Posted on Tuesday, 20 July 2021

The Spanish love their food, and stop many times in the day for meals and snacks. After breakfast (el desayuno), there’s tapas to be enjoyed, followed by lunch (la comida), mid-afternoon snacks (merienda), dinner (la cena), and then, because the Spanish don’t generally sleep til midnight, there are after-dinner treats like churros (deep fried doughy strips dipped in hot chocolate sauce). 

What sets Spanish cuisine apart is a focus on the freshest seasonal ingredients, and a simple - often quick - approach to cooking. Most of the following dishes only contain a handful of ingredients. 

Here are six typically Spanish dishes to experience on your next visit...

 

Tortilla patata (spanish omelette)

The Spanish tortilla is the dictionary definition of "greater than the sum of its part" - or at least it should be.

How can the simple combination of finely chopped potatoes and onions, fried in olive oil and mixed with egg, taste so fabulous?

Some folks even think adding onions is sacrilegious. But in truth the tortilla can be blended with all manner of extras: garlic, spinach, chorizo included.

You can even slice the omelette horizontally and add cheese.

Hunks of this legendary and ubiquitous Spanish dish are often offered free as tapas in cafes, but it can also form a main meal. 

Patatas bravas

Another simple but delicious bite is the famous patatas bravas.

Recipes vary wildly as you travel across Spain, but in Madrid, it consists of a spicy-sweet sauce made of pimenton (spanish paprika), flour and olive oil. Other variants include garlic or sherry.

Many tourist places serve them with tomatoes, so if you spot them in your patatas bravas, you're probably in a tourist trap. Explore the locals' haunts for authentic non-tomato bravas!

 

Gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp)

Following the simplicity theme, this prawn-based dish is surprisingly straightforward.

After frying green chillies and garlic in olive oil, prawns are added then dressed with parsley.

You'll find this served nationwide, but especially by the sea.

Enjoy with a sweet house wine or Vermouth.

 

Tostas de tomate y jamón (tomato toast and ham)

If you need a quick bite between beach sessions on the Costa del Sol, or between visiting the Sagrada Família and the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, why take a pit stop with this treat - the ultimate toasted ham sandwich.

Thick slices of toast are smeared in tomatoes and garlic, before ham is added.

Iberico Jamon has a wonderfully nutty taste because the black pigs that produce it graze on acorns found under the holm oak trees of western Spain. 

 

Paella (rice and chicken or seafood)

This most quintessential of Spanish dishes contains rice, saffron, and chicken or seafood.

The name Paella literally means "frying pan" in Valencian; the meal takes its name from the large shallow pan in which it's cooked - and served.

You'll find it everywhere in the Valencia region, where much of Spain's rice is grown, but it's also served in seafood eateries of the southern and southeastern coasts.

 

Gazpacho (tomato soup)

A simple but delicious blend of ripe tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, peppers, cucumber and bread, this famous Spanish refresher is served chilled.

You'll often see jugs of it in bars, and it's frequently consumed in summer by Andalucians.

For a protein-rich variant, opt for the  salmorejo de Córdoba - it's denser and is usually topped with pieces of Ibérico ham.

The ultimate refresher after a stint on the sun lounger!

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