Characteristic products
Spanish cured meats are extremely varied, and the jamón iberico, produced between Andalusia and Extremadura, is a prime example. Nicknamed " pata negra " in reference to the black hooves of Iberian pigs, this ham comes in three qualities: bellota (free-range pigs eating acorns, the most popular), recebo (semi-free-range pigs eating grass, acorns and cereals) and cebo (fed only on cereals). Jamón de Jabugo, Guijuelo, Dehesa de Extremadura and Los Pedroches have a PDO. Jamón Serrano ("mountain ham") refers to the Sierra Nevada and the most prized is the Jamón Serrano de Trevélez, produced at an altitude of 1,700 meters. Cecina IGP, a beef jerky specialty, comes from León, and lacón gallego DOP is a dry-cured ham from Galicia.
Another icon, chorizo is produced everywhere, but chorizo from Pamplona (Navarra), chorizo riojano and chorizo from Cantimpalos (Castilla y León) are the most popular. Chistorra de Navarra is a chorizo-type sausage. The "embutidos" of Catalonia promise great surprises: white sausage(botifarra blanca), black pudding(botifarra negra) and various sausages(fuet, espetec, paltruc). The morcilla is a kind of dry black pudding, made with blood. The famous Burgos morcilla is made with rice.
Spanish cheeses are also worth a visit. In Navarra, you can findidiazabal and roncal, made from sheep's milk, and camerano from La Rioja, whose taste is similar to ossau-iraty. In Extremadura, the torta del Casar, made from sheep's milk, is enjoyed. In Asturias, the blue cheese of Cabrales, wrapped in chestnut leaves, is produced. In Galicia, you can taste the tetilla (cow's milk cheese in the shape of a breast) or the San Simón de Villalba (smoked cheese in the shape of a top), and in Cantabria, discover the picon Bejes-Tresviso (marbled), quite spicy. Castilla-La Mancha produces one of the most famous Spanish cheeses: Manchego, made from sheep's milk, which has had a PDO since 1996.
The great classics by region
Andalusia: In this diverse region, cold soups are popular, such as gazpacho (tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, bread and olive oil), salmorejo (tomato, bread, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, jamón) andajoblanco (garlic, bread, almonds, olive oil). As for tapas, montaditos - called bocadillo in the rest of the country - are small sandwiches with a variety of fillings. Huevos a la flamenca (boiled eggs with chorizo and cured ham) are popular, as are tortillitas de camarones (fried shrimp cakes) and habas con jamón (beans with ham). On the seaside, there is the arroz caldoso marinero (rice served with a rich seafood broth), the fritura malagueña (a plate of fried fish and seafood), the cazuela de fideos (a broth of pasta and seafood) or the chocos con habas (cuttlefish with beans) On the land side, try plato alpujarreño (a mixed plate of sausage, chorizo, grilled black pudding and potatoes), flamenco (breaded and fried ham and cheese rolls) from Córdoba, gurullos from Almería (a small rice-shaped pasta with rabbit and saffron) or ternera a la sevillana (veal in olive sauce) And don't forget the puchero (a kind of stew with chickpeas) or the carne de monte en adobo (boar in sauce).
Aragon: Rural and robust, Aragonese cuisine begins with tapas such as madejas (a type of lamb intestine andouillette) or huevos al salmorrejo (egg with asparagus, sausage, garlic and parsley). The pollo al chilindrón (chicken, bell pepper, tomato and jamón) is reminiscent of chicken basquaise. The truchas a la aragonesa (trout) have the same filling. The bacalao ajoarriero is a cod recipe with various vegetables but always garlic and tomato. A poor man's dish, the recao de Binéfar is a pot of white beans, rice and potato. Also try chiretas (lamb intestine stuffed with rice and offal), cardo con almendras (cardoons in a creamy almond sauce) and borrajas con almejas (borage leaves with clams).
Asturias: The star dish here is the fabada. Fabas (white beans) are stewed and accompanied by smoked cooked ham and compango (chorizo-lard-morcilla trio). The pote asturiano uses the same ingredients with the addition of green cabbage. The variant called fabes con almejes replaces the meat with clams. The chorizo a la sidra (chorizo grilled with cider) is a very popular tapa, as is the pastel de cabracho, a terrine of scorpion fish. Finally the cachopo asturiano a cordon-bleu of veal, served with a salsa de cabrales, a creamy sauce made with fresh cheese and blue cheese from Cabrales.
Cantabria: The emblematic dishes are the cocido montañés (white bean stew, green cabbage and compango) or the cocido lebaniego (chickpeas, potatoes, green cabbage, compango, beef, cecina and dumplings made of breadcrumbs and eggs). The lighter olla ferroviaria is a lean meat stew with assorted vegetables. You can also try sorropotún (tuna casserole with tomatoes and potatoes), almejas a la marinera (clams with tomato sauce, chili pepper and white wine), maganos encebollados (squid in a white wine and onion sauce) or rabas (fried squid) as tapas.
Castilla y León: Meat from this region is very famous, such as chuletón de Ávila, a veal chop from the Avileña breed, served rare. Lechazo asado (suckling lamb) and cochinillo asado (suckling pig) are roasted in a wood-fired oven. Other specialties include torreznos de Soria (fried strips of bacon), caracoles a la palentina (snails with chorizo, jamón, tomato, garlic, chili pepper and white wine), patatas a la importancia (slices of potato fried and then simmered with garlic, saffron and white wine),arroz a la zamorana (rice with chorizo, jamón, bell pepper, tomato and chili pepper) and sopa de trucha (trout soup with sweet chili pepper on a bed of bread slices). A rural dish par excellence,olla podrida is a stew of chickpeas, beef, pork and compango. Another rural dish, chanfaina, is a stew of meat and offal of lamb, in a tomato sauce with chili and white wine.
Castilla-La Mancha: The largest autonomous community in the country has a simple but tasty cuisine such as pisto manchego, a kind of ratatouille - often topped with an egg - orasadillo manchego, a bell pepper confit. Another classic is theatascaburras, a kind of cod brandade with hard-boiled eggs. Also worth trying is gazpacho manchego (a meat stew - rabbit, pork, poultry, game - with tomato and onion, served on unleavened bread), perdices estofadas a la toledana (partridge in a white wine vinegar sauce), carcamusas toledanas (stewed pork and seasonal vegetables, served with bread) and gachas manchegas (a kind of polenta made of chard flour - a dry vegetable - topped with bacon, chorizo, chilli and garlic).
Catalonia: Rich and varied, Catalan cuisine shines with tapas such as simple pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil),escalivada (grilled vegetables on bread with anchovies), cargols a la llauna (barbecued snails with lard, herbs and spices), calçots (grilled green onions served with a romesco salsa: tomato, peppers, almond and olive oil), coca de recapte (savory pie filled with cooked vegetables, sardines and anchovies) andamanida catalana (assorted cold cuts on a bed of lettuce). On the seaside, there is sarsuela (seafood stew with tomato, onion and saffron) and suquet de peix (fish and potatoes in tomato sauce, served with aioli).Arròs a la cassola is rice in sauce with rabbit and pork, prepared with seafood along the coast. In winter, faves ofegades (beans with sausage), conill amb xocolata (rabbit stew with chocolate sauce), conill amb cargols (rabbit and snails in sauce) andescudella i carn d'olla (soup with winter vegetables and meatballs) are served.
Valencian Community: The region is the paradise of rice cultivation and home of the paella. It can be tradicional (rabbit, chicken, snails, various vegetables, all flavored with saffron), marinera (fish and seafood) or mixta (meat and seafood). Other rice dishes arearròs empedrado (rice, tomato, cod, white beans),arròs a banda (rice with fish stock, saffron, chili ñora, shrimp and cuttlefish), often accompanied by aioli, andarròs negre (rice with cuttlefish ink and tomato, shrimp and cuttlefish).
Fideuá is the equivalent of paella, but with vermicelli (" fideos " in Spanish).Olla valenciana (stew with rice, vegetables, chickpeas, meat and sausage), titaina (ratatouille with tuna and pine nuts),esgarraet (cod crumbs with red bell pepper, garlic and olive oil, served with bread) andall i pebre (oily sauce with garlic and chili served with octopus or eel) complete the list.
Extremadura: Deeply rustic, the local cuisine is exemplified by cachuela (pork liver pâté with garlic and paprika), zorongollo (candied bell pepper salad with raw onion and hard-boiled egg), potaje de vigilia (cod soup, chickpeas, spinach, tomato and hard-boiled egg), cojondongo de gañán (stale bread salad with hard-boiled egg, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and olive oil), perdices en escabeche (partridge in a vinegar sauce with small vegetables and white wine) and bacalao a la dorada (shredded cod, potato, hard-boiled egg, olive oil and onion). Caldereta de cordero is a lamb stew with tomatoes, potatoes, onions, wine, and chili pepper, thyme and bay leaves. A poor man's dish par excellence, migas del pastor is a kind of fricassee of stale bread with chorizo, bacon, garlic and chili pepper, sometimes topped with a fried egg.
Galicia: Galicia honors seafood with pulpo a feira (diced octopus with olive oil and chili pepper), vieiras a la gallega (scallops au gratin with tomato, jamónand white wine) and guiso de xoubas or sardinillas (sardine soup with potato, tomato and chili pepper). The caldo gallego is prepared with beef, ham bones, white beans, potatoes and grelos (tender turnip leaves). The same ingredients are used for the cocido gallego, with the addition of chickpeas. Lacón con grelos is a stew with smoked cooked ham, potatoes, chorizo and grelos. Theempanada gallega is a puff pastry pie filled with a mixture of tuna, tomato and corn or sometimes meat or poultry. Pimientos de Padrón are small, very hot green peppers eaten fried.
Madrid: Among the classics, devour papas bravas (fried potatoes with a sauce made of tomato, chili, onion and olive oil sometimes linked to mayonnaise), bocadillo de calamares (sandwich filled with fried squid rings and mayonnaise),ensalada San Isidro (lettuce, tomato, tuna, hard-boiled egg, olives and capers), sopa de ajo (a very garlicky chili soup topped with bread and poached egg) and huevos estrellados (fried eggs served on a bed of French fries with jamón or chorizo). And don't forget the besugo a la madrileña (baked sea bream) and the merluza a la madrileña (hake with sherry tomato sauce). Meat dishes include cocido madrileño (stewed beef, pork, sausage, vegetables and chickpeas), judías a la madrileña (white beans, chorizo, bacon), rabo de toro (stewed bull's tail with red wine and tomato), callos a la madrileña (veal or lamb tripe with chorizo, morcilla and paprika) or riñones al jerez (kidneys with a vinegar sauce with onions and sherry).
Murcia : Tapas include marinera murciana, a slice of rosquilla (cracker) topped with Russian salad (potato, peas, carrot, mayonnaise) and decorated with an anchovy, mojama (salted and dried tuna fillet also present in Andalusia and the Valencian Community),ensalada cantonal (smoked salmon, smoked cod, capers, pickled onions, black olives and anchovies), zarangollo (scrambled eggs with zucchini and onions), morcilla de verano (stewed eggplant with pine nuts, garlic and oregano) and pisto murciano (stewed peppers, eggplant and tomatoes). The pastel de cierva is a sweet and sour chicken pie with pine nuts, lemon zest and almonds, while the pastel de carne murciano is a small meat pie with chorizo and hard-boiled egg. Finally, michirones is a stew of dried beans, garlic, ham bones, chorizo, bacon, bay leaf and paprika.
Navarra: Classics from this region include bonito a la riojana (tuna simmered in tomato sauce), alcachofas con almejas a la navarra (clams with artichokes in garlic sauce), trucha a la navarra (grilled trout stuffed with diced jamón), caldereta de conejo (rabbit stew with potatoes and tomato) and huevos carlistas (eggs coated with béchamel sauce, breaded and fried). The chilindrón de cordero, from Navarra and La Rioja, is a recipe for lamb simmered in a tomato and vegetable sauce.
Basque Country: In this unique gastronomic region, tapas are called pintxos and are made in the form of small slices of bread topped with crushed fish (tuna, sardines, etc.), shrimp, anchovies, txaka (crab sticks), but also raw or cooked ham. The pulpo pinchose is a pintxo made with octopus grilled in oil, while the chistorra y padron is bread with spicy sausage. The kokotxas de merluza, or hake chin, is cooked in a very garlicky sauce. Koxkera hake(merluza en salsa verde) consists of hake, mussels, clams, asparagus, hard-boiled egg and peas with an herb sauce. The bacalao al pil pil (cod in a chili sauce), bacalao a la vizcaína (cod in a chili sauce, garlic, tomato and bread croutons), marmitako (white tuna with potatoes, onions, peppers and tomatoes) and txangurro a la donostiarra (spider crab cooked with onion, tomato and leeks) complete the picture. The Basque term " txipirones/chipirones " means "squid", whether grilled, fried or in a sauce with onions and white wine(chipirones a lo pelayo) or with their own ink(chipirones en su tinta). The txuleta is a huge rib of beef, served in Basque cider houses.
La Rioja: Chuletillas al sarmiento (lamb chops cooked on vine shoots) is a typical dish from La Rioja that is eaten during popular celebrations such as the Logroño harvest festival. Pochas con codornices (quail and white bean stew from La Rioja), huevos a la riojana (boiled eggs in a chorizo, potato and tomato sauce), patatas a la riojana (fried potatoes with chorizo and peppers) and caparrones (thick soup of red beans and chorizo) are classics. Finally, theembuchado riojano is the equivalent of andouillette, but with lamb tripe instead of pork.
Desserts and drinks
In Andalusia, we find the piñonates (small balls of almond, sesame and pine nut dough), the mantecados de Estepa (shortbread with cinnamon, lemon or cocoa), the roscos de Loja (rings with white icing), the bizcochos borrachos (a kind of babas), the torrijas (a kind of French toast with cinnamon) and cortadillos de cidra (lemon-filled crumbly cookies) or the tocinillo de cielo (an egg and caramel pudding).
In Aragon, we will discover the frutas de Aragón (candied fruit with liqueur) coated with chocolate and the trenza de Almudévar (a kind of braided brioche filled with almonds and walnuts and covered with white icing). In Asturias, we enjoy the casadielles (fried turnovers filled with crushed nuts with aniseed), the tarta gijonesa (tart with caramelized turron cream), the charlotta gijonesa (charlotte with turron cream, flavoured with rum, garnished with maraschino cherries), the carbayones (almond cream puff pastries with white icing) and moscovitas of Oviedo (thin almond cookies covered with chocolate).
Cantabria is known for its sobaos(a kind of very light sponge cake flavored with rum or aniseed), but also for its quesadasflans with fresh cheese and cinnamon. Castilla y León is famous for its yemas of Santa Teresa de Avilathese are sweets made with egg yolks and sugar, flavored with lemon and cinnamon. Also worth tasting are the hojaldres of Astorga (honey-based puff pastries), the mantecados of Portillo (dry cookies with white icing) and the bollo maimón (very soft cake in the shape of a crown). In Castilla-La Mancha, the marzipan of Toledo or thealajú of Cuenca (almond and honey nougat) and the fried flores (doughnuts in the shape of flowers for Holy Week).
In Catalonia, it is impossible not to mention the Catalan cream, a kind of burnt cream flavored with lemon and cinnamon. This same cream is used to garnish the xuixothe same cream is also used to fill the croissant, which is fried and generously sprinkled with sugar. The panellets are small bites made with almond paste and pine nuts. In the Valencian Community, you can enjoy thearnadía dense cake made of pumpkin or sweet potato pulp, flavored with lemon and cinnamon and decorated with almonds, prepared during Holy Week. The waxes are long, thin buns served with horchata. Typical of Extremadura, the huesillos extremeños are crunchy bone-shaped cookies for All Saints' Day.
Galicia is known above all for its tarta de Santiagothe "horchata" is an almond cake flavored with orange or lemon peel, sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with a cross. Other desserts include filloas (pancakes), the bica (very soft lemon cake), the almendrados of Allariz (small crunchy almond cookies) and the torta de Mondoñedo (watermelon jam, almond and candied fruit tart). In Madrid, you will find a summary of various Spanish sweets, such as rosquillas (shortbread rings with or without icing) or buñuelos de viento (doughnuts made of choux pastry). The roscón de reyes - our "Kings' Cake" - is a brioche crown covered with candied fruit and pearl sugar eaten on Epiphany. Typical of Madrid, the corona de la Almudena is the same, but with a cream filling.
In Murcia, discover the mantecados of Astorga (cakes made with pork fat), the pan de Galatrava (flan with lemon and orange peel) and the amazing paparajotesin the Basque Country and Navarra, you can find the (cakes with pork fat), the (flan with lemon and orange peel) and the amazing (fritters of young lemon leaves sprinkled with cinnamon sugar). In the Basque Country and Navarre, we can mention the pantxineta (pastry cream pie topped with almonds), the cuajada (flan made with curdled sheep's milk) and intxaursaltsa (cream with nuts and cinnamon). The goxua comes from Vitoria, although it can be found throughout the Basque Country. It is a sponge cake covered with custard with a caramelized surface. In La Rioja, the ahorcaditos are scallop-shaped pastries filled with almond cream. Another pastry, the fardelejo is a specialty of the town of Arnedo, in the form of a triangular puff pastry filled with marzipan.
Coffee is an integral part of Spanish culture and you can enjoy it almost anywhere, either in the morning or with a snack for the merienda (afternoon tea). The xocolata desfeta is halfway between drink and dessert. This hot chocolate is so thick that you could stick a spoon in it, even though you mostly stick churros in it. Typical of Valencia, the horchata de chufa is a frothy hot drink made from water and powdered tiger nut, a local plant. Finally the leche merengada is a kind of smoothie made with milk, egg white, lemon peel, sugar and cinnamon.
Wines and spirits
Spain has a large number of DOP (Denominacion de Origen Protegida) wines
. In Andalusia, we can mention Condado de Huelva, Lebrija, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Montilla-Moriles, Sierras de Málaga and Jerez, better known in France as Xeres. In Aragon Calatayud and Somontano are produced. Castilla y León is known for Arlanza, Arribes, Bierzo, Tierra de León, Tierra del Vino de Zamora and the prestigious Ribera del Duero, one of the most famous wines in Spain. In Castilla-La Mancha the main wines are Almansa, Manchuela, Méntrida, Mondéjar, Ribera del Júcar, Uclés and Valdepeñas.Catalonia has a large number of wines with a DOP. Alella, Catalunya, Conca de Barberà, Costers del Segre, Empordà, Montsant, Penedès, Pla de Bages, Tarragona and Terra Alta, and of course the famous Priorat, which has a DOCa or Denominación de Origen Calificada
, the most prestigious label for a Spanish wine. The Valencian Community has three DOP wines: Alicante, Utiel-Requena and Valencia. Extremadura is known for its Ribera del Guadiana while Galicia has among its famous wines Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. Vinos de Madrid is the only DOP from the Spanish capital. The region of Murcia has three DOP: Bullas, Yecla and La Jumilla. The Basque Country is known for Txacolí de Bizcaia, Txacolí de Getaria and Txacolí de Álava. La Rioja is famous for the highly prized wine of the same name, which has a DOCa, a label that only two wines in Spain have. Cantabria and Asturias do not have any great wines, but they are famous for their excellent cider, which has had a PDO since 2002. With almost 90 liters per year and per capita, Spaniards are the 8th largest consumers of beer in the world. Among the most popular brands are Estrella of course, but also San Miguel, Cruzcampo, Mahou, Ambar, Damm and Alhambra. On the spirits side, we find theorujoa grape marc brandy from Galicia, or the patxarána sloe liqueur from Navarra. In addition to sangria, a mixture of red wine and pieces of fruit, whose origin - debated - could be in the Antilles, there are other cocktails like the surprising kalimotxo or calimocho (cola and red wine), or the tinto de verano (red wine, lemon soda and crushed ice).
