Gastronomy
 |
One of Spain's biggest attractions is undoubtedly its cuisine, which is one of the world's best owing to the quality and variety of its products. |
| We cannot speak strictly of national cuisine, but rather of many regional cuisines influenced in each case by the weather and different ways of local life. Enjoy them! |
|
Northern cuisine
The north is a wet and rainy region which makes for a cuisine that is not only very tasty but varied as to both meat and fish. Among the choice dishes of Galicia are the pote (potage made with ham bones, haricots beans), the caldeiradas (akin to bouillabaisse), pulpo. The Basque Country leans towards seasonally-based home-type cooking, with local specialities like marmitako (potatoes with bonito) and txangurro (clams and spider crab). Asturias has a similar cuisine, though with local touches worthy of mention, such as the fabada (stew of haricot beans and pork), the regional cheeses and famed apple cider. Cantabria offers diversity in a cuisine that blends sea and mountain, with top-quality ingredients, including beef, anchovies and dairy products. Mediterranean cuisine Ever since the Middle Ages, Catalonia has enjoyed a delicious and refined cuisine embracing plain, sea and mountain, a cuisine which on the coast has recourse to a wide array of fish, and inland, to typical dishes such as escudella (a meaty broth with pasta, usually followed by carne d'olla, ahearty stew) and roats. Valencia combines typically Mediterranean dishes -fish, green vegetables and fruit- with those of the upland plateau, such as potages and game stews, and which assigns rice, served dry, moist or in paella. Sweetmeats, nougats (turrón) and ice creams keep the Arabic influence very much alive. Murcia too displays this same character, namely, a cuisine of the sea and of the land, shaped by the merging of cultures. Balearic Isle specialities rely on vegetables, fish (caldereta - sea-food stew) and pork (sobrasada - a spicy red sausage spread). Southern cuisine Andalusian cooking takes the inspiration from the crucible of cultures that together forged its culinary heritage. In tune with the local surroundings, one finds a cuisine of market-garden and field, a cuisine of country-style winter stews, ans a Mediterranean cuisine along the coast. In addition, there is th region's fine line in confectionery of pastry, again an Arabic legacy, and a variety of dishes based on pork and ham, epitomised in the ritual, colourful climax of the matanza. The various gazpachos (cold Andalusian soup of diced tomatoes, cucumber and green peppers in olive oil, vinegar and garlic, usually served with a sprinkling of croutons) and soups, frituras (servings of small fried fish) and stews are just some of the individual items in a school of cooking that boasts a long and well-established cultural tradition. The Canary Islands enjoy a very personal cuisine, with gofio (a local ball-shaped bread with flour made from toasted cereals), legumes, tropical fruits and the famous mojos ( hot sauces spiced with paprika and coriander) being just a few the local attractions. Meseta cuisine In Castile & Leon the cooking is based on legumes:haricot beans, chickpeas and lentils. Pork which, in the case of the Iberian pig reared on acorns and chestnuts, attains a peak of quality and flavour, and game are also basic to the typical regional specialities (botillo, the mountain sausage from León, savoury bloodsausage or morcilla from Burgos, and the red Segivian sausage known as cantimpalo). Baby lamb, kid and sucking pig are the star dishes, fish comes in th orm of trout and cod, and there is a great variety of local cheeses made from goat's, ewe's or cow's milk. Sweets and pastries, such as yemas and ojaldres (puff pastry) are in the most refined traditions of Arabic cuisine. InExtremadura, there is a range of dishes and foodstuffs in which Iberian ham and pork reigns supreme: calderetas and cochifritos (lamb seasoned, garnished and casseroled in an earthenware dish), cold escabeche (marinades), wild vegetables (mushrooms, cardoons, leeks) and a wide choice of handmade cheeses. Castilla-La Mancha has has typical products such as ist saffron, La Alcarria honey and Manchego (ewe's milk) cheese. A country cuisine which in its gazpachos and morteruelos (chopped pig's liver braised with seasoning and breadcrumbs) retains the flavour of the old sheep-herding ways, and in its roasts (lamb, kid), the mouthwatering aroma of the hill country, rewarding the sweet-toothed with the ultimate delight of the exquisite Moorish-inspired marzipan of Toledo. Madrid contributes with the singularity of some of its typical dishes, such as cocido madrileño (a heatry stew for those with big appetites, where the broth is served first, followed by the the soup-meat, chick peas, potatoes and vegetables), cod and callos (tripe). The thicky torrijas (sweet fritters), desserts and sweetmeats are yet further local specialities. | |
| The excellence of Spanish gastronomy can be seen in the offer of the numerous fine restaurants. A reflection on a country where the people love, respect and enjoy good food, Spanish restaurants can satisfy any demand. |
|
They are classified in five categories, indicated by a number of forks. These establishments almost always close one day a week, usually Sunday or Monday. Visitors will find that opening and closing times tend to be later than in other countries, though in the tourist areas the hours are often moved ahead or service is continuous. The menu, which normally includes the price of each dish, is frequently displayed outside the restaurant. If not, one can request to see a menu before being seated. In any case, eating in Spain can be an inexpensive treat. A large number of Spanish restaurants take major international credit cards. | |
| Wine is the Spanish beverage par excellence. With France and Italy, Spain is one of the top wine producers in the world. It has a great variety of high quality wines, grown and elaborated in over 57 different areas, among which are some that are truly exceptional. |
|
Rioja wine is the king of Spanish table wines. The winegrowers in La Rioja, who know that they produce one of the world finest wines jealously protect its quality, while strict official norms concerning the origin of wine make fraud impossible and guarantee the prestige of these exquisite red wines of such unmistakable bouquet and flavour.
Sherry is the most international Spanish wine, thanks to yearly exports to numerous different countries. There are five different kinds of this Andalucian wine, whose name in English derives from "Jerez" because the first vineyards of this type of wine were in the town of Jerez de la Frontera. There is "Manzanilla", "Fino", "Amontillado", "Oloroso" and "Los Dulces", or sweet Sherries. Cider Asturias and the Basque region of northern Spain are the country’s main cider producing areas. Their traditional style ciders are famous for the complex flavours of green apples, vanilla, plum and honey. Relaxing in a cider house, or sidrerias, and gulping "culines" of the regional cider is a typical Asturian pastime that a visitor simply can't pass up. Catalan Cava, grown in the Penedes region in Cataluña, is an excellent sparkling wine whose magnificent cost/quality ratio has allowed it to compete with French champagnes on the most demanding international markets. Beer This beverage lacks a great tradition in Spain, though currently it is quite popular and there are many breweries meeting the country's demand. Spanish beer is inexpensive for the most part and has low alcohol content. It is served cold and is not a common beverage at meals. Beer is most frequent as an aperitif to accompany the exquisite "tapas" offered in most bars around the country. Liqueurs Spain's famous brandy is the best known of the Spanish liqueurs but it is hardly the only one. Actually, each region has its own special liqueur. The herb liqueurs from Galicia and Ibiza, "pacharan" from Navarre, Levantine Absinth Andalucian "cazalla" and the strong-smelling anisette from Chinchon, near Madrid, are a few examples. Of special note is "orujo" or "aguardiente", which is a stiff spirit distilled in many northern regions. In general, the visitor to Spain will find that the liqueurs are characterised by an excellent quality/cost ratio. | |
| There are many varieties of paella; every village and cook seems to have one (specially in the region of Valencia, where it originated).The dish takes its name from the special frying pan used in its preparation, very wide and shallow. In fact the correct name is arroz a la paella. |
|
Paella is a typical Spanish dish and is traditionally cooked in a "paellera" - a round flat pan with two handles - which is then put on the table. It is normally made using shellfish but can also be made with chicken or rabbit. In many Spanish villages, especially in coastal areas, they use a giant paellera to cook a paella on festival days which is big enough to feed everybody. | |
| The tapa tradition is as important for the conversation and company as for the delicious food. Tapas come in endless varieties and provide the opportunity to "graze" in casual and spirited surroundings and to feel the pulse of the country. Eating tapas style is an exciting way to sate hunger between meals or a splendid alternative to a traditional full course meal. |
|
Every Spaniard has his favourite tasca, as the tapas bars are often called, where he goes regularly to meet his friends or business acquaintances. Tapas can be found in even the smallest bar in a tiny village.
The word tapa, meaning cover or lid, is thought to have originally referred to the complimentary plate of appetizers that many tascas would put like a lid on one's wine glass. What are tapas made of? Any dish can become a tapa and the recipes follow traditional Spanish cooking. The most frequent among hot tapas are snails in a hot sauce, tripe, prawns, fried with garlic, meat balls or cod in a tomato sauce. Any kind of fired fish is a very popular delicacy, especially in Andalusia. The choice among cold tapas is huge ranging from pickled or stuffed olives, pickled fresh anchovies, all kinds of shellfish, Manchego cheese, salt and wind-cured ham, all types of paprika and blood-sausages, fish and vegetables salads and, of course, the famous thick potato omelette - Spanish tortilla. | |
Parteners : Travel in Spain - Travel in Madrid - Paris Hotels - Paris Tours - Airport Shuttle
Travel In Spain Multimedia, S.L. © 2007 - Madrid (España) - Tel: (+34) 91 567 05 72 - Fax: (+34) 902 947 242
Travel In Spain Multimedia, S.L. © 2007 - Madrid (España) - Tel: (+34) 91 567 05 72 - Fax: (+34) 902 947 242