Traditional Spanish Foods
Many foodies would say that among the many varieties of European cuisine, Spanish food ranks high on the charts as some of the most gourmet. From most travel/food shows we see the classic meats and 'tapas' that come along with the new food culture in Spain.
What are some traditional dishes in Spain that CAN'T be missed?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
14 Comments:
I hope you can eat a tortilla while there. That was my favorite.
sorahatch at 9:10PM on 02/24/09
Jamon. And croquetas.
renzata at 9:26PM on 02/24/09
There's soooooo many... Even though I am vegetarian now, I can still remember many of these:
Paella Marinera - with seafood only
Paella Valenciana - with seafood and chicken - always remember to ask for the rice to be well cooked. Sometimes they tend to leave the rice undercooked (al dente) and in my opinion is not rice at its best.
Croquetas - usually made with Jamon, but also made from bacalao, cheese, etc.
Jamon Serrano/Queso Manchego
Tortilla de Patatas - alone or inside a bocadillo (sandwich)
Pimientos del Piquillo rellenos de Bacalao
Bonito del Norte - tuna at its best
Gambas al Ajllo - shrimp sauteed in garlic
Calamares a la Plancha
Pulpo a la Plancha
Patatas Bravas
Ensaladilla Rusa
Crema Catalana - sort of a creme brulee
Pasta de Membrillo con Queso Manchego - quince paste with manchego cheese
Boquerones Fritos - anchovies lightly battered and fried
Churros con Chocolate - hot chocolate in Spain is sort of like a pudding thick. If you want hot chocolate like we usually have in the States you need to order a ColaCao (similar to Quik).
Sangria de Cava - sangria made with sparkling white wine
And when in Barcelona you need to have Pan con Tomate...
Buen provecho!!!
MadelynRodriguez at 10:10PM on 02/24/09
I was so so about Sangria, same with Paella...I lived inland but did have good paella when I hit the beach. A lot of the Sangria that is served at the bars isn't "real" sangria. A lot of the time, its fanta with red wine (good, but not Sangria, sangria).
Croquetas, Boquerones (I got really good at getting the head and spine off in one piece), Manchego, Tortilla, Salmorejo, Churros, pan tomate or pan con acete (olive oil) was my breakfast staple (with a cafe con leche, of course!). I had really good pork and beef served as tapas, lomo (pork loin) and colina de toro. If your food Spanish isn't that good, it pays to be brave and just order.
Try the wine... the best reds come from the north... there is great Sherry from Jerez
I think I had a glass of wine with every meal followed by a cafe con leche.
My fond memory is of eating a calamari sandwich at two or three in the morning from a place near the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. That and tortilla. I've never been able to recreate Spanish Tortilla at home, which makes me sad.
Have fun! I learned a lot from going out and hanging out and trying new stuff. Best place to practice Spanish was at the Cafeteria!
mcanna at 10:47PM on 02/24/09
just spent a couple of days in galicia. you must try pulpo a la gallega with a glass of ribeiro or albariño. pimientos de padrón. i like queso de tetilla with anchovies.
back in madrid and my favorites here are sardinas a la plancha. manchego curado. pisto manchego (with good bread). and a good little plate of aceitunas or salted peanuts with a beer.
numnums at 4:02AM on 02/25/09
All of the above! My absolute favorites:
- pimientos de padrón (how can little peppers be so amazing?????)
- Manchego
- Queso Tetilla (which is a "common" cheese, but creamy and delicious)
- Pata negra (expensive delicious ham!)
- croquetas, ham or bacalao (salt cod)
- pulpo a la plancha
- chorizo en cidra
- Empanada, especially de Atun (tuna)
Also, there's a place in Madrid called Posada de la Villa. They roast lamb in a huge wood oven for 24 hours or so. It's the most delicious meat I've ever tasted! They also make homemade prune liquor for an after dinner drink that is delightful.
I'm planning a trip to Spain next year just to eat and I canNOT wait :)
bitchincamero at 10:54AM on 02/25/09
Tortilla
Any mojo offered with tapas
Olive oil. Man, drink the stuff with a straw, the fruitier the better.
Flan (if a place comes highly recommended)
Someone's homemade sangria.
therealchiffonade at 1:15PM on 02/25/09
Tortilla is awesome. I like it with some chorizo inside.
Paella
Marcona almonds
Manchego is good but I prefer Tetilla cheese
Check out La Tienda (tienda.com). They sell lots of traditional ingredients and they have recipes on the website.
gingercookiewithlime at 3:39PM on 02/25/09
We are also planning a trip to Spain soon, probably to Barcelona and the surrounding Catalonia environs. When you people refer to tortillas, are these more than the masa rounds produced in Mexico?
lambowner at 3:42PM on 02/25/09
Yes- tortilla Espanol is an egg and potato pie, resembles an Italian frittata. It's served everywhere, usually room temperature, sometimes with nice slices of jamon serrano on top.
Embackus at 4:00PM on 02/25/09
In reference to the original thread topic- one thing I found while living in Spain is that the everyday cuisine served in homes and modest restaurants is far from spectacular. Actually, I think it kind of sucks- inland, lots of cheap cuts of meat and greasy potatoes. Yes, there are some fantastic traditional dishes (think paella) and the high-end cuisine is some of the best in the world, but don't expect every meal you eat to be amazing. That said, I ate some of the best meals of my life there, and certainly didn't spend alot, it's all a matter of finding the right places. One thing that many don't mention are the great bakeries and chocolaterias in Spain. Absolutely incredible and not hard to find at all. I know this is blasphemous, but I thought the pastries in Spain were better than those in Paris.
Embackus at 4:08PM on 02/25/09
@embackus -- i agree with everything you just said!
megannesta at 4:12PM on 02/25/09
Thanks for the great feedback everyone! I'll do my very best to try all (if not most) of these tasty dishes.
foodbuff at 8:33PM on 02/25/09
not at all gourmet but tasty, filling and inexpensive...
bocadillos. Long thinnish baguette w/ different fillings.. jamon, tortilla, egg salad, lomo, etc.
Papas Fritas w/ Pimiento and Spicy Mayo
I'd also agree that the pastry is better than France as per Embackus comment.
The Cidrerias in San Sebastian serve amazing beef, bacalao, manchego, quince paste and walnuts.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
katarina_santiago at 11:49AM on 02/26/09