The Food of Spain

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Spanish food is the quintessential Mediterranean diet! Lots of oil in preparation, main meals eaten between 2 and 3pm, with a supper around 8pm. Alcohol, beer or wine is often consumed with the main meal at lunch. Seafood is plentiful with all the coast line. Food and drink is often more expensive when consumed on a terrace, compared with inside the restaurant.

These notes were made during a short trip to Spain. These are just our food experiences and you may have a totally different experience depending on your budget, where you travel and where you eat.

Menu del dia

Menu of the day usually consists of three courses, with a choice at each, and including bread, coffee and occasionally wine.

Spanish omelette

Tapas

Tapas is described as snack foods eaten with a drink at any time of the day. A Racion is a larger serving of tapas. Some of the items to choose from include;

• olives - an endless number of regional varieties, permutated with preparation, stuffed with red pepper, cheese, pickles, anchovies or a garlic clove, marinated in oil with herbs, spices or chili
  
• cured ham - the leg of a pig cured for any number of years, with the flavour and price increasing with the age, served very thinly sliced
  
• Spanish omelet - a thick omelet with usually potato, but occasionally other vegetables added
  
• chorizo - spicy cured sausage
  
• patatas bravas - bit size pieces of baked potato covered in spicy tomato and garlic, ayo sauce
  
• anchovies - served in vinegar
  
• fried calamari
  
• croquettes - boiled and mashed potato, balls filled with cheese and ham and deep fried
  

Paella: Saffron seasoned rice dish, cooked with either seafood, chicken, meat, vegetables or a combination. Not as exciting a taste as I had imagined, mostly just salty rice, often with overcooked seafood.

paella

Gazpacho: Cold soup which is usually vegetable based

Bocadillo: Half a baguette with tapas or salad filling.

Churros: Deep fried long skinny dough, was a similarity we found to central America, although this time covered with chocolate

Churros

Sangria: A popular drink with tapas, punch made with red wine, brandy, juice or sweet mineral water, sugar and cinnamon, served with fruit pieces in a carafe.

enjoying a sangria by the seaside

More

• Guide to Spain
• World Food Diary Index
  

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