National Spanish cuisine. Spain - food features: history and national dishes. Sauces – Salsas

Spanish cuisine is diverse and multifaceted; 17 independent regional cuisines can be distinguished (according to the number of Spanish autonomies, which in turn are divided into provinces). Common characteristics for all include the consumption of vegetables (Spaniards especially love tomatoes, potatoes and peppers), seafood, legumes, olive oil, olives, garlic, herbs, wine and rice (for example, paella is the hallmark of Spain). By the way, paella is translated as “big frying pan”, because this dish is really served in a huge bowl. The birthplace of paella is Valencia, but in addition to the classic Valencian recipe (with rabbit and chicken), there are more than three hundred recipes for preparing paella.
Another traditional Spanish dish served for breakfast is tortilla (similar to an omelette and Italian frittata). The classic version of the dish is baked beaten eggs with potatoes. Snacks traditional throughout Spain are called tapas; they resemble small sandwiches. The basis of tapas is a piece of toasted bread with all sorts of filling variations. Empanadas can serve as tapas. Classic empanadas are made with meat, but now they are made with just about anything. For example, with tuna, with vegetables, with mushrooms. They are shaped like a crescent.
Another hallmark of Spanish cuisine is jamon (translated as “ham”). This is a dried pork ham, which after a long period of cooking (the minimum drying period is 1 year) is cut into thin pieces. It is eaten with bread, cheese and fruit. They also stuff pork fillet with jamon and then deep-fry it - this is how flamenquin is prepared (a typical dish of the city of Cordoba, in Andalusia). Various sausages are also prepared from pork, such as chorizo. They have a bright red color due to the fact that they contain paprika.
Spanish cuisine boasts a wide range of cheeses. They are produced in every Spanish autonomy.
The Spaniards love salads made from fresh vegetables, as well as salads with seafood. For example, the Malaga salad (Malaga is a city in Andalusia), widespread throughout the country, consists of potatoes, oranges, olives, onions and dried bacalhau cod.
After salad, Spaniards usually eat soup, such as olla podrida (thick soup with stewed meat). Also popular are two soups from Andalusia, gazpacho and ajoblanco. Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup with vegetables and bread, sometimes with ice. Ajoblanco is also a cold water soup with bread, almonds, olive oil, garlic and sometimes vinegar.
The Spaniards are very fond of fish: tuna (for example, dried mojama tuna), sardines, anchovies, sea bream and others. Of course, seafood is common: mussels, shrimp, oysters, squid, cuttlefish and many others. Catalan stew with fish and seafood is called zarzuela and some consider it “Spanish”

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 national cult with ancient roots. Dishes of Spanish cuisine have 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 delicately flavored soups and sauces.

In Cantabria, dishes made from shellfish, sardines and trout are famous, as well as “Santander rice” (arroz santanderino).

Asturias is famous for a dish of white beans with sausage and ham called fabada asturiana.

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

Galician cuisine includes boiled octopus (in Spanish: pulpo a feira), whiting fish cooked in clay pots and pork trotters with the addition of rutabaga leaves.

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

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

Another Basque delicacy is eel fry and sea pike fins. Chili sauce is an invariable companion to meat dishes from Aragon.

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

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

In Castile and Extremadura, on the contrary, they prefer meat dishes. In Soria and Burgos you will be served excellent roasted lamb, and in Segovia - roasted suckling pig.

Catalan cuisine, due to its geographical location, 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 sweet peppers), sofrito from tomatoes, peppers with herbs and garlic) and ali-oli (olive oil with garlic).

Often, Catalan tables are served with aromatic and thick monkfish soup or a stew made from the legs and head of a pig. In Salamanca they are proud of their stewed veal tail, and in Toledo they prepare marzipan according to an ancient recipe from 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, pre-marinated thoroughly - pincho and any types 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 the variety of rice dishes, Valencian chefs can compete with Japanese chefs. Just look at the world famous national dish of Spain – paella.

Tapas

But, despite all the culinary contrasts, there are native Spanish dishes.
Tapas cannot be called something specific and cannot be prepared according to a specific recipe. This is a whole phenomenon in the diet 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 the owners of inns to serve their visitors strong drinks along with snacks, so that they would not lose their decent appearance if they quickly got drunk on an empty stomach. Such snacks were placed directly on mugs of wine or beer. This is how the name tapas was born, meaning “lid” in Spanish.

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

In many regions of Spain this tradition is still alive. The Spanish language has a new verb, tapear, which means “to go to bars, drink and eat tapas.” Tapas can be any sliced ​​sausage, grilled vegetables, or fried seafood.

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

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

Paella

The most famous hot rice dish is paella Valenciana. Since ancient times it has been cooked on the streets in special huge frying pans and exclusively by men. In addition to rice, this dish may include seafood or meat, vegetables, and a variety of spices. According to the Spaniards themselves, there are over 300 paella recipes.

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

Spanish delicacy - Jamon

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/

The cuisine of Spain is also famous for its 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) and sangria more than once. There are more than 60 wine regions in the country, the most famous being Rioja.

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

Spanish cheese

Another culinary calling card of Spain is cheeses. Here they are produced in any region, so no matter what part of the country you visit, you will find yours everywhere, prepared according to a special recipe. The Spaniards themselves prefer cheese made from sheep or goat 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 everything and not all at once

It is simply impossible to tell in one article about all the amazing features of 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.

From delicious tapas to superb seafood and traditional grilled meats, this is Spanish cuisine made entirely from products of Spanish origin.

The most popular dishes in Spain

Don't leave Spain until you try the following dishes:

Red, ripe tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, bread, pepper and cucumber are mixed until silky smooth, which is then cooled and poured into plates or glasses. This summer soup is so delicious and so refreshing! In Andalusia in southern Spain, people eat it every day in the summer. At the same time, there is always a dish with an appetizer, or tapas, on the table.

Also try salmorejo soup from Cordoba, be sure to have a thick version - it is often served separately with pieces of ham, which must be scattered over the surface of the soup.

In the Valencia region, locals say that rice can be eaten every day, all year round. Valencian paella consists of chicken or rabbit meat, saffron, green beans and lima beans. But the most important ingredient of the dish, of course, is rice, which grows on the east coast of Spain. It is good because it absorbs the aromas of all the products added to it.

Tortilla Espanola

Eggs, potatoes, onions... This combination of products is so perfect! True, all this should not be eaten separately, but as part of a delicious Spanish omelette - tortilla. The potatoes and onions are slowly fried in olive oil, then mixed with a beaten egg to help their flavors meld together. Then add chorizo, ham, spinach, zucchini or whatever you have on hand.

Gambas Al Ajiyo or Garlic Shrimp

Just imagine: you go to a tapas bar and the bartender serves you a clay dish filled with sizzling fried shrimp, the tantalizing aroma of which excites your senses. Well, how can you resist and not order at least a couple? To make something similar at home, fry finely chopped garlic and green chilies in olive oil, toss in the shrimp for a few minutes and add a small amount of parsley. Nothing could be tastier and simpler!

Toasts with tomatoes and jamon

In western Spain, black pigs roam among the oak trees. They are the ones used for food. Marbled Spanish pork has a nutty taste that is distinctive from other types of meat. Cut a thick piece of bread, toast it in the toaster, now add slices of tomato and pieces of chopped garlic, drizzle with a little olive oil and add pieces of jamon. A quick and tasty snack is ready!

Patatas Bravas

Perhaps the most common tapas appetizer is patatas bravas. It varies in its ingredients and taste in different parts of the country, but absolutely all versions include fried potatoes. In Madrid, bravas sauce is made with sweet and spicy bell peppers, olive oil, flour and broth, but never tomatoes. Some fans put garlic in it, while others add their own ingredients, which they keep as a closely guarded secret.

Poyo Al Ahiyo

Any Spaniard will tell you that the best garlic chicken is the one his grandmother makes. Of course they are all right. Unpeeled garlic cloves are fried in olive oil for flavor, then removed and spooned over the chicken. When the meat is ready, the chicken is seasoned with rosemary, thyme and some dry sherry or white wine. However, this recipe is not final. There are many variations on this theme.

Cochinillo asado

People may claim that they are going to Segovia to see an amazing Roman aqueduct, a fairytale castle or a beautiful cathedral. In fact, they go there to eat. In Segovia, the specialty is roasted lamb or pork. The meat is cooked in huge wood-burning ovens, and it is so tender that it literally melts in your mouth.

Pisto

The Spanish version of ratatouille is very popular throughout the country. Pisto contains onions, garlic, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes. They are all slowly fried in olive oil. Haste will not help here. The dish is prepared slowly and tastefully. It is often served as a first course, sometimes with scrambled eggs or chorizo. True, it is good in itself.

The Spaniards eat huge quantities of turron, or almond nougat. This sweet is usually eaten at Christmas, although it is sold all year round. The vast majority of nougat is produced in the small town of Gijon in the province of Alicante. This is where local almonds are mixed with honey and egg whites. There are two main types of nougat - soft and almost hard. The latter is like this because it contains pieces of almonds.

These are the most popular Spanish dishes. If you go to Spain, be sure to try them.

Wanting to enrich the home diet, many housewives experiment with the composition, design and presentation of familiar dishes. Those who are more liberated in cooking decide to introduce foreign dishes, trying the most unusual dishes and drinks. Colorful Spanish cuisine will be an excellent guide on your gastronomic journey. Thanks to the passionate combinations of vegetables, seafood and spices that excite the palate, it is the most friendly for the unspoiled stomachs of the inhabitants of Europe and Asia.

Communication skills are the main trump card that Spanish cuisine protects. Recipes for the most complex dishes can be easily transformed in the skillful hands of a simple housewife, you just need to add a little imagination to the products.

The essence of Spanish cuisine

The three pillars are quality olive oil, crispy sweet peppers and sage. Many would argue with this statement, pointing to the abundance of meat, garlic and vegetables on the menus of the most expensive restaurants in the country. But at its core, Spanish cuisine retains the flavor of ancient times, when people knew the price of real oil and the taste of pepper infused with goodness and sunshine.

What has changed over the centuries of existence?

Over the many centuries of its existence, the food culture of the ardent Spaniards underwent constant transformations: the French brought with them magnificent wine, which became an excellent basis for stewed meat, Africans shared the secrets of pairing spices, “friendship” with the Italians gave local residents a wealth of baked goods, and the Moors sweetened dishes with using almonds, milk and couscous. Spanish delicately absorbed such influences from foreign traditions and skillfully presented the best of them in its own inimitable style.

Popular dishes

The first courses are distinguished by their incomparable aroma, delicate taste and stunning appearance. There are four celebrities among them:

• the most magnificent samfiana - a symphony of ripe tomatoes, tart eggplant and tasty peppers;
• aromatic picada - a colorful trio of garlic, moderately roasted almonds and juicy herbs;
• laconic sofrito - a composition of garlic, pepper, meaty tomatoes and herbs;
• unsurpassed ali-oli - soft garlic based on olive oil.

Spanish cuisine. Recipes

You should start your acquaintance with simple dishes. You shouldn’t immediately rush to cook king prawns or octopus: the lighter the dish, the faster Spanish cuisine will take root in the house. Simple recipes are easier to remember. And that means putting it into practice. To start, you can prepare a light cold soup called gazpacho, which doesn’t require much:

• 1 kg of fleshy tomatoes;
• 200-220 g of fresh cucumbers;
• 100-120 g sweet pepper;
• 100 g red onion;
• 2 medium cloves of fresh garlic;
• a tablespoon of good wine vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. l olive oil;
• a handful of your favorite crackers;
• salt, sugar and lemon taste completely to your own taste.

Making soup

Although gazpacho is a representative of cold dishes, you can savor it at any time of the year, because it is a kind of Spanish okroshka: it will refresh you in the hot season, and in winter it will remind you of the sultry and passionate summer.

First, you should start peeling the vegetables: you need to free the tomatoes from their hard peel and carefully remove the stem. Cucumbers suffer the same fate - their “clothes” also go into the trash. The thoroughly washed peppers must be cut into good pieces, tomatoes and cucumbers into small pieces, crush the garlic with a press or glass and place the whole group in a blender. Chop vegetables until completely smooth. Afterwards you need to balance the taste of the soup: if the tomatoes were sour, it is better to add a pinch of sugar. Next, add salt to the soup, add wine vinegar and olive oil. After mixing well, the soup can be placed in the refrigerator to cool. The colorful dish should be served with beautiful crispy breadcrumbs and herbs (you can also garnish with fresh mint).

Paella

Spanish cuisine does not tolerate unjustified squandering, so many are familiar with the recipe for profitable paella with affordable seafood. To prepare, housewives need to purchase the following:

• 250 g of quality seafood mixture;
• 350-400 fillets of your favorite fish;
• 200 g green beans;
• 100 g sweet crispy pepper;
• 3 cups coarse grain (parboiled) rice;
• 250-300 g of fresh tomatoes;
• 2 cloves of fresh aromatic garlic;
• 100 ml dry wine;
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley;
• 5-6 glasses of broth;
• 4 tbsp olive oil;
• 2 pinches (0.5 tsp) saffron, salt, pepper, paprika.

Preparation

Sensual Spanish cuisine does not tolerate frozen foods, but in today's busy life you can miss this whim. First, you should heat up the main tool in cooking - a frying pan with a thick bottom; olive oil must completely cover its container. The first to be fried are seafood and chopped fish fillets. This should be done for no more than 2-3 minutes, so the optimal amount of juice will be released from the products. Afterwards, take out the pieces of fried seafood, and add attractively chopped peppers into the juice. When the vegetable becomes soft, you should add colorful peeled tomatoes to it, which can be cut into cubes or in the shape of a crescent.

You need to simmer chopped vegetables for at least 10-12 minutes, after which you can add color to them with 0.5 tsp of paprika, saffron and salt, as well as ground black pepper. This quartet of spices is unchanged for preparing paella; you can add to the set, but you shouldn’t exclude it.

Next, it’s worth taking care of the rice - you don’t need to immediately rush to wash it, rice dust gives the dishes a stickiness, and it is precisely this that is the hallmark of this dish, which Spanish cuisine is proud of. The recipes for the updated variations are more loyal in this regard, but when preparing paella for the first time, you should trust the advice described in the classic recipes.

It is better to pour the rice into a juicy vegetable base in a frying pan. Then you need to let it collect juice, then return the seafood to the hot company, add slightly warmed seedless fish broth and dry wine.

Paella is stirred only once after adding dry wine. Having turned all the layers of the dish well, you should go through it one more time and cover the frying pan with a lid.

Dressings are the true chic of any Spanish dish. Recipes often start with them, because it is not just a mixture of spices and herbs - it is the final chord of any culinary masterpiece. The paella is completed with a mixture of painstakingly chopped parsley and garlic. After letting the garlic release its juice, you can add the dressing to the main sauce and simmer for another 8-10 minutes, after which you must let the dish steep. The rice should absorb all the juices and fill up to the rest. You can serve the dish accompanied by cherry tomatoes and green leaves.

Turron

What decoration for any table? Of course, a delicious and colorful dessert. The hallmark of Spain during the Christmas season can be called turron - Mediterranean kozinaki.

To prepare a winter version of sweets, housewives will need:

• 3 neatly separated egg whites;
• 250 g fine sugar;
• a glass of your favorite honey;
• a glass of your favorite nuts (you can use a mixture);
• 5-6 sheets of quality rice paper.

Preparation

Fantasy and aesthetics are what amazes Spanish cuisine. You can scroll through recipes with photos like something magical. The desserts are all so colorful and original that most people with a sweet tooth, having tried Spanish delicacies once, can no longer eat the usual ones.

First you need to beat the squirrels (they should be cooled first, so peaks will form faster). Next, you need to cook the syrup from the prepared honey and sugar; its readiness can be determined by its attractive thickness, after which you should pour the syrup on top of the whites and beat again. A mixture of nuts (crushed or whole) should be mixed into the created sweet mass. You need to pour the resulting nougat onto the (confectionery) layer and let it dry, after which you need to cover it with another sheet on top. You can serve geometrically by cutting the layers together with the paper.

Conclusion

Now you know what Spanish cuisine is. We provided you with recipes with photos in the article. We hope that you will be able to prepare similar dishes at home.

If you have already visited Spain, 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 places, and acquaintance with the monuments and architecture of the country. And, for sure, from the first days of your stay in this country you included Spanish national cuisine in your list of attractions in Spain.

Spanish Cuisine Basics

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 meat dishes predominate on the Spaniards' table. A typical representative of them in the traditional cuisine of Spain is the jamon ham, which is so loved by Russians.

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

The basis of traditional Spanish cuisine is herbs, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, sage and, so typical of the Mediterranean, olive oil. Basic cooking techniques include grilling, braising 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, yet each region (and there are seventeen of them - decide for yourself) is distinguished by its own culinary traditions and stands out with some of its own dishes. By the way, it should be noted that one of the dishes of Spanish cuisine (which is undoubtedly associated with this country by everyone who is at least a little familiar with its traditional dishes) - paella, has about three hundred different recipes for its preparation!

The North Atlantic coast of Spain is famous for its delicious sauces and interesting soups. Cantabrian cuisine delights travelers with dishes of sardines, trout, mussels, as well as “Santander rice” (a dish made from rice and salmon). But Asturian cuisine is famous for its thick soup of white beans with ham and sausage (“Fabada”). Basque cuisine combines the traditions of French and Spanish cuisine and is considered the most exquisite in Spain. You will definitely 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 the dishes of Aragon, but in Rija and Navarra you will have to try vegetable sauces and side dishes. Pork legs with rutabaga leaves, whiting fish stewed in a clay pot and boiled octopus are all representatives of Galician cuisine.

The basis of Catalan cuisine is sauces. There are four main ones: picada (garlic, roasted almonds and herbs), sofrito (onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, herbs), samfiana (peppers, eggplant, tomatoes) and ali-oli (garlic with olive oil). Prominent representatives of Catalan cuisine are also: stew of pork legs and pork head, monkfish 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 cosquido, Murcian meat pie and various rice dishes.

Extremadura and Castile are considered the “hot zone”. In Burgos and Soria, try roasted lamb, and in Segovia, roast suckling pig. You will definitely be amazed by Salamanca's delicacy - braised veal tail. The cuisine of Madrid is famous for cocido - a thick pea soup and tripe with morcilla blood sausage. Cheese lovers should head to La Mancha. But for marzipan - in Toledo.

Tapas ritual

It is impossible to imagine Spanish cuisine 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 piece of ham, which was initially served for free, but as new and varied snacks appeared, for a fee. According to another version, glasses of beer and wine were covered from annoying flies with small plates, into which, over time, they began to put various goodies, mostly spicy, so that drinkers would want to order again. One way or another, the Spaniards clearly do not intend to give up such a pleasant tradition - drinking strong drinks along with tapas.

Favorite snacks include olives - plain or stuffed with tuna, lemon or almonds. Also in tapas bars you will find various sandwiches, for example with squid. Fried shrimp, squid, jamon, potato tortilla, marinated pork, and cheeses are also popular among the Spaniards as snacks.

The Spanish also classify pies filled with fish, meat or vegetables as tapas. Of course, each region has its own cooking methods. Thus, in the Balearic Islands, an open pie, shaped like a bird, filled with tuna, sausage or sardines, became widespread. But the “modest” Catalans stuff their pies with lobster meat.

Salads in Spain

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

One of the most popular is seafood salad. Shrimp, 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. You can also sometimes find capers or mushrooms in sea salad.

The Spaniards could not do without a salad consisting of their favorite ingredients - tomatoes and garlic. They are sprinkled with herbs and seasoned with olive oil. And its name is completely original - “tomatoes with garlic.”

The Malaga salad, which includes dried cod, olives, orange slices and onions, has an exquisite and unusual taste.

Remijon, which also contains orange slices, is one of the traditional dishes of Spain.

First courses - not by count, but by meaning

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

But in another cold puree soup, tomatoes are not added, it is called ajoblanco.

• Rice “the head of everything”

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 huge number of recipes for its preparation. A 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), with tuna, and black rice is cooked with cuttlefish ink.

• Meat dishes

The most famous meat dish in Spain is jamón. This is a dry-cured ham that forms the basis of Iberian cuisine. Ham is famous not only for its taste, but also for the fact that this dish does not contain cholesterol. To prepare it, they take a ham (by the way, the Spaniards believe that the meat will be good if you feed the piglet 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 ham in Spain - Serrano and Iberico. They differ in the method of preparation, as well as the breed of pigs and their “diet”. Hams can be distinguished by the color of the hoof - Ibérico's is black, and Serano's is white.

In Spain they also love sausages. One of the most favorite types is morcilla blood sausage. There are different recipes for its preparation in different regions of Spain, but the most famous is morcilla from Burgos. Raw smoked pork sausage with the addition of garlic and paprika is also popular. It's called chorizo. But in Mallorca they love sobrassada sausage made from dried minced pork.

As for poultry meat, ordinary chicken is held in high esteem in Spain. In Spain there are several dozen original recipes for its preparation. Chickens are fried on a grill 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, in tomato sauce and chilindron sauce.

In Galicia they love the meat of a well-fed, castrated rooster - capon. Its meat is considered 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 proximity to France). Traditional duck dishes from the area include duck pate, duck liver in plum sauce and smoked duck legs.

Desserts and sweets

Of course, you won’t find your favorite delicacy here, but this does not mean that the Spaniards have nothing to serve you for dessert. On the contrary, judging by the number of sweets in the traditional cuisine of Spain, the inhabitants of the country have real sweet tooths.

Tourists love to buy turron and polvorones as sweet souvenirs. Both of these desserts were once prepared for Christmas, but due to the popularity they enjoy among tourists, they are now produced year-round. Turron is nougat with nuts. The secret of its production was inherited by the Spaniards from the ancient Arabs; now, in addition to traditional ingredients (honey, nuts and egg whites), puffed rice, chocolate and dried fruits are used when preparing turron. Polvorons are crumbly cookies, the name of which, by the way, translates as “gunpowder, dust.” It contains roasted almonds, ground sesame seeds, cinnamon, and is cooked exclusively in pork fat.

Various creams (for example, Catalan or almond cream) and puddings (Canary milk pudding, rice pudding) are no less popular among the Spaniards.

The Avila area is famous for a special dessert - St. Teresa's yolks. In Galia they love chestnuts glazed with sugar and meringue with coconut.

In Spain, they do not hold cheese rolling championships (which is one of them) and rarely use cheeses when preparing 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 pieces of bread.

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

But perhaps the most famous type of cheese is blue mold cabrales. Once upon a time, to make it, cheese was covered with animal excrement and wrapped in maple leaves, but 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 in wine production, and the first in terms of vineyard area. About 90 grape varieties are grown here in 60 wine regions. The wines of Spain are valued 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 very popular among alcoholic drinks are cider, beer, various liqueurs and aguardiente (the strongest drink in Spain).

Traditional non-alcoholic drinks include horchata - a drink made from groundnuts and almonds, which has a peculiar sweetish taste. And, of course, the Spaniards also value tea.

Top 10 Spanish dishes

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

Top 10 Spanish recipes:

• Paella - a rice dish with various fillings (for example, rabbit and seafood)
• Jamon - dry-cured pork ham
• Tapas - various snacks
• Gazpacho - cold soup
• Chorizo ​​- dry-cured pork sausage with paprika
• Zarzuela - assorted seafood in fish broth
• Malaga salad
• Crema Catalana - sweet soufflé with caramel
• Seafood salpicon
• Churros - a dessert that tastes like donuts

And as a bonus, I’m giving you a couple of recipes for traditional Spanish cuisine.

Classic gazpacho

To prepare it you will need:

• 450 g tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 cucumber
• 1 canned pepper
• Half a cup of cilantro or coriander
• 0.3 cups red wine vinegar
• 1.4/ cup olive oil
• Tabasco sauce (add to taste)

Cut half the tomatoes, cucumber and onion into small pieces. Transfer them to a food processor, add red pepper and mix until pureed. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and add tomato juice, chopped cilantro, vinegar, a few drops of Tabasco and olive oil. Mix. Remove the seeds from the remaining tomatoes and cut them into small cubes. We also chop the cucumber and onion. Add all this to the soup. Salt, pepper and place in the refrigerator for a short time before eating.

Dorada in Spanish

This fish is highly valued in Spain for its delicate taste. To prepare the dish we will need:

• 1 kg sea bream
• 6 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 10 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• Parsley
• 0.5 tsp saffron
• 0.5 pcs chili pepper
• 2 lemons
• Salt - to taste

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

Add salt, crushed saffron leaves and 3 tbsp to the remaining mixture of parsley and garlic. water - and now we have a ready-made marinade for vegetables. Then cut the potatoes into 0.4 cm slices, the onion into 0.2 cm rings. Mix the chopped vegetables with the marinade and place on a greased baking sheet (or other dish). Place in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 minutes. Then place the dorado on the vegetables. Spray it with olive oil. And put the remaining lemon on top. 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 pepper.