03 Jan Tasty Foods To Eat in Spain
Spain has an incredibly rich food culture. There are so many different dishes throughout the country that you have to try when visiting. Since food is such a big part of the Spanish culture, you’ll be blown away by the many food options and all the things you must eat in Spain.
Paella
A well-known and loved Spanish rice dish, Paella is a comfort food, often cooked in giant batches on large, round paella plates (see above), and piled high with meat and seafood. While you can enjoy a hearty, satisfying plate of paella just about anywhere in Spain these days, the dish was created in Valencia. The original dish uses rabbit meat, though the more popular version today has seafood. You’ll find different variations of paella throughout Spain, like the Arroz Marinero Gallego from Galicia, that uses only mussels and no meat. It’s a fairly ubiquitous dish throughout Spain now, so you won’t have trouble finding it on the menu. Although, we still think it’s best in Valencia.
Patatas Bravas
This dish is commonly served as an appetizer, or tapa, in bars and restaurants. The potatoes are fried and extremely fluffy inside. They are piled high on a plate, then topped with a secret blend of tomato sauce, paprika, garlic, chili powder, and sugar. There’s usually a white aioli-type sauce on it too. As you can imagine, the sauces vary grately, depending on the chef, but it almost doesn’t matter, they’re always delicious.
Lechazo Asada
Lechazo asado is roast baby lamb with crackling skin and tender meat. The lamb is cooked in a wood oven in a traditional Castilian restaurant. Around lunch time, the restaurants gear up for their tables to be full of people ordering their lechazo asado. The dishes with roast lamb are lined up around the grill waiting to be cooked to perfection. This dish originated in the asadores of Arande de Duero, located two hours north of Madrid, in the heart of the Ribera del Duero wine region. Here, the lechazo asado has IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status because of the unique way the lamb is raised only on milk, which is said to make the meat especially tender and delicious.
Tortilla Espanola
Tortilla Española, or Spanish tortilla, is one of the most popular dishes in Spain. It’s traditionally made with just eggs and potatoes, but sometimes onions are added, and Chorizo, peppers, ham, etc. It’s the perfect appetizer and if you find a really good one, it’s really good. It bears no resemblance to a Mexican tortilla. The potatoes are incredibly tender and melt in your mouth, and the egg is still a bit runny in the middle. If you’re in San Sebastian for pintxos, I highly recommend queuing in the morning for a ticket that will get your one slice of the famous tortilla made at Bar Nestor.
Spanish Chorizo
Spanish chorizo is a fermented, cured pork sausage that is seasoned with spices including Spanish smoked paprika, and sometimes garlic, that gives it the spicy and sweet flavour. It originated in the Iberian peninsula, but now can be found through Spain.
Churros
Served for breakfast or as a snack or dessert, Churros are very popular in Spain and can be found in many cafes and churrerías, or even from street vendors. They are cylindrical ropes of fried dough, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and often served with a cup of warm chocolate for dipping. It’s hard to resist the crunchy-sweet doughy goodness.
If you are able to find and try each of these items while in Spain, you’ll have a great grasp on the cuisine and the main staples of the Spanish diet. Of course, there are hundreds of other things that will tempt you, as well.