Delicious spanish food. Famous dishes from the regions of spain

Spanish cuisine is diverse and multifaceted, it can be divided into 17 independent regional cuisines (according to the number of Spanish autonomies, which in turn are divided into provinces). Common characteristics for all include the consumption of vegetables (especially the Spaniards love tomatoes, potatoes and peppers), seafood, legumes, olive oil, olives, garlic, herbs, wine and rice (for example, business card Spain - paella). By the way, paella translates as "large frying pan", because this dish is really served in a huge bowl. The birthplace of paella is Valencia, but besides the classic Valencian recipe (with rabbit and chicken), there are more than three hundred paella recipes.
Another traditional Spanish dish served for breakfast is tortilla (similar to omelet and Italian frittata). Classic version the dishes are baked beaten eggs with potatoes. The appetizers, traditional throughout Spain, are called tapas, they resemble small sandwiches. The base of tapas is a slice of toasted bread with all kinds of filling variations. Empanadas pies can be used as tapas. The classic empanadas are cooked with meat, but now they are cooked with anything. For example, with tuna, with vegetables, with mushrooms. They look like a crescent in shape.
Another business card Spanish cuisine- jamon (translated as "ham"). This is a dried pork leg, which is cut into thin pieces after a long preparation (the minimum drying period is 1 year). It is eaten with bread, cheese and fruit. Pork fillet is also stuffed with jamon, and then deep-fried - this is how flamenquin is prepared (a typical dish of the city of Cordoba, in Andalusia). Various sausages are also prepared from pork, for example, chorizo. They have a bright red color due to the fact that they contain paprika.
Spanish cuisine boasts a wide variety of cheeses. They are produced in every Spanish autonomy.
Spaniards love salads from fresh vegetables as well as salads with seafood. For example, the Malaga salad, which is widespread throughout the country (Malaga is a city in Andalusia), consisting of potatoes, oranges, olives, onions and dried cod bacallau.
After the salad, the Spaniards usually eat soup, such as oglia podrida (thick soup with stew). Also popular are two soups from Andalusia - gazpacho and ahoblanco. Gazpacho is cold tomato soup with vegetables and bread, sometimes with ice. Ahoblanco also represents cold soup in water with bread, almonds, olive oil, garlic and sometimes vinegar.
The Spaniards are very fond of fish: tuna (for example, dried mojam tuna), sardines, anchovies, gilthead and others. Of course, seafood is common: mussels, shrimps, oysters, squid, cuttlefish and many others. The Catalan stew with fish and seafood is called zarzuela and is considered by some to be “Spanish

If you have already visited Spain, then you will certainly agree that traveling around this country is incredibly exciting and interesting. Your tourist trip was filled with visits to countless museums, significant historical sites, acquaintance with the monuments and architecture of the country. And, for sure, in the list of attractions in Spain, from the first days of your stay in this country, you included Spanish national cuisine.

Basics of Spanish cuisine

Spain is one of the Mediterranean countries, for this reason, many believe that it is based on the "Mediterranean diet", consisting of vegetables, fruits, rice, cereals, herbs and, of course, seafood. However, the reality is that the Spanish table is dominated by meat dishes... Their typical representative in traditional cuisine Spain is the ham of ham, which is so fond of the Russians.

In general, the national cuisine of Spain has absorbed ancient Roman and Moorish traditions with elements of French and even African cuisine.

The basis of traditional Spanish cuisine is made up of greens, Bell pepper, onions, garlic, sage and, so typical of the Mediterranean, olive oil. Basic cooking techniques include grilling, stewing in wine, and baking with sheep's cheese.

Regional culinary traditions

Despite the fact that the general attributes of cuisine for all regions of Spain are the same, each region (and there are seventeen of them - decide for yourself) has its own culinary traditions and stands out for its own dish. By the way, it should be noted that one of the dishes of Spanish cuisine (which is undoubtedly associated with this country for everyone who is at least a little familiar with its traditional dishes) - paella, has about three hundred different recipes cooking it!

Spain's North Atlantic coastline is renowned for its delicious sauces and interesting soups. Cantabrian cuisine delights travelers with dishes of sardines, trout, maluski, as well as "Santander rice" (this is a dish made from rice and salmon). Asturian cuisine is famous for its thick white bean soup with ham and sausage ("Fabada"). Basque cuisine combines the traditions of French and Spanish cuisine and is considered the finest in Spain. You will certainly want to try glass eel fried with chili and garlic (Angulas) or sea snails (Karakelas) more than once. You will certainly find chili sauce made from tomatoes, onions and peppers in Aragon dishes, but in Riche and Navarre you will have to try vegetable sauces and side dishes. Legs of pork with rutabaga leaves, marl fish stewed in a clay pot and boiled octopus are all representatives of the cuisine of Galicia.

Sauces form the basis of Catalan cuisine. There are four main ones: picada (garlic, fried almonds and herbs), sofrito (onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, herbs), samfiana (pepper, eggplant, tomatoes) and ali-oli (garlic with olive oil). Outstanding representatives Catalan cuisine are also: pork leg stew and pig's head, fish soup, fried pork sausages with white beans in boiling lard.

Andalusia is famous for its olive oil and deep-fried dishes. Murcian cuisine is unthinkable without hearty koskido, Murcia meat pie and various rice dishes.

Extremadura and Castile is considered a "hot zone". Try roasted lamb in Burgos and Soria and roast lamb in Segovia suckling pig... You will definitely be amazed by the delicacy of Salamanca - stewed veal tail. Madrid cuisine is famous for kosido, a thick pea soup and tripe with blood sausage Morsilla. Cheese lovers should head to La Mancha. But for marzipan - in Toledo.

Tapas ritual

Spanish cuisine cannot be imagined without tapas - snacks that are always served with beer and wine.

There are two versions of the origin of this tradition. According to the first, it is believed that it originated in one of the bars in Seville, where a glass was covered with a slice of ham, which was initially served free of charge, but as new various snacks appeared, for a fee. According to another version, glasses with beer and wine from annoying flies were covered with small plates, into which, over time, they began to impose various delicacies, mostly spicy, so that the drinkers would like to make a second order. One way or another, the Spaniards clearly do not intend to abandon such a pleasant tradition - to consume strong drinks along with tapas.

Favorite snacks include olives - plain olives or stuffed with tuna, lemon or almonds. Also in tapas bars you will find various sandwiches, for example, with squid. Popular with the Spaniards as a snack and fried shrimps, squid, jamon, potato tortilla, marinated pork, cheeses.

The Spaniards also include pies stuffed with fish, meat or vegetables as tapas. Of course, each region has its own way of cooking. So, in the Balearic Islands, spread was open pie poultry-shaped stuffed with tuna, sausage or sardines. But the "modest" Catalans stuff their pies with lobster meat.

Salads in Spain

As in many other countries, the Spaniards' meal begins with salads. They are prepared from boiled or fresh vegetables, beans and seafood. They are usually dressed with olive oil (sometimes diluted with vinegar).

Among the most popular are seafood salad. Shrimps, pieces of boiled squid, mussels and other "sea ingredients" are the "backbone" of this dish, but its composition may vary depending on the region and time of year. also in sea ​​salad you can sometimes come across capers or mushrooms.

The Spaniards could not do without a salad made from their favorite ingredients - tomatoes and garlic. They are sprinkled with herbs, seasoned with olive oil. And it has a completely original name - “tomatoes with garlic”.

Malaga salad has a refined and unusual taste, which includes dried cod, olives, orange slices and onions.

TO traditional dishes Remichon also belongs to Spain, which also contains orange slices.

First courses - not by count, but by value

A light salad is usually followed by soup. The most famous Spanish soup is the Andalusian gazpacho. This is a cold vegetable soup that is cooked without heat treatment and sometimes even served with ice cubes. It is prepared very simply: you soak bread in cold water, mix it with tomatoes, chopped garlic, olive oil and other seasonings and it's done.

But tomatoes are not added to another cold puree soup, it is called ahoblanko.

• Rice "everything is head"

Particular attention should be paid to Spanish dishes made from rice. At the beginning of the article, paella was already mentioned, and the fact that there are a lot of recipes for its preparation. V classic paella includes 6-7 types of seafood and fish, chicken, herbs, spices and white wine. In some areas of Spain, paella is made from beans.

Rice is also cooked with various vegetables (tomatoes, artichokes and beans), tuna, and black rice is cooked with cuttlefish ink.

• Meat dishes

The most famous meat dish in Spain is jamon. This is a dry-cured ham that forms the basis of Iberian cuisine. Jamon is famous not only for its taste, but also for the fact that this dish does not contain cholesterol. To prepare it, take a ham (by the way, the Spaniards believe that the meat will be good if you feed the pig with acorns), salted, dried and dried under strictly defined conditions. This traditional Spanish dish can be found in almost any restaurant or bar.

There are two main types of jamon in Spain - Serrano and Iberico. They differ in the way they are cooked, as well as in the breed of pigs and their "diet". Jamon can be distinguished by the color of the hoof - in Iberico it is black, and in Serano it is white.

In Spain, sausages are also loved. One of the most beloved types is the Morsilla blood sausage. In different regions of Spain, the recipes for its preparation are different, but the most famous is Morsilla from Burgos. Popular and smoked sausage pork with garlic and paprika. It is called choriso. But in Mallorca, they love the sausage sausage made from minced pork.

As for poultry meat, common chicken is held in high esteem in Spain. There are several dozen in Spain original recipes its preparation. Chickens are fried on a wire rack or spit, stewed in cider or sherry, stuffed with seafood and vegetables, baked, etc. Among the variety of recipes, chicken stands out: in sherry, stewed with vegetables in wine sauce, v tomato sauce and with chilindron sauce.

In Galicia, they love the meat of a fattened castrated rooster - a capon. Its meat is considered to be more tender than chicken. Be sure to try the capon stuffed with chestnuts or oysters.

But in Navarre, they prefer duck (probably influenced by the neighborhood with France). Traditional duck dishes from the area include: duck pate, duck liver v plum sauce and smoked duck legs.

Desserts and sweets

Of course, you will not find your favorite delicacy here, but this does not mean at all that the Spaniards have nothing to serve you for dessert. On the contrary, judging by the amount of sweets in the traditional cuisine of Spain, the inhabitants of the country are the real sweet tooth.

Tourists love to buy turron and polvoron as sweet souvenirs. Both of these desserts were once prepared for Christmas, but due to the popularity they enjoy with tourists, they are being produced all year round. Turron is a nougat with nuts. The secret of its production went to the Spaniards from the ancient Arabs, now, in addition to traditional ingredients (honey, nuts and egg white), puffed rice, chocolate and dried fruits are used in the preparation of turron. Polvorons - loose biscuits, the name of which, by the way, translates as "gunpowder, dust". It consists of fried almonds, ground sesame seeds, cinnamon, and it is prepared exclusively with pork fat.

No less popular among the Spaniards are various creams (for example, Catalan or almond cream) and puddings (Canarian milk pudding, rice pudding).

The Avila area is famous for its special dessert - the yolks of St. Teresa. In Galia they like chestnuts in sugar glaze and meringue with coconut.

In Spain, cheese skating championships (which is one of them) are not organized and cheeses are rarely used in the preparation of complex dishes, but this does not mean that cheeses are not popular in this country. It's just that they usually serve it sliced ​​or with slices of bread.

Each region of Spain has its own kind of cheese. So, in Galicia - this is a bowstring from cow's milk, among the Basques - idiazabal, which is made from sheep's milk and smoked on beech coals, in Castile they also produce cheese from sheep's milk, and it is called "Manchego", in Catalonia they prefer cheeses made from goat milk etc.

But perhaps the most famous type of cheese is cabrales with blue mold. Once, for its preparation, cheese was covered with animal excrement and wrapped in maple leaves, while modern cheese producers have abandoned such an extreme tradition.

Traditional drinks of Spain

The most consumed drink in Spain is, of course, wine. In 2011, it became the third country in the world for the production of wines, and the first in terms of vineyard area. About 90 varieties of grapes are grown here in 60 wine regions. The wines of Spain are appreciated all over the world.

The most famous alcoholic drinks include sherry and sangria. Sherry is a fortified wine made from three grape varieties. Sangria is made from dry red wine with the addition of spices and various fruits.

Also among alcoholic beverages very popular are: cider, beer, various liqueurs and aguardiente (the strongest drink in Spain).

Traditional non-alcoholic drinks include horchata, a drink made from peanuts and almonds that has a peculiar sweetish flavor. And, of course, the Spaniards also appreciate tea.

Top 10 Spanish dishes

Yes, Spanish cuisine is incredibly diverse, and all the dishes presented there are simply impossible to taste. We have made a selection of dishes that every tourist who comes to Spain must try.

Top 10 Spanish Food Recipes:

• Paella is a rice dish with a variety of toppings (like rabbit and seafood)
• Jamon - dry-cured pork leg
• Tapas - various snacks
• Gazpacho - cold soup
• Chorizo ​​- dry-cured pork sausage with paprika
• Zarzuela - seafood platter with fish broth
• Malaga salad
• Crema Catalana - sweet soufflé with caramel
• Seafood salpicon
• Churros - a dessert that tastes like donuts

And as a bonus, I give you a couple of recipes for traditional Spanish cuisine.

Classic gazpacho

To prepare it you will need:

• 450 gr tomatoes
• 1 head onions
• 1 cucumber
• 1 canned pepper
• 1/2 cup cilantro or coriander
• 0.3 cups red wine vinegar
• 1.4 / cup olive oil
• Tabasco sauce (added to taste)

Cut half the tomatoes, cucumber and onion into small pieces. We transfer them to the combine, add red pepper to them and mix until puree. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and add tomato juice, chopped cilantro, vinegar, a few drops of tabasco, and olive oil. We mix. Extract the seeds from the remaining tomatoes and cut them into small cubes. We also chop the cucumber and onion. We add all this to the soup. Salt, pepper and put in the refrigerator for a while before use.

Dorada in Spanish

This fish is very much appreciated in Spain for its delicate taste... To prepare a dish, we need:

• 1 kg gilthead
• 6 potatoes
• 1 head of onion
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Parsley
• 0.5 tsp saffron
• 0.5 pcs of chili peppers
• 2 lemons
• Salt to taste

Clean and gut the fish. While the fish dries up, prepare a marinade for it: in a blender, mix parsley, garlic, 5 tbsp. olive oil, 4 tablespoons water. Add the juice of 1 lemon to half of the resulting mixture. We mix. Then salt, pepper the fish and grease it with marinade.

Add salt, crushed saffron leaves and 3 tablespoons to the left mass of parsley and garlic. water - and now we have a marinade for vegetables. Then cut the potatoes into 0.4 cm circles, the onions into 0.2 cm rings. Mix the chopped vegetables with the marinade and put them on a greased baking sheet (or other dish). We put in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 20 minutes. Then put the dorado on the vegetables. Sprinkle it with olive oil. And put the remaining lemon on top. We cook for another 15-20 minutes. Make sure the fish is juicy. Then we take the fish out of the oven and sprinkle it with thin strips of lemon zest and chili peppers.

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

As in and, here are very fond of fresh vegetables and olive oil. Snacks and soups, various sausages are very popular. And the main dishes are another story altogether! So what should a tourist in Spain try? What is the main national food prepared from, when and with what?

Tapas

Traditional Spanish dishes are served as an appetizer for wine or. We can say that this concept itself is dimensionless. Any light food falls under it: from chips, olives and nuts to pork kebabs. But more often than not, these are still small sandwiches, and they are special for each institution. The Spaniards even love to have fun like this: visit as many bars as possible in the evening, drinking a glass of wine or beer in each and eating a signature snack.

The name "tapas" is translated into Russian as "cover". But indeed, in ancient times in Spain, these small sandwiches were used to cover glasses of drinks during a meal so that no dust or midges would get into them.

In Spanish establishments Catering you can order both individual tapas (their price starts from 1.8 €), and plates with platter (tapas sets, prices from 14.95 €).

Bread with tomatoes (Pan con tomates)

In Spanish cuisine, there are national dishes that at first glance may seem commonplace. This is how many think of the traditional Catalan tomato and bread appetizer. Of course, until they try this splendor. Believe me, it is simply impossible to tear yourself away!

In Spain, a rare lunch or dinner begins without Pan con tomates, and a picnic in nature is completely unthinkable without it. The best products are used to prepare delicious national snacks. Bread of only “rustic” varieties in the form of a fragrant round loaf with a crispy crust. Tomatoes are also special: brown, small and very juicy, so that all the relish 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 watered with rustic bread. In Spanish cafes, a portion of such delicious bread costs from 2.1 €.

Gazpacho

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

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

The soup is not just cold, but very cold, because crushed ice is used for cooking. 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 legume and tomato. Eat one of the most popular Spanish soups in inexpensive cafes it is possible for about 5 €.

Fabada

Choosing what to eat in Spain from the first courses, stop your attention on a hearty thick soup made of white beans with smoked meats (sausages, pork ham, blood sausage) and salted bacon... It got its name from the main component - large Asturian white beans. It is three times larger than other legumes in size. She has 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 in the range of 10-12.50 €.

Paella

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

The basis of the meal is rice, slightly tinted with saffron, olive oil, white wine, etc. Supplements can range from chicken and vegetables to fish and seafood. In some areas of Spain, paella with beans is prepared. Locals claim that there are about 300 varieties of this dish in total. You should definitely try at least one of them, for example, mixed with rabbit, chicken and snails.

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

Hamon

What meat dishes should you try in Spain? First of all, the famous one. It is prepared from the hind legs of pork, sprinkled with a lot of salt. After salting, the drying process takes place, which in different areas and climatic conditions lasts from 6 to 36 months. 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 thinly. This is done by a professionally trained person - a cortador - using a special knife and a cutting stand (hamoners).

If in a restaurant you see that someone is eating jamon, putting it on a piece of bread, then this person is a foreigner. The Spaniards will never do that, 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 different 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 - 300 €.

Chorizo

The food in Spain is spicy, and if you are wondering what to try, be sure to opt for the 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 cut chorizo ​​into small pieces and add it to stews, stews or soups. Sausage is also baked in the oven with eggs and potatoes, or simply served with pasta. Well, when there is absolutely no time for cooking, delicious sausage they just eat with bread.

It is only important to know that chorizo ​​is a dry-cured sausage, and the meat is used for it chopped in large slices. If it is produced recently, it must be stewed, baked or fried. You can eat raw chorizo ​​only when it has been cured for at least 3 months. The price of sausage in Spanish shops 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 omelet made from chicken eggs with slices of onions and potatoes, fried on olive oil... As a rule, it is cooked on. But in many bars, the tortilla is placed on a bread or bun and served as tapas.

There is a version that the tortilla was first cooked in the 19th century by a peasant woman, with whom the leader of the Spanish Carlists, Thomas de Sumalacarrega, stayed. She began to think about what to give the general to eat, because in the house there were only onions, eggs and potatoes. This is how the tortilla was born, which today can be found in any Spanish cafe or supermarket. You can try it in or out by paying about 10 €.

Santiago cake (Pastel De Santiago)

What delicious dessert to eat in Spain? Start your sweet journey with Santiago, a Galician almond cake that has been around since the 16th century. The recipe was invented in the capital of the autonomous Spanish region of Santiago de Compostela. Named after the patron saint of the country - the holy 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 twentieth century, the cake has been a traditional Spanish dessert. The name "Santiago" can only be assigned to the dessert that was produced in the country.

To make a 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 rather 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 from 12 €.

Churros

You should definitely try an interesting sweet Spanish dish called "churros" for breakfast. This dessert is loved all over the world. It is prepared from choux pastry by deep-frying or baking.

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

It is best to try churros dipped in hot chocolate, sipping on aromatic Spanish coffee with cream. Price per serving 3-4 €.

National Spanish cuisine Is a combination of a huge number of different culinary schools... Each region of the country has its own traditions and they can all differ significantly from each other.

Gastronomic Spain. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/poper/

Food in Spain is a nationwide cult with ancient roots. Spanish cuisine has absorbed Moorish and ancient Roman traditions, elements of African and French cuisines.

Regions of Spain. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/regiondelsureste/

Each province has its own national Spanish dishes. The North Atlantic coast is famous for its delicious soups and sauces.

Cantabria is famous for its dishes of shellfish, sardines and trout, as well as "Santander rice" (arroz santanderino).

Asturias are famous for their white bean dish with sausage and ham called fabada asturiana.

Spanish dish - Fabada. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/

Galician cuisine is represented by boiled octopus (Spanish: pulpo a feira), a merlan fish cooked in clay pots and pork legs with the addition of rutabaga leaves.

The Spanish dish is boiled octopus (pulpo a feira). Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edurecio/

In the Basque country, the famous idiazabal cheese is made from sheep's milk. The main secret of this dairy product consists of smoking on beech coals.

Another delicacy of the Basques is considered to be eel fry and sea pike fins. Chili sauce is a constant companion of meat dishes from Aragon.

The provinces of Rioja and Navarra are famous for the unsurpassed quality of the vegetables grown here, from which a huge variety of side dishes and sauces are prepared, in particular pimientos rellenos - sweet stuffed peppers.

The Spanish dish is sweet stuffed peppers (pimientos rellenos). Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/moriza/

In Castile and Extremadura, on the other hand, meat dishes are preferred. In Soria and Burgos, you will get an excellent roast lamb, and in Segovia - a roast suckling pig.

Due to its geographical location, Catalan cuisine is closely related to the cuisine of Italy and southern France. The basis of the dishes of this Spanish region are 4 sauces: picada (garlic with fried almonds and herbs), samfain (from eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers), sofrito from tomatoes, peppers with herbs and garlic) and ali-oli (olive oil with garlic).

Often on the tables of Catalans, they serve fragrant and thick fish soup from monkfish or stew from the legs and head of a pig. In Salamanca, they are proud of stewed veal tail, and in Toledo, marzipans are cooked according to an old recipe of the North African Moors.

Andalusian cuisine is a fusion of culinary and cultural traditions of the peoples who lived here at different times. They love everything here: meat on skewers, thoroughly pre-marinated - pincho and all kinds of fish and seafood.

Spanish dish - meat on skewers (pincho). Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedja84/

The famous jabugo ham is produced in the province of Huelva. Valencian cuisine can be distinguished separately. Its main difference is its huge variety. Fish, vegetables and fruits can be combined in one dish.

Spanish ham - jabugo. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan_marti/

And with a variety of rice dishes, Valencian chefs can compete with Japanese chefs. That only is the world famous national dish of Spain - paella (paella).

Tapas

But, despite all the culinary contrasts, there are native Spanish dishes.
Tapas (tapas) cannot be called something specific and cooked according to a specific recipe. This is a whole phenomenon and and nutrition of the Spaniards for several centuries.

According to one version, the king of Castile, Alfonso the Wise, who ruled in the 13th century, issued a law. This document obliged innkeepers to serve their visitors strong drinks along with a snack, so that they do not lose their decent appearance quickly getting drunk on an empty stomach. These snacks were placed directly on mugs of wine or beer. This is how the name tapas was born, which means "cover" in Spanish.

Spanish tapas. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsugden/

This tradition is still alive in many regions of Spain. In Spanish, a new verb, tapear, has appeared - which means "to walk in bars, drink and eat tapas." Any sausage, grilled vegetables, fried seafood can be used as tapas.

Other bars offer endless options for mini-sandwiches, scrambled eggs, pies with different fillings... In general, tapas is a lottery, the Spaniards themselves do not know what they can be served today as a snack.

Spanish dish - Tapas. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wordridden/

Paella

The most famous hot rice dish is paella valenciana. It has long been cooked on the streets in special pans of a huge size and exclusively by men. In addition to rice, this dish may include seafood or meat, vegetables, and various spices. According to the Spaniards themselves, there are over 300 paella recipes.

The Spanish dish is paella. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/

Spanish delicacy - Jamon

Jamon - dry-cured ham. There are 2 types of jamon - serrano and iberico (cerrano, iberico). They are prepared from different breeds of pigs, they also differ in the method and duration of preparation.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/socialcriteria/

Spanish cuisine is also famous for the variety of sausages, many of them, in particular chorizo, are even added to soups.

Spanish wines and liqueurs are considered some of the best in the world. We have all heard and tasted sherry (Jerez), sangria (sangria). There are more than 60 wine-growing regions in the country, the most famous is Rioja.

Spanish wines. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uned/

Spanish cheese

Another culinary landmark of Spain is cheeses. Here they are produced in any region, so no matter what part of the country you visit, you will find your own everywhere, prepared according to a special recipe. The Spaniards themselves prefer cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk.

Spanish cheeses. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elliotmoore/

Spanish olive oil

Many Spanish dishes are prepared with the addition of olive oil, which is rightfully considered the best in the world.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ratamala/

Not all and not at once

It is simply impossible to tell in one article about all the amazing features of the national Spanish cuisine. It is so vast and amazing that it requires a more detailed story.

So, see you in the next article. In it we will talk about.

In our articles, we have repeatedly touched on the topic of gastronomy, and for good reason, because the Spaniards really respect their national cuisine, and in general, frankly speaking, they love to eat very much. At the same time, the process of eating for any Spaniard is a whole ritual, unhurried, accompanied by communication with a pleasant company and a detailed discussion of your favorite dishes. That is why a lunch break in Spain is not limited to one hour, because food must be treated with due respect! In Spain great amount dishes and recipes that every tourist should undoubtedly try. Our Spain has chosen TOP 10 Spanish dishes, highly recommended for tasting.

So, our rating opens a dish. "Trivial!" in tomato ". Only the highest quality ingredients should be used to prepare this snack. So, for example, bread should be of the "rustic" variety (a round fragrant loaf with a crispy crust), tomatoes should be used in a special variety (these are small brown fruits, juicy enough to give all their relish and aroma to the bread), olive oil too it is necessary to use only the most aromatic, preferably rustic. And the most important thing! It is necessary to follow the correct order: dry the bread over the fire until golden brown, grate it with a clove of garlic, grate the pulp of the tomato halves heartily, season well with olive oil, sprinkle a little with salt and rub all this splendor with the second half of the tomato. Believe me, this snack is impossible to tear yourself away from!

The ninth place in our rating is taken by the appetizer, which is translated without the frills "croquettes". Croquettes are known to many and are prepared not only in Spain, but it was the Spaniards who diversified the assortment of this appetizer in their menus, offering croquettes, which can be based on both different varieties meat, and different types of fish and seafood. At their core, croquettes are small round or oval meat or fish balls, rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried. The most popular in Spain are meat croquettes with the addition of jamon.

The next place in the rating was given to the Galician dish. This is the hallmark of Galician gastronomy, which has successfully spread throughout Spain. The octopus is boiled, cut into small pieces and traditionally served on a special wooden stand, with boiled potatoes and seasoned with sweet red pepper. In the town of Carballino in Galicia, every second Sunday in August, there is an octopus festival, in which about 100.00 people take part and about 50,000 kg of “Pulpo a la gallega” are eaten.

In seventh place is the seasonal Catalan delicacy. Anyone who first sees this dish, which is an onion, fried almost to black on an open fire, is surprised at how it can be eaten, and even more so to love, but the one who at least once tasted kalsots becomes his admirer. A special sort of onion from the "onion" family is sprouted and hilled several times in a special way so that its seed part constantly strives for the sun's rays, due to which its special tenderness is achieved. Then the onions are fried on a wire rack, over an open fire and served with a special sauce made on the basis of almonds. Eating kalsots is a separate, very funny ritual, for which in many restaurants guests are given special bibs and disposable gloves. The homeland of Calçots is the province of Tarragona, and it is there that the festival is held, during which people eat tons of fried onions.

The next place was taken by the Canarian dish, which is a potato boiled in own peel and in very salty water, resulting in a crispy salty crust. This dish is served separately as an appetizer, accompanied by the local mojo sauce made with dried peppers, or as a side dish. The ancestors of the current inhabitants of the Canary Islands boiled potatoes in seawater, during periods of shortage of fresh water. Over time, this technique came into use, thanks to which today we have the opportunity to taste such a national Canarian dish as “Papas arrugadas”.

In the fifth place of our rating, the metropolitan delicacy -. This is one of the first courses to try when you are in Madrid. Cocido madrileño is a kind of stew soup based on chickpeas, supplemented with various types of vegetables and meats, including sausages and smoked meats. It is not known for certain in what period the dish appeared in Spain in the form in which we can taste it today, since similar variations of the stew were widespread in other countries, but, according to some sources, it was in the Middle Ages, in cosido chickpeas were added, and from that moment on, the dish became firmly embedded in Madrid gastronomy. Since cocido madrileño is a cross between a soup and a main course, it is especially widespread during the cold season. Interestingly, many restaurants in Madrid include cocido madrileño on their Wednesday set menu.

In fourth place, we placed one of the most recognizable and beloved Spanish dishes in the whole world - cold tomato soup. In contrast to the previous dish, gazpacho is a summer and very refreshing soup that came to us from the south, from Andalusia, where the weather is hot more days a year. The main ingredient in gazpacho is tomatoes, as well as cucumbers and olive oil. Next, each housewife will tell you her recipe: someone will add sweet green pepper to gazpacho, saying that red should never be added, but someone will do exactly the opposite, someone will add bread pulp, and someone just dilute with ice water. Be that as it may, as a result we will get delicious, refreshing and hearty dish, served without fail with croutons and finely chopped vegetables.

The third place is taken by such a beloved by many. Paella, a hot dish made from rice with meat, vegetables or seafood, is a true gem of Spanish gastronomy. Every tourist, having arrived once in Spain, first of all seeks to try paella. This dish was born in Valencia, therefore, it is the Valencian paella that is considered the most real. There are many legends about the origin of paella, one of which tells us about a poor fisherman who, while waiting for his beloved, decided to cook for her delicious dinner, for which he mixed all the products available at home, among which was rice - peasants' groats, as well as the remnants of fish and seafood from the morning catch. The dish prepared with love, the fisherman called "para ella", which translates as "for her." It is not surprising that the dish with such a beautiful name quickly gained popularity not only among the locals.

Approaching the pedestal of our rating, we reached the second place, where we placed. Tapas is Spanish appetizer, the varieties of which are many. These can be small sandwiches for 2 bites, small skewers with meat or fish, small bowls with olives or a couple of croquettes. In any case, tapas is what you can eat with a glass or a glass of something. Historically, such a small sandwich was used to cover a glass with a drink so that flies and other insects would not fall into it, because “covering” or “covering” in Spanish is “tapar”, hence the name of the snack. Today, in every corner of Spain you can find bars and restaurants specializing in tapas. In addition, in many establishments, when ordering any drink, tapas will be served to you for free, as a compliment from the restaurant.

And finally, the first place -. The Spaniards enjoy this dish for breakfast, as a main course, and also for lunch or dinner as an appetizer. At its core, a tortilla is an omelet with potatoes, but the process of its preparation is somewhat different from the one we are used to, which makes it not just a hot breakfast, but a full-fledged, hearty dish that can be eaten cold, as well as diversify it by adding onions. bacon, cheese, or spinach. To prepare a classic tortilla with potatoes, fry the potatoes in olive oil until soft, separately in a bowl, mix several eggs with salt and spices and mix the potatoes with egg mixture, then put the resulting mass on a well-heated frying pan, and after a couple of minutes turn the tortilla so that it is fried on both sides. In Spanish bars, you can even try a tortilla sandwich when a good slice of this omelet is placed in a fresh baguette.