ximenez, can easily replace dessert.

What to bring from Spain for your family to try

Loved ones will appreciate Spanish delicacies and seasonings, for example:

• sherry vinegar, which tastes like a cross between wine and balsamic;
• bomba or calasparra rice - traditional for preparing paella (it is believed that 80% of the success of preparing this dish lies in the right amount of starch in the rice and its correct form);
• smoked paprika with smoky flavor;
• squid or cuttlefish ink for making black paella at home;
• saffron, recognized as the best in the world.

Typically Spanish dishes have a unique taste, and the variety of flavors of each of them can be experienced by visiting different parts of this beautiful country. And from the article you will learn what dishes and drinks are a must when visiting this beautiful city.

You won't be full with just paella and potato tortilla. Spaniards love to eat, and each region of the country has its own typical dishes. And if in the north of Spain they indulge in meat and spicy sausages, in the south they prefer light snacks. Fruits and vegetables, a huge selection of seafood, and what wine! In terms of gastronomy, Spain is absolutely not inferior to its neighbors - France and Italy. What do real Spaniards eat for lunch and dinner, besides the famous jamon? The “Spain in Russian” Service Center talks specifically for 34travel.

Asturias and Cantabria

Despite the fact that Spain is most often associated with the eternal sun, sea and palm trees, in the north of the country it can rain even more often than in St. Petersburg, and in winter there is real snow there. Therefore, when winter comes, residents of the northern regions choose hot and hearty dishes, such as, for example, fabada. This is the most famous and perhaps the most nutritious dish of the Asturias region. It is in this region that large white beans are grown, which are the basis of the dish. The beans are simmered for over an hour in bone broth along with bacon bits and several types of savory sausages such as chorizo And morcilla. After such a lunch, you can climb the mountains and chop firewood, because fabada was traditionally prepared in Spanish villages. A similar stew, but also with the addition of cabbage and ribs, is prepared in neighboring Cantabria. They also give preference to high-calorie dishes based on beans and potatoes.

Galicia

Galicia is famous for its seafood. Who hasn't heard of the famous Galician octopus? The tentacles are served on a bed of boiled potatoes, generously seasoned with paprika and olive oil. This octopus doesn’t even need to be chewed – it melts in your mouth. This region also boasts scallops. They are fried with onions, ham, parsley, and finally a drop of brandy is added. All this is placed on the bottom of the sink, sprinkled with bread crumbs and sent to the oven.

Castile and Leon

Castile and Leon is considered the meatiest region in Spain. Adherents of vegetarianism may even be shocked by the windows of local restaurants, because the main element of the feast in this region is cochinillo asado, or a young piglet. It is served to the table whole with the head. First, the pig is coated with spices and pork fat, and then baked in the oven with potatoes and vegetables.

La Rioja

La Rioja is the very region where the highest quality jamon is produced and rare grape varieties are grown. Special climatological conditions allow each year to collect rich harvests for cooking wine and cava. La Rioja is also famous for its fragrant vegetable stew, which is based on beans, asparagus, local sausages and, of course, jamon.

Castile-La Mancha

Castile-La Mancha is also about vegetables, plus cheese. Variety manchego is a hard cheese made from sheep's milk. Moreover, this breed of sheep can be found exclusively in this region, which is why the cheese has such a unique taste. Well, for something hot - pisto manchego- a vegetable stew that is similar to French ratatouille.

Madrid

It is worth noting that pea crops in general play a major role in Spanish cuisine. For example, chickpeas can be found in almost every Spaniard's grocery basket. And in Madrid it is also the basis of the most famous stew - cocido madrileño. It is prepared on the basis of a thick chickpea broth with the addition of carrots. When serving, meat and vegetable ingredients are added to it. As a rule, this turns out to be a large, filling dish that the people of Madrid love to cook in the winter.

Valencia

Moving south along the peninsula, we find ourselves in Valencia, where the most important Spanish celebrity was born - paella. In fact, not every dish with rice can be called paella, and the Spaniards are ready to spend a long time explaining all the differences to ignorant foreigners. Paella is a type of round pan in which rice is cooked in a special way with a small amount of water. As a result, the dish should turn out juicy (but without broth) and with slightly burnt rice at the base. Traditional Valencian paella is made with rabbit, chicken, artichokes, beans and snails.

Andalusia

Andalusia gave us cold soup gazpacho. When you have to survive in 40 degree heat for most of the year, you end up with such simple and at the same time satisfying cold soups. Gazpacho is prepared using tomato, red pepper, cucumber, bread crumb, garlic and olive oil. The soup usually has the consistency of thick tomato juice. Another cold lunch option is soup salmorejo. Essentially it’s the same gazpacho, but more filling. It is served with half an egg and pieces of jamon.

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

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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!

Traditional Spanish cuisine is a curious mixture of Christian, Arab, and Jewish culinary traditions. Most often, meat and seafood are used in cooking: oysters, shrimp, mussels.

As in and, people here really like fresh vegetables and olive oil. Snacks and soups, as well as a variety of sausages, are very popular. But the main dishes are a completely different story! So, what should a tourist try in Spain? What is the main national food made from, when and with what?

Tapas

Traditional Spanish dishes are served as an appetizer with wine or. We can say that this concept itself is dimensionless. Any light food falls under it: from chips, olives and nuts to pork kebab. But most often these are small sandwiches, and each establishment has their own special ones. The Spaniards even like to have fun this way: visit as many bars as possible in an evening, drinking a glass of wine or beer in each and eating a signature snack.

The name “tapas” is translated into Russian as “lid”. But indeed, in ancient times in Spain, these small sandwiches were used to cover glasses of drinks during meals so that dust or midges would not get into them.

In Spanish catering establishments you can order both individual tapas (their price starts from 1.8 €) and assorted plates (tapas sets, the price starts from 14.95 €).

Bread with tomatoes (Pan con tomates)

Spanish cuisine has national dishes that at first glance may seem banal. This is exactly what many people think of the traditional Catalan snack of bread and tomatoes. Of course, until they try this magnificence. Believe me, it’s simply impossible to tear yourself away!

In Spain, a rare lunch or dinner begins without Pan con tomates, and an outdoor picnic without it is completely unthinkable. The best products are used to prepare delicious national snacks. Bread is only of the “country” variety in the form of a fragrant round loaf with a crispy crust. The tomatoes are also special: brown, small and very juicy, so that all the flavor is transferred to the bread slice.

The bread is dried over the fire until a golden brown crust appears, then rubbed with garlic and tomato pulp, salted and sprinkled with rustic. In Spanish cafes, a portion of such delicious bread costs from 2.1 €.

Gazpacho

One of the must-try foods in Spain is real gazpacho. The dish belongs to the category of cold light soups, served in the hot season, prepared from fresh vegetables, pureed.

Gazpacho is a vegetarian cuisine because it does not contain animal fats.

The soup is not just cold, but very cold, because crushed ice is used for preparation. Products, spices and sauce are added to it, after which everything is crushed to a puree state and until the ice is completely thawed. Then add olive oil and immediately serve with crispy croutons.

The most popular varieties of gazpacho are bean and tomato. You can eat one of the most popular Spanish soups in inexpensive cafes for about 5 €.

Fabada

When choosing what to eat as a first course in Spain, pay attention to the hearty, thick white bean soup with smoked meats (sausages, pork ham, blood sausage) and salted lard. It got its name from its main component – ​​large Asturian white beans. It is three times larger in size than other legumes. It has an amazing taste and very thin skin.

This traditional national dish belongs to the cuisine of the northern Spanish province of Asturias. In restaurants it is served in large tureens, the price per serving is between 10-12.50 €.

Paella

All over the world it is considered the national dish of Spain, while in the country itself it is considered to be the traditional cuisine of Valencia. It is from the Valencian word “paella”, which translates as “frying pan”, that the delicious paella takes its name. The main feature of this delicious dish is the harmony of seemingly incompatible products.

The basis of the meal is rice, lightly tinted with saffron, olive oil, white wine and. Additives can vary from chicken and vegetables to fish and seafood. In some areas of Spain, paella is made with beans. Local residents claim that there are about 300 varieties of this dish. You should definitely try at least one of them, for example, mixed with rabbit, chicken and snails.

Depending on the number of ingredients and the level of the establishment, a portion of paella in Spain costs from 5 to 20 €.

Hamon

What meat dishes should you try in Spain? First of all, he is famous. It is prepared from the hind legs of pork, sprinkled with a lot of salt. After salting, the drying process takes place, which lasts from 6 to 36 months in different regions and climatic conditions. The last stage of drying takes place in cellars with a special microclimate; the hams ripen in a suspended state, acquiring a unique aroma and taste.

The meat is cut very thin. This is done by a professionally trained person - a cortador - using a special knife and a cutting stand (jamonera).

If in a restaurant you see someone eating jamon on a piece of bread, it means that this person is a foreigner. The Spaniards will never do this so as not to lose the purity of taste. Jamon is traditionally served with olives and a glass of sherry.

In Spain there are special establishments - jamonerias, where you can eat various types of jamon. In stores, the price for 1 kg starts from 20-30 €. Jamon, marked with a special national quality mark, costs from 80 €, and the exclusive Belotta variety costs 300 €.

Chorizo

Food in Spain is spicy, and if you're wondering what to try, be sure to opt for spicy pork chorizo. It owes its red-orange color to a large amount of paprika, which is the main spice in cooking.

During the cold season, the Spaniards finely chop chorizo ​​and add it to stews, stews or soups. The sausage is also baked in the oven with eggs and potatoes or simply served with pasta. Well, when there is absolutely no time to cook, they simply eat delicious sausage with bread.

It’s just important to know that chorizo ​​is a dry-cured sausage, and the meat used for it is chopped into large slices. If it is produced recently, it must be stewed, baked or fried. You can eat raw chorizo ​​only when it has been drying for at least 3 months. The price of sausage in Spanish stores is from 8 € per 1 kg.

Potato tortilla (Tortilla de patatas)

What else is worth trying in Spanish cuisine is the delicious potato tortilla - an omelette made from chicken eggs with slices of onions and potatoes, fried in olive oil. As a rule, it is prepared on. But in many bars, the tortilla is placed on bread or a bun and served as tapas.

There is a version that tortilla was first prepared in the 19th century by a peasant woman with whom the leader of the Spanish Carlists, Thomas de Zumalacarregui, was staying. She began to think about what to give the general to eat, because there were only onions, eggs and potatoes in the house. This is how tortilla was born, which today is available in any Spanish cafe or supermarket. In or you can try it for about 10 €.

Santiago Cake (Pastel De Santiago)

What delicious desserts to eat in Spain? Start your sweet journey with the Galician Santiago almond cake, which has been known since the 16th century. The recipe was invented in the capital of the autonomous Spanish region of Santiago de Compostela. They were named after the patron saint of the country - Saint Apostle Santiago.

In the Middle Ages, the cake was considered exquisite and expensive due to the high price of almonds. Now this delicacy can be tasted in any region of Spain.

Since the 20th century, cake has been a traditional Spanish dessert. The name “Santiago” can only be assigned to a dessert that was produced in the country.

To prepare the cake, use almond flour, butter, lemons, sugar and nuts. Be sure to decorate the top with powdered sugar, highlighting the cross of Santiago using a special stencil. Served with fine Galician wines.

The Santiago cake has a fairly long shelf life, so many tourists take it as a souvenir from Spain to family and friends. The cost of a cake weighing 700 g is from 12 €.

Churros

For breakfast you should definitely try an interesting sweet dish of Spanish cuisine called “churros”. This dessert is loved all over the world. It is prepared from choux pastry, deep-fried or baked.

Churros are sold in cafes and restaurants, and on street stalls. The tasty delicacy is sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar; in some establishments it is filled with cream or chocolate.

The best way to try churros is to dip them in hot chocolate while sipping aromatic Spanish coffee with cream. Price per serving 3-4 €.

Reading time: 4 minutes. Views 625 Published Aug 23, 2017

Spanish cuisine is certainly famous in the world, however, most people will immediately name only 2-3 of its dishes. Therefore, when traveling to Spain, it is worth brushing up your knowledge of Spanish cooking a little.

By the way, Spanish cuisine is a combination of approximately 17 separate national cuisines (according to the number of Spanish regions). While in this or that city, you will certainly find local dishes that are prepared only here. And yet, I suggest reading about 10 key dishes of Spanish cuisine.

What to try in Spain

To begin with, we want to show you this cool gastronomic map, which immediately shows what each region is famous for and what to try in Spain, depending on where you are

1. Paella

Where would we be without it) Paella is a dish of Spanish rice with saffron and various fillings. Most often, seafood or rabbit are used as a filler. However, there is also mixed paella (with snails, rabbit, chicken). In general, the story with Spanish paella is almost the same as with pilaf. There are a lot of varieties. It is said that there are about 300 types of paella. So, I recommend trying at least a few. I only ate it with seafood – it was delicious.

2. Gazpacho

It can be bean or tomato. This cold soup is famous all over the world. By the way, an interesting fact is that in order to cool gazpacho even further, ice is sometimes placed in it.

Chorizo ​​(or chorizo) is not a separate dish. It's just dry-cured pork sausage with paprika. The sausage has a very characteristic red color and is difficult to confuse with any other. By the way, it’s a good idea to bring chorizo ​​home as a gastronomic souvenir.

4. Tapas

Tapas is the general name for snacks served with alcoholic drinks. Tapas include stuffed olives, various kinds of small sandwiches or pies. In Spain there are special Tapas bars with their own signature tapas. So many Spaniards like not to sit in one establishment, but to go from bar to bar, drinking and trying different snacks.

5. Jamon

Dried hind leg of pork. A very tasty thing and already widely known. At least in most Russian supermarkets you can find real jamon. Although, of course, it is most interesting to try it in Spain.

I won’t invent anything here and will cite material from Wikipedia, where it is very sensibly written about jamon

There are two main types of jamon: serrano jamon (Spanish: jamón serrano, “mountain jamon”) and, generally more expensive, jamón ibérico (Spanish: jamón ibérico, often called “pata negra” - “black leg”). They differ in the method and length of preparation, and the most significant difference between Serrano jamon and Iberico jamon is the breed of pigs and their diet. Externally, they can be distinguished by the color of the hoof: the Serrano is white, the Iberico is black. The pigs from which the most expensive Iberico varieties are made, such as Bellota, are fed exclusively on acorns, and therefore the price can reach up to three hundred euros per kilogram.

6. Churros

Churros taste like our donuts. Only they are not enclosed in a ring. Churros are eaten with either hot chocolate or a cup of coffee for breakfast.

Seafood lovers will be very pleased. Zarzuela is an assortment of seafood: fish, shellfish, shrimp and lobster, drenched in fish broth. The only drawback of this dish is its price)))

8. Malaga salad

A very popular salad in Spain. Made from cod, olives, onions, potatoes and orange.

9. Espeto

Essentially, espeto is grilled fish. Most often, these are sardines, which are rolled in salt and grilled over coals on a spit.

10. Crema Catalana

Probably one of the most popular Spanish desserts. Crema Catalana is a sweet soufflé with a caramel crust. The homeland of the dessert, as the name suggests, is Catalonia. But you can try it in any part of Spain.

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