Spain Food Facts: What You Should Eat When You Visit Spain!

Spain is a country of different variations in food and Spanish food has been developing and flourishing to become one of the top food cuisines in the world.

Spanish history in food has seen it evolving continuously for the last 2500 years and there have been many famous dishes over the years. Based on different people that have ruled the Iberian peninsula, there are distinct stages of development in the culture and the food of the region.

Spanish people are fond of food and that can be seen from their rich culture and vast spread of food items.

The first focus on Iberia was around 240 BC when the first group was the Phoenicians from Carthage.

The discovery of the Americas also brought about new food and spices from the New World and with that opened the possibilities for a whole lot of popular food items with European, Asian, African and New World influences.

Spain was inhabited by the Iberians, the Celtics, and the Basques and everything from their culture and the food habits had its own little nuances.

As Spanish people had different habits, it was necessary to have a unified culture and it did in the latter half of the past century.

The invaders put their influence on the food culture in the Iberian peninsulas and also by the cross-cultural influences brought on by the colonies of Spain, especially in the New World. Influences were also brought on by trade and commerce which played a huge role in the development of food in the Spanish regions.

Each time period in the history of Spain has helped the country throughout the food journey. The original Celt, Basque and Iberian cooking styles have been changed and impacted by different events in different time periods.

Spanish cuisine has also been influenced by Romans, Moors, French, Greeks, Italians, and Carthaginians and with the trade with the Far East, Caribbean, and the Americas.

Mostly inhabited by Roman Catholics, the country's cuisine has some essence of the Romans. Try pisto, a vegetable stew with green peppers, it's excellent!

Have you wondered how so many Michelin star chefs are found in Spain alone? Well, everything is because of the development of Spanish cuisine and due to the use of so many powerful styles.

Due to the blend of both traditional and modern ways of cooking food, different styles are seen and everything is wonderful.

Visit Spain soon to have a superb food journey throughout the nooks and crooks of the country of Spain. The rich history of the country can be felt with just one bite of the food in that particular region of the Spanish mainland.

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Food Tours In Spain

The main dishes in Spain always contain potatoes, rice, meat, fish, beans, chickpeas, and a whole lot of fruits and vegetables. Don't forget the olive oil, which is used in all kinds of dishes, wherever you travel in all the Spanish cities.

There are a lot of food tours in the country of Spain that will take you to the culinary masters of the local regions for you to dive into their class.

Some are activities that give you food along with some fun stuff to do and others are just plain plates of foods and wine for you to taste and give a verdict upon. You can also choose to explore and try different local delicacies of the specific regions you are going to.

Let's discuss a few of the food tours in Spain known all over the world.

Tapas and Wine Experience gives you the opportunity to try the tasty tapas and traditional wines on a tour to Barcelona. Not just that, you can come here with a small group and walk the grounds for a more personified experience.

You can try the famous Barcelona cuisine that includes Iberian ham or pan con tomate with a glass of regional wine. Local bars are the best options for this.

You can also find food tours that will take you through the streets of Barcelona and give you an interactive Spanish food cooking experience. A Catalan chef will help you prepare the delicious Spanish food locally found and then enjoy the food you made with super fresh ingredients.

The wine and tapas tasting tours are also found in Madrid. Madrid's vibrant Spanish food culinary scenes are something to die for and you will be thrown right into it. Enjoy some tapas and regional wine with the superb local cuisine of Madrid. A tapa is essentially an aperitif or snack in Spanish cuisine.

There are a lot of other tasting tours and cooking Spanish food tours in the country and you should try this when traveling to Spain.

The Cuisine Of Spain

Spanish cuisine mixes the practices and cooking traditions of the country. Food in Spain is incomplete without the use of olive oil. Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world. Spain is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Bay of Biscay, so naturally, the cuisine is filled with fresh seafood.

Olive oil forms the base of many sofritos (Spanish for vegetable sauces) and the herbs mostly used in Spanish food includes oregano, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Food in Spain also employs the use of garlic a lot. The local cuisine all over the country uses meat like pork, chicken, lamb, and veal.

The mixture of so many cultures over 2500 years have made Spanish food loved all over the world and you should try it at least once in your lives for an exemplary experience.

Some of the main cooking regions of Spain are in Northern Spain which includes Asturias and Galicia. This region is known for its wonderful seafood, specifically scallops still attached to their shells.

The region of Galicia has caldo gallego, empanadas, and wonderful, moist bread. Asturia has a specialty in trout and salmon, fabada bean stew, Cabrales blue cheese, and hard apple cider.

The region of Pyrenees and Barcelona includes heavy sauces in savory and sweet combinations, thickened with almonds, hazelnuts, and pine nuts.Some signature dishes include gambas al ajillo and romesco de pescado.

Valencia and other eastern regions of Spain have rice as their staple produce and is the birthplace of the famous paella. A famous dish from the region is pescaito frito.

Andalusia hills in Spain produce olive oil and have olive trees in the region. Typical dishes from this region use Moorish spices. Shellfish drizzled with the superb sherry vinegar is used along with chilled gazpachos, both white and red. Iberian hams are a specialty here.

In Central Spain, seafood is found from all the coasts of the country. Manchego, chorizo, garlic soups, bean stews, roast baby lambs are found. Migas and cocido Madrileno are common.

Chilis and paprika are common in Basque Country. You must have heard about Basque Country Spicy Chicken and also the salted cod. Peoples' favorite dish from here is Bacalao al pil-pil.

Navarro and Aragon have their favorite in chilindron stew. The signature dish of this region is piquillo peppers which are stuffed or sauteed.

Spanish desserts are creamy and are often made with milk. Some of them are - las natillas (custard cream), el arroz con leche (rice pudding), and el flan (creme caramel).

Popular Spanish Food

Here is a list of some famous dishes from Spain.

Tortilla Espanola, or potato and egg omelet, is a signature Spanish omelet only named like the Mexican tortilla, and nothing similar to it. This can be served as a meal, but mostly as an appetizer.

It is served in a room temperature warmness. Like all other dishes made by Spanish people, the Spanish omelet is also made with olive oil. Potatoes can be substituted with onions or scallions.

Chilled gazpacho or Andalusian cold soup is made with raw, blended vegetables. It is made with cucumbers, onion, capsicum, tomatoes, stale bread, garlic, wine, vinegar, salt, and water. Cumin and paprika are also used in northern regions.

Migas or bread crumbs are very popular in Spain and are the first-course meal for lunch or dinner. The bread is normally a day old and is soaked in water, paprika, garlic, and olive oil.

It is then mixed with spinach or alfalfa and then served with chorizo, bacon, or pork ribs. In some places of Spain like Granada, migas are made from water and flour.

Spanish ham croquettes, or croquetas el jamon is something that should at least be tried once. These appetizers are fried fritters and are similar to the French versions.

Caldo Gallego or Galician soup is made with green beans, meat, and other greens. Ham, bacon, and chorizo are mostly used in this preparation along with cabbage, turnips, potatoes, or collard greens. The meat is known to be cooked with lard.

Chilindron or Spanish stew is a rich and bright stew from Central Spain and is made with chicken or lamb. It could however also be made with venison and rabbit or even mushrooms and vegetables.

The spaghetti red sauce is the specialty in this. Sometimes a bit of white or red wine is used before meat or the vegetable stock is added.

Cocido Madrileno is another stew with bacon, ham bone, veal, chorizo, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and garbanzo beans.

Paella is next and paella is the Spanish national dish. This signature rice dish is cooked in butter and gravy and is made with mussels and shrimp, with saffron flavoring. Sometimes even rabbit, chicken, or sausage pieces are added with black rice. The black rice is prepared with squid ink.

Churros is a fried-dough pastry that came from U.S. and Mexico to Spain. Churros in Spain are filled with chocolate, caramel, or vanilla, and topped with melted sugar.

Some other popular dishes from the region includes leche frita, empenada gallega, jamon, cochinillo asado, rabo de toro, romesco de pescado, Bacalao al pil-pil, pulpo a la Gallega, gambas al ajillo, and pescaito frito. One of the most famous drinks in Spain is sangria.

Traditional Spanish Dishes

Spain is full of heritage and there are many traditional dishes in the country that will play with your taste buds.

Some of the traditional Spanish dishes are - tortilla de patatas, paella, jamon iberico, pan con tomate, chorizo, patatas bravas, seafood of all kinds, Russian salad, croquetas, calamares a la Andaluza, and anchovies. And what is Spanish food without the traditional olive oil in it?

You will also find seafood paella in Spain. Seafood paella is a very popular dish in the world, it is called paella de marisco in that region.

International Recognition For Spanish Chefs

Spanish chefs have become the new sensation with 13 out of the top 100 in The Best Chef Awards taken by them.

DiverXO is a three-star Michelin restaurant in Madrid that is run by head chef Dabiz Munoz and he leads the best chefs of the world in the awards.

In the third position, Spanish chef Andonis Luis Aduriz takes the award and the fourth position is given to chef Joan Roca from the three-star Michelin restaurant El Celler de Can Roca.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Spain food facts, then why not take a look at Puerto Rico food facts or Ancient Roman food facts.