Spain is considered by food experts and fanatics alike as one of the top destinations for great food and wines not only in Europe but across the world.
Their regional approach to food and showcasing local ingredients has made the country’s cooking one of the most respected around the world with some of their best chefs considered as culinary superstars around the globe.
With that said, what are some typical staple dishes that one should try if visiting España and what can they expect out of the country of paellas and tapas?
From the Sea to the Mountains and Everything in Between
Spanish cuisine is one of tradition, of variety, and of deliciousness in general. Given their proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean as well as their vast and beautiful countryside and mountainous regions Spain can brag that they have one of the most plentiful bounties when it comes to ingredients to deliver some of the best food in Europe, if not the world. Be it the vast array of seafood coming either from the south in Andalucía or from the north in Basque Country, Galicia and Cataluña, or the meats, especially their cured meats like Jamón Serrano and Ibérico from regions like Salamanca and Extremadura, Spain has everything for everyone.
Dishes aside, Spain is known as one of the top cheese and wine producers in the world. With a tradition that’s centuries-old in the art of making said products, Spain has given food fanatics and experts alike the delight of enjoying top-quality products for ages. Cheeses like Manchego, Cabrales, Majon, and Idiazabal are just some of the many types of delicious local cheeses that one can find in Spain. When it comes to wine, Spain can brag of having some of the best wine-producing regions with the Galicia region showcasing some great white wines, and the Navarra region of La Rioja, where some of the best red wines in the world come from.
Tapas and Pintxos, A Way of Life in Spain
When in Spain in order to live the best foodie experience available, the best thing to do is follow the local traditions and just let yourself be carried away by the magic. There is nothing more traditional in Spain than going out for Tapas or as they’re known in the north of Spain, Pintxos. Tapas are small plates of food that can vary from the typical “tortilla de patata”, a Spanish version of a frittata with potatoes and onions, to cured meats, grilled vegetables, fried fish or seafood, or a hearty meat stew.
Now if there’s one bulletproof tip a non-Spanish speaker can use in order to enjoy the experience all the way is to have a top of the line translation service in hand. It will always benefit visitors who are not comfortable with speaking Spanish and want to live the best experience possible.
The traditional Spanish way of doing the tapas experience is to go out to a couple of different tapas bars, have a couple of drinks, and have a small tasting party of different dishes from all regions of Spain.
Italy Has Pasta, Spain Has Rice
Every single one of the top food regions in the world has a staple starch product or dish that can easily be used to define their culinary ways. The British and North European have potatoes, the French have bread, the Italians have pasta, and the Spanish, they have rice. Anywhere you go in Spain if there is one dish that will always be there waiting for you to try it it’s Paella. A typical country and coast side dish of rice, vegetables, and whatever meats are available are Spain’s culinary tradition best calling card.
When you’re closer to the coast you’ll find seafood heavy paellas with shrimp, scallops, octopus, squid and various shellfish, sometimes even cooked with the ink of the squids to make an “arroz negro” style offering. If you’re travelling through Spain’s beautiful, ancestral countryside paellas composed of hearty vegetables and meats like chicken, rabbit, pork, lamb, and even deer. Anywhere you go in Spain, if there is one thing that is sure and certain is that you’ll definitely find a great plate of Paella with a great wine to go with it that will make you end up dancing flamenco and saying “Olé”.