Spanish Food

Madrid is a melting pot for the cuisines from all over the peninsula. Gourmets sometimes argue whether Madrid cuisine exists or not, but the truth is that the capital of Spain has enriched its gastronomy with the contributions of the Andalusians, Galicians, Asturians and other immigrants who have settled here. Eating food out in Spain is often cheap and meals are substantial rather than gourmet. One of the best ways to sample Spanish food is to try tapas, or snacks, which are served at any time of day in local bars. In Spain food ranges from cheese and olives to squid or meat delicacies and are priced accordingly. Many of the specialities of Spanish cuisine are based on seafood, although regional specialities are easier to find inland than along the coast. Madrid's own cooking is the proud cuisine of the Castilian high plains, and often the despair of the visiting vegetarian. The most celebrated dish is Cocido Madrileño, a stew that mates chickpeas, potatoes and other vegetables with chicken, pork cuts, and beef. Cocido is poor farmers' food in that it economically produces several courses, starting with its broth and culminating in the meats. A close second is Callos, in which a tripe casserole is enlivened with chorizo and chillies. From the mountains just north of the city, there are also roast lamb and suckling pig. Some of the Madrid region's favourite dishes: Cocido Madrileño, Callos a la Madrileña, Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup), Tortilla de Patata, Bacalao a la Madrileña (Salted Cod in a sauce) and Potaje de Garbanzos (chick pea stew). Restaurants and cafés in Spain have table service. In Spain the thing to drink with tapas is a dry (fino or manzanilla) sherry, or a glass of tinto (red wine). "Tienda" is Spanish for "boutique" or "shop", and this food shop for Spain has really interesting Spanish food such as fresh and dried chorizo sausages, beautiful Serrano hams, Spanish saffron, and canned goods. So you can prepare Spanish food at home.

What the tourist should bear in mind more than anything are the eating hours in Spain. Lunch and the evening meal start much later than in many other countries. The Spaniards tend to start the day with a light breakfast. However, don't be surprised if you're here on business and your fellow Spanish workers exit the office en masse around 10.30-11.00 am. They will be popping round to the nearest café or bar for a quick cup of coffee and croissant or cake.

Lunch never starts before 13.30 pm and can be as late as 15.00 or 15.30 pm. An excellent way of enjoying good, cheap Spanish food at lunch time is to sit down for a "menú del día". This is a fixed price menu offering several choices of first and second courses with a drink, bread and desert or coffee included for around 7 or 8 euros.

Dinner in Spain starts any time after 20.00 pm, and many restaurants will not open until 21.00 pm. In the summer, some families will not sit down for their evening meal until as late as 23.00 pm - so be prepared to wait. If you've had a good meal at mid-day, why not follow the Spanish tradition and go for a evening stroll, visiting the occasional bar and sampling some excellent Spanish wine with tapas instead of a formal dinner.

 

Tapas

Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain. Tapas come in many different forms and can vary from town to town. Tapas can be practically anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion and an olive skewered on a long toothpick, to piping hot meat with sauce served in a miniature clay dish - or anything in between. Tapas are served day in and day out in every bar and café in Spain. So much a part of the culture and social scene that the Spanish people invented the verb tapear which means to go and eat tapas. Tapas keep the Spanish fueled for their long journeys from bar to bar before their midday meal, as well as in the evening before dinner.

 

Spanish Drinks

Spain offers a wonderful variety of drinks - wine, sherry, brandy, moscatel, cava, cider. Spain is the third-largest producer of wine in the world, offering a distinctive range of superb quality at very reasonable prices. Vino tinto is red wine, vino blanco white wine, and vino rosado is a rosé wine. Most Spanish table wines come from northern and central Spain. Moscatel is a strong, fortified wine, but keeps like sherry, once opened. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine - Spain´s equivalent to champagne. The northerly Spanish regions of Asturias and the Basque country are famed for their beautiful cider, or sidra.

 

Spanish Olive Oil

The olive, a symbol of peace, and the tree which produces olives (olea europea) are known to have been cultivated around the Mediterranean about 6,000 years ago.  With such a long and rich history it’s no surprise that today, the importance of olive oil to Spanish culture is ingrained in every meal. The olive and its natural juice, olive oil, are at the heart of Spanish culture and the cultivation of olives and the production of olive oil have deep roots in the history of Spain. Smooth, Vibrant, Bold. Just like a fine wine, the varietal, climate and region determine an olive oil’s taste. From the southern olive groves of Andalucía to the northern region of Catalonia, Spain, the number one producer of olive oil, offers the largest variety of unique oils that are as distinctive and diverse as nature itself. They will heighten the flavour of your meals and reveal the creativity in you. Spain has the best climate in the world for growing olives which makes Spanish olive oil one of the most important products of the country’s agricultural food industry.