I love Spain and I enjoy the food here. The model of tapas restaurants where I can have a small meal, two small meals or five small meals, depending on my hunger, suits me perfectly. And of course, above all, I love Spanish ham. All in all, I’ve already spent over a year in Spain and I’ve eaten all I can fit in, so I dare say my expertise is no longer at beginner’s level.
History of Spanish cuisine
First, a little bit about the history, because it hit the kitchen quite a bit. Spanish cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, so it is quite healthy, rich in fruits, vegetables, salads, seafood and good quality olive oil. However, it has been strongly influenced by historical invasions by the Arabs, by the Jews who lived on the Iberian Peninsula and by colonisation and new ingredients from the ‘New World’ after the discovery of America.
The Arabs brought rice cultivation to Spain, on which the most famous Spanish dish, paella, is based. Their influence can also be seen in the use of spices, particularly saffron and cumin, sweetening with honey and the addition of almonds and fruit to dishes.
After the discovery of the Americas, potatoes enriched Spanish cuisine, once again infiltrating two of its most famous dishes – patatas bravas and tortilla de patata.
Spanish products
Spain is the world’s largest producer and consumer of olive oil. Fish and seafood are abundantly available in the Balearic and Canary Islands and in the coastal areas (which Spain is virtually surrounded by). But they are also readily available inland, and Madrid even has the second largest fish market in the world. Inland, meat, ham and cheese are mainly produced.
Spanish ham
I could eat Spanish ham all the time. In some towns you’ll find shops (jamoneria, bodegas) where hams hang from the ceiling and there’s a sliced ham on the bar counter on almost every corner. Most restaurants and bars also offer a plate of ham as an appetizer or appetizer to sip.
- Jamón ibérico is a cured ham made from black Iberian pigs, which are mainly reared in central and south-western Spain. In the best quality hams, the pigs are fed olives, chestnuts or acorns before slaughter. Hams are cured for at least 12 months and the best hams are cured for up to 48 months. There are schools in Spain for mastering the art of slicing Spanish ham to make it the tastiest. Maestros cortadores (master slicers) are renowned artists in Spain.
- Jamón serrano is made from white pigs and is cheaper.
Both hams (although dried) are quite fatty and therefore flavourful, for me definitely better than Italian prosciutto.
Spanish cheeses
- Queso Manchego – the oldest cheese in Spain is made from the milk of Manchego sheep. It is produced in 4 hardness variants depending on the maturation period (from 30 days to 24 months) and comes from the La Mancha region.
- Cabrales – blue cheese from Asturias made from cow, sheep or goat milk.
- Mahón – hard cheese from Menorca.
- Idiazabal – hard cheese from the Basque Country.
- Tetilla – cream cheese from Galicia.
Spanish sausages
- Chorizo – a traditional Spanish cured sausage made from ground pork, can be slightly more spicy.
- Salchichón – smoked sausage similar to chorizo, but without paprika.
- Morcilla – blood sausage flavoured with rice, onions or pine nuts.
- Sobrasada – soft, spreadable sausage made of pork, bacon and paprika.
Spanish wine
- Rioja – in northern Spain, in the region of La Rioja, a high quality, world-renowned red wine Rioja is grown. Due to its location, Spain ranks among the top producers of red wines. However, the Canary Islands, for example, are an exception and are famous for their white wines.
- Cava – sparkling wine, often compared to French champagne, primarily from Catalonia.
- Sherry – one of Spain’s most famous exports comes from Andalusia, specifically Jerez de la Frontera.
Spanish oranges
There is one more thing that I love in Spain and that is oranges. There are plenty of them here and you can usually get juice from freshly squeezed oranges (zumo de naranja naturale) in a cafe or for breakfast. But what I love even more is that most shops have an orange press where you just press a lever and have the juice made yourself in a bottle of your choice. A litre of juice in the store usually doesn’t cost more than 3 euros.
Spanish olives
Spain is the global leader in the production of virgin olive oil. Most of Spain’s olive oil production comes from the Jaén region. This Andalusian region is responsible for as much as 20% of the world’s olive oil production.
Olives are commonly found in Spain with wine or tapas, and olive tapenade (spread) is also common.
Typical Spanish dishes
Spain is a large country, so cuisine varies from region to region and island to island, but some dishes are typical of the whole of Spain.
For a meal in Spain you will often get a baguette, sometimes with white garlic alioli sauce or crushed tomato with olive oil.
Paella – the national dish of Spain
Perhaps the most famous Spanish dish is paella, named after the typical pan (low, with two handles) on which it is prepared by cooking it over a long time on a low heat. The base is rice (the whole dish may resemble risotto, but it is not mixed in the preparation) and, depending on the type, other ingredients – vegetables, chicken, seafood. Of the spices, saffron is particularly important, as it also gives the paella its typical yellow colour. Paella comes from the Valencia region.
Depending on the ingredients that paella contains there are countless variations, but the main ones are:
- paella Valenciana – the original paella Valenciana is made with chicken and rabbit meat, contains green beans and white beans, sometimes artichokes cooked together with rice,
- paella de marisco – paella with seafood, this paella is always visually very wow, because it is nicely arranged with large tiger prawns, mussels and other seafood,
- paella mixta – (mix), combines seafood and meat, usually chicken and usually some vegetables,
- paella vegetariana – Spain is also prepared for vegetarians, vegetarian paella contains vegetables, mainly peppers and tomatoes, beans, peas or artichokes.
- paella negra – black paella is created by adding sepia ink, the rice is then really black, and is most often combined with seafood.
Paella is served directly in the pan in which it is prepared and is prepared in a pan of a size appropriate to the number of people for whom it is made. So if you order it for three, you will also get it in one pan, just as if you were ordering it for two, only it will be bigger.
The menus usually say“para dos personas” (i.e. you can order at least two). Since I’m always craving paella and I also travel alone quite often, I managed to experimentally find that more than half of the places will accommodate the question if it could be made for one.
And there are also places that serve“plato de paella” (plate of paella), where they serve it from the pan by the plate, i.e. portions for one. But I’m not so keen on that anymore. After all, visually it looks nice just arranged on the pan, otherwise it’s just a pile of rice with something.
A very similar dish is arroz al horno (rice in the oven), which differs from paella not so much in the ingredients as in the method of preparation – as the name suggests, it is baked in the oven.
Tortilla de patata
Or simply a tortilla. The national dish, an omelette prepared in a pan with potatoes, eggs, onions and olive oil. Half of Spain doesn’t like onions, so there are normally two versions, with and without onions. The tortilla with chorizo is no exception, and that’s my favourite. It’s usually served cold, it can also be on a baguette like pintxos – this is common especially for the Cantabria region and surrounding areas, there you can usually get a fair piece of tortilla with a baguette and you’re practically out of lunch for 2 to 3 euros.
You can also buy tortilla in shops, in different sizes, and reheat it later (or eat it cold).
Pintxos
Pintxos (or pinchos, depending on the region) are sliced baguettes with a little something that remotely resembles our sandwiches (only there is no walnut). What is loaded on the baguette is then stuck on with a skewer (hence pinchos, “pinchar” means to pierce).
Pintxos are very widespread throughout Spain, it is impossible not to come across them. Originating from the Basque Country and Navarre, there they are the most diverse. The perfect pintxos paradise is the Basque city of Bilbao.
The baguette can be practically anything, but to give you an idea, here are some examples:
- cheese – with quince jam or caramelized onions,
- tortilla – potato tortilla on bread,
- gulas – it looks like small eels, such white-grey nematodes and it is really a cheaper imitation of these small eels (angulas), but it is made from other fish, like cod, because of its availability,
- meat – chicken or even a small beef steak,
- fried meat or croquette,
- fish or shrimp.
On top of the “main” ingredient, pinxtos are often accompanied by, for example, green peppers or olives.
Pintxos are commonly part of the tapas bar menu.
Tapas
Tapas are small dishes, unlike pintxos they are more for sharing. They can also be on a baguette (not necessarily with a skewer), these are montaditos.
They are dishes for many occasions, as a small snack, an appetizer to share or an appetizer to accompany a glass of wine. And it can be almost anything.
- tapas fritas (fried tapas) – these are various croquettes and fried seafood such as calamari,
- tapas frías (cold tapas) – olives, cheese, ham,
- tapas calientes (hot tapas) – meat with sauce, chorizo sausages, meatballs (albondigas), seafood,
- pinchitos (skewers) – small skewers with several pieces of meat or shrimp.
In some Spanish cities, it’s common to get some tapas (not exactly small quantities like just a few olives) for free with your drink. Common in Granada or Jaén, for example.
Patatas bravas
Or also papas bravas or simply just bravas. Sliced potatoes, fried and served with red spicy tomato sauce and white garlic alioli. It’s so stupid, but I love it. Typically a larger plate is served, for sharing.
Croquettes – Croquetas
Small croquettes, oval or round and fried. The base is béchamel, which gives a creamy consistency on top of the crispy croquette. To this is then added iceacos such as cheese(croquetas de queso), chicken(croquetas de pollo), fish(croquetas de pescado) or ham(croquetas de jamón).
Ham is my favorite and it’s also the most common. Usually you can buy just one croquette to taste, but sometimes they have a whole plate of croquettes on the menu (you can tell by the price, one croquette won’t cost much more than 1 euro).
Croquettes are sometimes accompanied by a sauce, such as garlic alioli or tomato salsa.
Empanadas
Baked bags filled with meat, cheese or vegetables are commonly available in all bakeries (rarely in restaurants). Occasionally, you will come across a shop specialising only in empanadas. They are also widely distributed throughout Central and South America (where they are often deep-fried).
Gambas al ajillo
It’s more often between appetizers or tapas, but I normally have it for lunch or dinner when I’m not really hungry. It’s peeled shrimp sauteed in oil (lots of oil) along with sliced garlic. It’s brought to the table in a small bowl, the oil usually still sizzling. A baguette is added to this goodness.
Gazpacho and Salmorejo soups
Gazpacho is a world famous cold creamy vegetable soup made of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and olive oil. It is prepared by cold blending fresh vegetables and is particularly popular because it is light and refreshing in the hot months.
Salmorejo is not so famous, but often more popular among Spaniards. It is prepared in a similar way, but unlike Gazpacho, mixed baguette is added, making the soup thicker. It is garnished with a diced egg and serrano ham.
I like Salmorejo better. Both soups are again commonly available in stores in a bottle, by eating them cold no additional preparation is needed. It is with salmorejo soup that I often solve a small hunger problem of not being able to prepare something or being out of the kitchen. I just buy a bottle of soup and drink it straight from it.
Spanish breakfast
Spaniards do not have a tradition of rich breakfasts, they are more into “coffee and a cigarette”, typical Spanish breakfast is simple (pastry with something), whether sweet or salty. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of hipster places to find more varied breakfasts. Breads with avocado not excluded, of course, because here it’s a local ingredient.
Pan con tomate
The most typical breakfast dish is pan con tomate – a slice of bread (toasted) with fresh crushed tomato, drizzled with olive oil, or topped with cheese or ham.
You sometimes get tomatoes and olive oil already on the bread, but often separately in a bowl, and olive oil sometimes in miniature individual packages.
Churros
Churros are a popular option for a sweet breakfast. But it’s also a snack, dessert, streetfood and sometimes maybe even lunch. Churros are simply the most popular Spanish sweet and can be eaten at any time of the day. The most famous churrerias are open from early morning to late at night, some even non-stop.
Churros are fried oblong pastries made from battered dough. It is primarily sold in churrerias, where it is prepared in large spirals from which elongated (and slightly rounded) pieces of churros are cut. These are served with hot chocolate in which they are dipped or coated in sugar.
Spanish drinks
Coffee
Spaniards like strong coffee, the most common being café con leche (coffee with milk), cortado (espresso with a little milk, similar to a macchiato), or café bombón (espresso with condensed milk). In Spain, on the other hand, “hipster cafés” are not as common as they are here, offering well-made flat whites, filter coffee, etc.
Sangría
A drink made of red wine, fruit juice, sweetened and with pieces of fruit.
Tinto de verano
Sangría may be more widespread worldwide, but Spaniards are more likely to drink Tinto de verano, which is similar in appearance and taste to sangría but fresher. The red wine is topped with La Casera lemonade.
Regional Spanish cuisine
As I mentioned before, Spain has several regions and each has some of its own specialties:
- Andalusia – flamenquín, ajo blanco, espetos de sardinas,
- Aragonese – migas,
- Galicie – caldo Gallego, Vieira, tarta de Santiago,
- Catalonia – chanfaina, sofritom, crema Catalana,
- Balearic Islands – salsa Mahones (mayonnaise), sobrasada, tumbet,
- Canary Islands – Pucher Canaria, mojo sauce, gofio, polvito uruguayo,
- Asturia – fabada,
- Castilla – La Mancha – la Galiano,
- La Rioja – la menestra, stuffed peppers, Rioja,
- Valencia – paella de valenciana, fideua, agua de valenciana, horchata, farton,
- Murcia – vegetable pancakes,
- Navarra – menestra,
- Basque Country, Extremadura, Cantaber, Castilla-León – I don’t know, I’ll visit, I’ll find out.
Spanish eating habits
Spanish eating habits differ quite significantly from Czech ones, apart from the “what we eat” and the “when we eat” and the importance of individual dishes. Basically, it’s a bit of a hell of a situation because when I’m hungry for lunch or dinner, it’s not yet lunch or dinner time in Spain and restaurants are quietly closed.
Spanish breakfast – desayuno
Unlike our cuisine, the Spanish have only small and simple breakfasts. And they have them late. It’s common to go to a bakery for breakfast, and the busiest hours in cafes don’t start until around 10am.
Snacks – almuerzo y merienda
Almuerzo (morning snack) and merienda (afternoon snack) are common, usually meaning cheese, baguettes, toast, salads. You can usually find them in menus like bocadillos, tostas, montaditos.
For a snack like this, you can go to places that are open at the time, which tend to be café bars and jamonerías (ham shops). These outlets often have seating, and in addition to the ham to go, they’ll also make you just the bocadillo (a sandwiched baguette) to go.
Lunch and dinner – comida y cena
The main meal of the day is lunch, which is later (about 14 – 16h) and lasts longer than here. Dinner is smaller and starts later (around 20 – 21h). Most restaurants in Spain only open for lunch and dinner, before about 1pm and from 4-7.30pm they tend to close. However, there is still the possibility to eat in cafes, bakeries or tapas bars during that time.
In Spain (thanks to tapas, among other things), there is quite a culture of eating at the bar. Whether it’s sitting down, or a couple of people standing with a glass of red at the bar and chatting.
It’s also common that if you go to a popular restaurant without a reservation and they don’t have room for you, you’ll be put on a list, order a drink and wait for a booth at the bar or outside in a crowd of other people. Spaniards are used to waiting half an hour like that. No hay prisa.
Restaurant chains
There are also tapas restaurant chains all over Spain. They’re not high-end restaurants and the food is rather mediocre, but I’ll occasionally go if I want to go “for sure” – which for me means a combo of choose, it won’t cost a fortune, it won’t be bad and it’ll be quick.
Such establishments are 100 Montaditos and Lizarrán. In Lizarrán, for example, the way it works is that each small dish (pintxos) has a short or long skewer, which determines its price (all the short ones cost the same, all the long ones cost the same). Some are displayed right on the bar and you can have a plate, with others they come straight from the kitchen with a full plate of one type of food and you either want it or you don’t. Simple and efficient. The fact that you pick with your eyes also solves the problem of really knowing what you are ordering.
Restaurant behaviour and payment
Restaurants work like ours, sometimes you can sit by yourself, sometimes you wait to be seated. In renowned restaurants or tapas bars, especially in big cities like Barcelona or Madrid, where they don’t take reservations, it’s common to arrive and be told that you’ll be seated in half an hour. You buy a glass of red at the bar, or even some small “ready-made” tapas, and wait with the others. It has its own atmosphere.
As we are used to here, the waiter comes to ask us several times during the evening if you like it, if you want another beer, or brings it straight away, it doesn’t work in Spain. They will let you sit unnoticed for quite a long time. So if you have the opportunity to catch the waiter’s eye and ask for something else or to pay, don’t hesitate!
Spaniards are said to prefer cash a lot, and admittedly there are some businesses where you can’t pay by card, but I try to pay by card everywhere and I can get by with 100 euros a month in cash, so cards are definitely not a big problem. Likewise paying small amounts in supermarkets – no problem one water card.
Tipping doesn’t really work in Spain, so nothing or cent rounding is perfectly fine.
Finally, English is commonplace in tourist areas, but not so much outside tourist zones, and even the menu is not in English. So it’s a good idea to learn a few basic words, at least for the foods you don’t eat.
The best Spanish regions for foodies
Spain is a huge country and you’ll find great places everywhere, but if you want to choose your holiday based on where to be, for me the top pick is this:
- The Basque Country – San Sebastián is a gastronomic paradise, it has the highest density of Michelin stars in Spain (it has more than a quarter of what Madrid has, but is more than 15 times smaller), Bilbao is not doing much worse and is famous for its tapas bars.
- Madrid and Barcelona – Spain’s largest cities have, of course, the most advanced gastronomic scene, with the most fine-dining restaurants and the most foreign cuisine.
- Andalusia – has a rich tapas culture in both traditional and modern variations. I liked the establishments in Seville the best.
- Galicia – the north of Spain is interesting for me because it’s a bit different. There’s a huge variety of seafood, but not like the usual Mediterranean cuisine, and I discovered things I didn’t know before, like navajas.