Names of food in Spain. Spanish cuisine - traditional national recipes with photos at home. Cuisine of central Spain

For the preparation of the cake, almond flour, butter, lemons, sugar and nuts are used. Be sure to decorate the top powdered sugar highlighting the cross of Santiago with a special stencil. Served with fine Galician wines.

The Santiago cake has a fairly long shelf life, so many tourists take it as a souvenir from Spain to relatives and friends. The cost of a cake weighing 700 g is from 12 €.

Churros

Be sure to try an interesting sweet dish of Spanish cuisine called "churros" for breakfast. This dessert is loved all over the world. It is prepared from choux pastry, deep-fried or baked.

Churros are sold in cafes and restaurants, on street stalls. delicious treat sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar, in some establishments it is stuffed with cream or chocolate.

It is best to try churros dipped in hot chocolate sipping fragrant Spanish coffee with cream. The price per serving is 3-4 €.

It is famous for its traditional dishes due to their unusual flavor combinations and a wide variety of ingredients. Each region of Spain and climatic conditions bring their own characteristics and culinary delights to the national cuisine. Spaniards highly value naturalness in products: fresh seafood and meat, rice and fragrant spices, olive oil. Each dish is spicy in its own way and always has an original design. To better imagine the features of the national cuisine of Spain, consider the most popular Spanish dishes.

1. Paella

The main ingredient of this delicious Spanish dish is rice with fragrant saffron and olive oil. Green vegetables, seafood or chicken meat are added to paella. There are many recipes for this dish. Each region of the country offers its own special ingredients, but in classic version there are always several varieties of fish, rice, white wine and spices. Meat and rice make this dish of Spanish cuisine not only tasty, but also very satisfying. Traditionally, paella adorns every Sunday lunch and is considered an integral part of the table on the feast of St. Joseph.

Tortilla is the most common and popular dish Spanish cuisine. Do not confuse it with thin mexican tortilla from cornmeal. Spanish tortilla is a delicious casserole made from potatoes, eggs and a variety of vegetables: tomatoes, corn, green pot, sweet peppers and onions. The cuisine of every province in Spain offers its own recipe with certain ingredients, but potatoes and eggs always form the basis of any tortilla. Such a dish in the form of a nutritious omelet is often offered to cafe visitors as breakfast. The delicious tortilla is also sold in many supermarkets and is in high demand due to its satiety.

Everyone has probably heard about such a national dish, without which it is impossible to imagine the cuisine of Spain, like jamon. Jamon is a dry-cured pork ham. This meat delicacy is highly valued not only in Spain itself, but also far beyond its borders. Jamon is made only from the hind legs of the carcass and there are two varieties of it: Serrano (white breed of pigs) and Iberico (black breed of pigs). Serrano has a more affordable price, while Iberico is made from pigs fed a special diet of cork acorns and herbs. Real jamon is cut by hand using a special device (hamoner) and has an incredibly delicate taste and aroma. Each ham is carefully salted and stored in special rooms, ripening to perfection. The quality of jamon is checked by experienced tasters. To imagine the popularity of this dish in Spanish cuisine, it is worth mentioning that there is even a jamón museum in Madrid.

Tapas are small snacks served with wine or beer for free. They can be made from almost any ingredient and are an integral part of Spanish culture. Every self-respecting drinking establishment has several types of tapas for its guests. Such miniature snacks are prepared from seafood, and baked vegetables, and meat. They can be simply twisted or put on a skewer. It all depends on the imagination of the chef and the tastes of the visitors. In the form of tapas, some bars may offer stuffed olives, nuts or bacon pieces. Combinations of ingredients can be very diverse. That is why there are a huge number of types and recipes of these light and tasty snacks.

5. Andalusian gazpacho

Another famous dish of Spanish cuisine is Andalusian gazpacho, which is a delicious creamy soup and is served cold. Initially, the soup did not have such a rich color and did not even include tomatoes. Today classic recipe includes: tomatoes, bread crumb, pepper, cucumber and garlic. All this is carefully ground and mixed. The soup is flavored with wine vinegar, olive oil and spices, after which it is infused in the refrigerator. Serve the soup along with crackers or a vegetable side dish. The dish gained popularity due to its delicate texture and pleasant coolness, which is so desirable on a hot day. Despite the fact that the recipe came from Andalusia, gazpacho is considered the national dish of Spanish cuisine and is known all over the world.

6. Churros

It is impossible to imagine breakfast in Spain without churros. This sweet pastry sweet dough in the form of crispy sticks, it will ideally complement a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Perfect for relaxing in the company in the form of a light snack. Such a delicacy is prepared in deep fat, frying the strips until golden brown. Traditionally, churros are sprinkled with powdered sugar and flavored with cinnamon, but there are also types with a filling. Such a delicacy can be found on the menu of any cafe or restaurant in Spain. The recipe is incredibly simple and has gained popularity in many countries, such as Mexico, France, Portugal.

7. Fabada

The recipe for the popular Fabada soup comes from the cuisine of the province of Asturias. It has a rather thick consistency and consists of white beans and sausage (usually morcilla and chorizo). When preparing Fabada, faba de la Granja beans are used. It is unusually large in size and white in color. Sausage gives a special piquancy to the soup: pork blood sausage and spicy dry-cured sausage. Sometimes bacon is included in the recipe. Due to its satiety and unusual taste, which adds fragrant smoked sausage, the soup is very popular in Spain and even has analogues in the cuisines of other European countries.

Tapas, chorizo, gazpacho, paella, fabada, jamon... If these sonorous names are empty words for you, then you have not yet visited sunny Spain, but only plan to go there. And sooner or later a number of questions will arise in your head - A, what will I eat there? How will I understand the menu, I do not know Spanish?

So I prepared a small cheat sheet of gastronomic terms, which, if desired, you can print and carry with you in your pocket.

Spanish cuisine leads the world in terms of variety of dishes, you can't try everything! But there are dishes and delicacies without which you will not get a complete picture of Spain.

Order fragrant cold gazpacho(Gaspacho), a popular Spanish potato and egg tortilla omelette. Appreciate the color of Paella (Paella) and fish Zarzuela (Zarzuela). Walk through the bars, try the signature Tapas and Pinchos. Be sure to get to know the taste of the savory chorizo ​​sausage, the Iberico ham (jamón ibérico) - hard to find outside of Spain, and the famous Spanish blue cheese cabrales (cabrales).

Try the sweet white walnut mix Horchata. Don't miss out on the iconic hot chocolate churros (churros, a kind of cookie doughnut) and Turron honey-nut nougat, a Christmas treat but sold all year round.

Sauces – Salsas

3 main Spanish sauces: alioli, Romesco and Salsa verde (photo: Santi)

• Alioli– traditional Catalan garlic Sause, is made from garlic, olive oil and egg yolks by beating. Suitable for fish, meat and poultry.
• Pasto verde- green pesto italian sauce but in Spain it is popular. Ingredients: basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt.
• pesto rojo- "red pesto": Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese.
• Romesco- tomatoes, chili peppers, sweet red peppers, roasted almonds, garlic, toasted bread, olive oil, vinegar, salt.
• La salsa de tomate- tomato sauce.
• La salsa de soja- soy sauce.
• La mostaza de Dijon- Dijon mustard.
• El vinagre(balsámico, de arroz, de manzana, de vino) - vinegar (balsamic, rice, apple, wine).

Snacks – Entremeses

Snacks at the bar (photo: Marcus Hansson)

A real Spanish meal begins with light snacks - Tapas (Tapas), which can be either cold (Entrantes frios) or hot (Entrantes calientes). Their main task is to excite the appetite.

Among other snacks, mini-sandwiches pierced on a pointed wooden stick or an ordinary toothpick - Pinchos - stand out in a special way.

Olives are in the lead among Spanish appetizers. They are strung on skewers with pieces of vegetables, stuffed. The "cult" dishes include Tapas based on sausages, ham, vegetables, and cheese. They love pies in Spain: each region has its own recipes.

• Rinones al jerez- kidneys in sherry.
• Chistorra- thinly sliced ​​sausages.
• chorizo- spicy sausage
• Menestra – vegetable stew with ham (there are many varieties).
• Entremeses- assorted snacks from sausages, cheeses, pickled vegetables.
• Escalivada- a variety of stewed vegetables.
• Panache de verduras- vegetable mixture, usually stewed (artichokes, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, endives, spinach, garlic, oil, salt).
• Pisto- stewed vegetables, often with the addition of a boiled egg.
• Pimiento asado- fried peppers.
• Revuelto- a dish of beaten eggs, similar to an omelet, with the addition of mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, salmon, etc.
• Huevos revueltos- omelette.
• tortilla- omelet with potatoes.
• Tortilla Sacromonte- an omelet-type dish: potatoes and onions are simmered over low heat in olive oil, ham slices, green peas (and other ingredients) are added, beaten eggs are poured over and fried on both sides.
• Patatas- potatoes.

Salads – Ensaladas

Orange salad with spinach (Ensalada de lechuga y espinacas con naranja) (photo: etringita)

Spaniards prepare salads from seafood and fish, beans and vegetables. Mixes of tomatoes and garlic with herbs (Ajotomate), potato Ensalada Malagueña with olives are popular. Some salad mixes include oranges; dressings are made from olive oil, wine, vinegar.

• Ensalada Mixta- lettuce (lettuce, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots ...).
• Ensalada aragonese- Aragonese salad (lettuce, Green pepper, olives, tomato, boiled eggs, jamon serrano).
• Ensalada de colors- salad (potatoes, cucumber, boiled beets, boiled eggs, salted salmon).
• Ensalada de Valencia- Valencian salad (rice, chicken breast, pickled cucumbers, tomato, green peas, onion, coarse salt).
• Ensalada Formigal- salad, which was in all catering establishments of Formigal (chicken or tuna, corn, tomatoes, eggs, lettuce or Chinese cabbage, dressing-vinegar and olive oil). Sometimes found as tuna salad or chicken salad.

Soups

Thick lentil soup – Lentejas con chorizo ​​(photo: Con Mucho Gusto TV)

Soups are cooked cold, warm, pureed and filling. The most popular are Gazpacho Andaluz and Salmorejo. Thick cold cuts Olla Podrida (Olla podrida), stewed in a pot with vegetables, has been known in the country since the Middle Ages.

• Gaspacho- cold tomato soup
• Gaspacho andaluz- cold thick soup-puree of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions and garlic with olive oil and slices of fried bread.
• Salmorejo- similar to gazpacho, but with two fundamental differences: salmorejo has different proportions and cucumbers in it are replaced by white bread and it is thicker.
• Ajo blanco- soup, also known as "white gazpacho", made from boiled chopped almonds mixed with breadcrumbs, garlic and olive oil.
• Crema – vegetable puree soup depending on the composition, it can be both hot and cold. It comes from eggplant, zucchini, carrots, leeks, or mixed vegetables.
• Sopa de cebolla- onion soup.
• sopa de fideos- noodle soup.
• Sopa de hortalizas- vegetable soup.
• Sopa de cocido- broth seasoned with noodles or rice, onions and bread.
• Sopa de pescado- fish soup.
• Suquet de peix- a rich fish ear.
• Patatas a la marinera- soup made from potatoes, fish and seafood.
• Sopa de ajo- garlic soup, white bread is fried in butter with garlic, then poured with water or vegetable broth and boiled with paprika.
• sopa-castellana- Castilian soup, one of the varieties of garlic soup, to which an egg and, sometimes, jamon are added.
• Caldo or consomé- chicken broth or broth on the bone from jamon.
• Potaje castellano- Castilian stew: chickpeas, spinach, carrots, garlic, boiled egg, flour, black pepper.
• Potaje canario – white beans, pumpkin, zucchini, tomato, boiled corn, garlic, onion, bacon.
• Fabada Asturiana- stew with white beans, bacon and sausages: morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo ​​(pork sausages with red pepper), jamon.
• Lentejas con chorizo- a thick soup of lentils stewed with chorizo, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves.
• sopa tropical- soup made from pureed avocado mixed with natural yogurt, lemon juice and meat broth.
• Ruchero- a thick soup made from beef, chicken, ham, dumplings or rice, potatoes, garlic.

Fish and seafood – Pescado y mariscos

Canarian fish dish (photo: draculina_ak)

The same fish can be cooked in different ways: “a la sal” (baked in salt), “a la plancha” (fried in olive oil), “a la marinera” (stewed with other seafood).

• Atun- tuna in various varieties.
• Sardinas- sardines.
• Pez espada- swordfish with various garnishes.
• Raya- stingray with spices.
• Rape- "angler".
• Lubina- sea pike.
• rodaballo- halibut.
• Bacaladilla- not really big fish up to 15 cm, it is easy to fry it in a frying pan, somewhat reminiscent of the taste of pollock. Not dear.

Galician octopus (photo: Flávia Junqueira)

Spanish cuisine is unthinkable without seafood and fish. Cod and mackerel, shellfish, squid and cuttlefish are perfectly cooked here; skillfully fried small fish: espeto sardines, anchovies (boquerones). Mohama delicacy is made from tuna. On holidays, Sarsujela is served, a complex fish and seafood stew.

• Pulpo condimentado con tomate y ajo- Octopus in tomato-garlic seasoning.
• Cazuela del pescador- "Fisherman's Pot": fish and shrimp boiled with rice in a fish broth with white wine and spices.
• Frito mixto- assorted fried seafood. It usually includes 2-3 types of fish and 2-3 types of seafood.
• mariscos– seafood (shrimp, etc.)
• Mariscada- assorted seafood.
• Mejillones a la marinera- mussels in a sailor's way, boiled in white wine with onions, garlic and spices.
• Merluza en salsa roja- hake in red sauce: stewed in fish broth with white wine in a sauce of spices used in the manufacture of chorizo ​​sausage.
• Merluza en salsa verde– hake in green sauce: stewed in fish broth with white wine in parsley sauce.
• mero al canario– Canarian mero: mero fish fried and boiled with garlic-nut paste and roasted peppers.
• Pulpo a la gallega– Galician octopus, also known as “ Pulpo a feira“. Pieces of boiled octopus boiled potatoes flavored with paprika, coarse salt and olive oil.
• Zarzuela- “paella without rice”, fish roast in tomato sauce with Andalusian spices.

Meat Dishes – Carne

El cordero en chilindrón – lamb, Navarre (photo: rosarioaldaz)

From meat dishes Cordoba beef, kidney banderillos, sausages are popular (the most famous are chorizo ​​(chorizo) and morcilla (morcilla)). Dry-cured ham-jamon (jamón) has become a national treasure. The bird is served differently: turkey, chickens, duck, capon rooster (capon).

• carne de res or carne de vacuno- beef.
• carne de ternera- veal.
• carne de cerdo- pork.
• carne de cordero- mutton.
• El cordero en chilindron- lamb (Navarre).
• carne de cabra- goat meat.
• carne de conejo- rabbit.
• carne de pelo- rabbit, hare.
• carne de monte- game.

• carne blanca- young meat.
• carne magra- lean meat.
• carne asada- meat from the oven.
• carne estofada- minced meat
• Albondigas- meatballs.
• carne guisada- goulash.
• Casuela- roast (Catalonia).

• Conejo a la jardinera- rabbit fried in a sauce of white wine, tomatoes and onions, and stewed with green peas in meat broth. Actually, any dish ending in “a la jardinera” means stewing with vegetables.
• Cabrito- Roast from a dairy goat.
• Cordero asado- Roast lamb.
• Chuletillas de cordero lechal- Chop on the bone from milk lamb.
• Navarro cochifrito- spicy lamb stew.
• Lomo de buey- bull shoulder, usually grilled.
• Rabo de toro- oxtail stewed in red wine.
• Capi-i-pota- stew from pig's head and pork feet.
• Orejas a la plancha- Grilled pork ears.
• Cochinillo asado- whole suckling pig roast.
• Codillo al aleman- shoulder part pork carcass on the bone, boiled in broth with spices and lightly baked. Served often with mashed potatoes and German sauerkraut.
• carrillera de cerdo or carrillada de ternera- pork or veal cheeks stewed with wine, onion, garlic and paprika.
• Solomillo a la plancha- tenderloin (pork or veal) on the grill.
• Solomillo- tenderloin, usually pork or beef, fried in olive oil and salted with coarse salt. No additional ingredients or sauces are usually added, since this meat does not need them at all.
• Calderillo- veal boiled in a broth of onions, carrots, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers. Before serving, fried potatoes are also added to the broth.
• Filete de ternera a la plancha- grilled veal fillet.
• Escalope milanesa- Milanese escalope: fried veal in breadcrumbs. Sometimes served with cheese tomato paste.
• Redondo- thin round slices of stewed veal in a thick flour sauce.
• carajaca– fried beef liver, previously soaked for several hours in a sauce of garlic, hot and hot peppers, cumin, olive oil and vinegar.
• Callos a la madrilena- intestines, beef lip, beef leg.
• Olla podrida- sheep, calf, beef tails, ham, peas and vegetables.
• Cocido or segundo cocido- assorted boiled beef, pork, chicken, sausages, lard, chickpeas and potatoes.
• pinchos morinos- marinated and skewered meat (south).
• San Jacobo- a dish better known in Russia under the name "cordon-bleu". Two pieces of meat, padded with ham and cheese and fried in breadcrumbs.
• Escalope- a thin, boneless piece of meat, can be from: veal, pork, turkey, or salmon.
• Parrillada- assorted grill. Maybe fish, and seafood, and mixed.
• Cocido madrileño- Turkish peas with meat and vegetables.
• callos- tripe with black pudding and pepper sauce (Madrid).
• Fabada asturiana- stewed beans smoked sausage, bacon, etc.
• Habas con jamon- beans with ham.
• Torreznos- cracklings, fried pieces of bacon with a meat layer.

Rice Dishes – Arroces

Fried eggs with rice and tomato paste (photo: Pablo B)

• Arroz a la cubana- scrambled eggs with rice and tomato paste.
• Arroz a la zamorana- boiled rice pork meat on the ribs pig's ear and red pepper.
• Arroz de la huerta- rice with tomatoes, legumes, artichokes and other vegetables.
• Arroz con bonito- rice with tuna and vegetables.

paella

Paella – Arroz pescador (photo: Viandas Cádiz, Sl)

National Spanish (Valencian) dish of rice tinted with saffron and olive oil. In addition, seafood, vegetables, chicken, sausages are added to paella ... There are countless recipes for this dish. Here are 3 main popular types of paella:

1. paella mixta- mixed paella.
2. paella valenciana- from rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans and seasonings.
3. paella de marisco- rice with seafood, it lacks beans and vegetables.

Some more:

• Arroz a la marinera- paella with squid, fish (monkfish), and green pepper.
• Arroz a la milanesa- paella with chicken liver, jamon, cheese, tomato and hot pepper.
• Arroz negro- paella with squid, lobsters or shrimps, mussels and the same "monkfish". The black color of the rice comes from cuttlefish ink.
• Arroz pescador- paella with squid, monkfish, mussels, almechs (a type of shellfish), lobsters and red pepper.
• Arroz con costra- "rice with a crust", prepared from rice, saffron, chicken broth, tomatoes, garlic, chicken, white and blood sausage, sausages and eggs.

Desserts, sweet - Postre, dulce

The cult dessert of the Spaniards - Turron (Turron) - honey and nut nougat. Many sweets are made from fruits: stuffed baked apples, puddings, pies. Polvorón crumbly macaroons are baked for Christmas. Spaniards love dessert creams (cremas): almond - almendras, vanilla - vainilla, egg - huevo.

• Quesada pasiega- Spanish cheesecake
• Crema de membrillo con queso- curd cheese dessert with jam.
• Flao- cake from shortcrust pastry with cottage cheese, with the addition of anise or mint.
• Bizcocho- biscuit.
• Tarta de San Marcos- sponge cake filled with cream or jelly. Castile and Lyon.
• Brazo de gitano- roll with cream filling.
• Tarta de almendras- almond pie.
• Soplillos- bizet with almonds.
• Tartita de manzana- tartlet with an apple.
• Natillas – custard from milk, sugar and egg yolks.
• Piononos de Granada- pastries with custard. Andalusia.
• Miguelitos- puff pastries with custard. Castile, La Mancha.
• Susos de crema- pastries with custard. Catalunya.
• Galletas Ohuelas- cookies, the composition depends on the region. It is usually prepared from dough based on wheat flour, fried in oil and soaked in syrup, honey or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• galleta de pistola- shortbread cookies.
• Galletas Almendrado s - macaroons.
• Galletas Sachepos- cookies in the form of a cone, poured with syrup (egg, sugar, flour, syrup, cinnamon).
• Arroz con leche- rice boiled in milk with sugar and egg.
• Cuajada- a dish resembling a mixture of cottage cheese with yogurt and sugar.
• Crema catalana- a dessert prepared on the basis of milk, egg yolks and cornmeal.
• Flan A jelly-like dessert made from beaten eggs, milk and sugar, often flavored with vanilla.
• Leche frita- fried pieces of dough made from flour, eggs and milk.
• Galletas lenguas de gato- flour, butter, sugar, eggs.
• Yemas de Santa Teresa- a dessert made from eggs, sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, powdered sugar.
• Turron de Alicante- nougat white color(honey, sugar, water, egg whites, almonds).
• Turron de Jijona- the soft nougat from Gijon is quite different from the hard nougat from Alicante. Moreover, the difference lies not only in the composition, but also in the method of preparation (honey, sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, egg whites).
• Turron de Guirlache- like our kazinaki, with almonds and sesame seeds.
• Arnadi- a traditional dessert of Valencia, from pumpkin and sugar, cinnamon, flour, almonds, eggs. Sometimes pumpkin is replaced with sweet potatoes.
• Rosquillas tontas“Madrid dessert, fudge donuts.
• Rosquillas listas- Madrid lemon donuts.
• Roscos de Anis- Andalusian donuts.
• Torta de Aranda- flatbread (flour, yeast, water, olive oil), a dish of Castile and Lyon.
• Torrijas- bread soaked in milk and egg with sugar and cinnamon, fried in olive oil.
• Florones- a dessert, like our brushwood, a flower-shaped form, (flour, eggs, milk, sugar) is fried on in large numbers oils. Castile and Lyon.
• coca bean- pastries from yeast dough. Valencia.
• Trenza de Almudevar- Bun in the form of a pigtail with raisins and nuts, caramelized. Aragon.
• Ensaimada- rolls from yeast dough, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Balearic Islands.
• Paparajotes- pies stuffed with lemon leaves. Murcia.
• Tortas de alma- pies stuffed with pumpkin.
• carbayones– Glazed puff pastries with filling (almond, egg, sugar, sweet wine and lemon zest).
• Frangollo – milk dessert from crushed almonds, currants, anise, butter, cinnamon, milk, lemon, sugar. Canaries.
• Mazapan- almond dessert egg white, sugar. Castile, La Mancha.
• Zurracapote
• Macedonia – fruit platter in its own juice.

Coffee – Cafe

Black coffee (photo: Aroma de Café)

• Solo- black, strong coffee in a small cup.
• Cafe de puchero- Strong black coffee.
• Barista- High quality coffee.
• Expresso- originally from Italy, black strong coffee.
• Cortado o machiatto- espresso coffee with milk.
• blanco and negro- coffee with milk. Valencia.
• Cafe vienes- Cappuccino with chocolate chips.
• Moca- coffee with milk, with the addition of chocolate or cocoa.
• Arabe- coffee with cinnamon and cardamom.
• Turco o griego- Turkish or Greek coffee.
• Biberon o bombon- black coffee with milk and condensed milk. Valencia and Catalonia.
• Ebaki– coffee with a little milk and a lot of sugar. San Sebastian.
• Cafe instantaneo – instant coffee.
• Frappe- instant coffee with milk, very cold, Greek drink.
• Cafe con hielo- iced coffee.
• Mixto- iced coffee with horchata. Valencia.
• Nube– coffee 10% and 90% milk, served in a glass. Malaga.
• Manchado- milk, to which a little coffee is added.
• milkshake- milkshake with coffee, fruits and flavors of vanilla or chocolate are added, very popular in Madrid and other major cities.
• Suspiro– cold drink horchata with lemon and a little coffee. Valencia.
• Café del tiempo- coffee, lemon, sugar and some ice. A popular summer drink in Valencia.
• Carajillo- coffee to which alcohol is added: liquor (Galicia), anise (Madrid), rum (Ibiza).
• Ireland- coffee, the third part is Irish whiskey.
• cafe asiatico– coffee, flaming cognac and condensed milk, sprinkled with cinnamon. Cartagena.
• Licor café- liqueur based on coffee and sugar, served cold with ice. Galicia.
• Biberon de Milan- coffee with condensed milk, egg yolks, vermouth, a slice of lemon, cinnamon and crushed ice. Murcia.

Drinks are popular both strong and non-alcoholic. Spain is famous for sherry and Sangria, monastery liquors and Aguardiente vodka. The most famous non-alcoholic drink is Horchata, a sweet white nut mix.

• Limonada fresca- a refreshing drink based on lemon or lime, sometimes with the addition of a small amount alcohol. The addition of wine (aka Castilian or León lemonade) will make the drink more like sangria, and the use of rum will turn the lemonade into a Cuban mojito.
• Agua de cebada- barley decoction, a refreshing drink consisting of barley grains, water, lemon peel, cinnamon, sweetened with honey or sugar. Traditional in Madrid.
• Horchata de almendra- a drink made from water, sugar, cinnamon and almonds, drink very chilled. Traditional in the Spanish provinces: Murcia, Albacete and Almeria.
• Horchata de chufa- a kind of white, slightly sweet drink made from chaufa (ground almonds).
• Granizado- frozen to fine crumbs juice or fruit or berry puree.
• Gaseosa- carbonated water, usually sweetish, it is not consumed by itself, but is used to prepare lungs weakly alcoholic beverages.
• Sangria- at the heart of its preparation red wine and oranges. All other components can be changed at will.
• Aloja(bebida) - aloha, honey drink with spices, sometimes on wine.
• Mosto- approximately, this is grape juice (the raw material from which wine is later obtained, but at this stage does not contain alcohol). Feels like a non-alcoholic wine.
• Sidra- cider, made from natural apple juice with the addition of honey. It becomes sparkling when skillfully poured.
• Tinto de verano- a drink based on red wine (literally "red summer"), very much in common with sangria, usually carbonated. It happens with lemon and without, as well as non-alcoholic.
• Zurracapote- a drink consisting of a mixture that is based on red wine. It also includes various fruits such as peaches, oranges or lemons, sugar and cinnamon.
• Malta- a soft drink based on malt and barley, our closest analogue is kvass.
• Clara- a 50/50 mix of beer and lemon soda.
• Dorada- beer, the symbol of Tenerife.
• tropical– beer, Canary Islands

Culinary specialties by region:

Traditional Spanish snacks (photo: KeithEdinburgh)

Spanish cuisine is varied. The formation of the tastes of the Spaniards was influenced by the climate and lifestyle; The Romans, Moors, and French brought their color to cooking.

A fairly large country has significant differences in culinary tastes from region to region. For example, in Catalonia they eat differently than in Castile, and in the Basque Country they cook differently than in Andalusia.

northern cuisine

Favorites of Northern Spain - seafood, fish. The Basque Country is famous for its baked cod with garlic, but sweets are almost never prepared. In Galicia, on the contrary, they create delicious confectionery serving the freshest seafood. Vegetables form the basis simple meals Navarre, Rioja, Aragon. Cider is calling card Asturias.

Mediterranean Kitchen

Mediterranean cuisine is based on olives, rice and vegetables; love here thick creamy soups. Fish dishes predominate in Valencia; here they cook a unique paella (paella Valencia) with sea ​​platter. From Arab times, wonderful oriental sweets. Original sauces are made in Catalonia; in the cuisine of the mountainous Catalan regions, sausages and meat predominate. The Balearics are famous for their vegetables and herbal liqueurs.

Cuisine of central Spain

Hearty dishes are characteristic of Central Spain: thick soups-cocido, lentils, beans, sausages, roasted lambs and pigs, game, the famous jamon.

Andalusian cuisine

In hot Andalusia, the traditions of all regions converged. Andalusians actively use fish and meat, prepare vegetable and cereal soups, make sheep and goat cheese. The best gazpacho and mountain ham are served here.

Spanish cuisine is very diverse and is made up of the culinary traditions of 17 regions. Although there are still common features - all Spaniards use a lot of olive oil, paprika, garlic: all over the country they eat tapas, make paella and gazpacho. And, of course, what would dinner be without good wine!

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The dishes of the Canary Islands are simple and high in calories, their uncomplicated composition emphasizes the freshness of the original ingredients. The traditions of cooking came from the indigenous islanders, they were historically joined by the secrets of the skill of cooks in Portugal, North Africa, and Europe.

The article was written according to information from the site spain4you.es/forum.

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The cuisine of the Spaniards is distinguished by its diversity and seductive flavor. This is a surprisingly harmonious combination of traditions and innovative developments and trends. It is impossible to imagine Spanish cuisine without the Iberian pig, which is most often located in the center of the table, as well as the innovative molecular cuisine that appeared in the north of the country and became popular all over the world.

Spanish cuisine - the vanguard of dishes

Most people judge the taste of this country's cuisine by its touristy dishes, which are dominated by mostly tasteless paella and fatty meats of unknown origin. And this is very sad, as Spanish cuisine is rich in delicious, healthy and nutritious dishes. Spaniards are proud of their national cuisine. This is also proved by statistical data, since in this country the population spends more money on food than in other countries of the world. And this is not surprising. After all, the country's cuisine is distinguished by exquisite simplicity, but at the same time, many famous chefs do not hesitate to experiment, surprising their users with a variety of cooked dishes. Particularly successful in the development of modern Spanish cuisine is the owner of the El Bulli restaurant Ferran, which is located in the town of Roses. Thanks to his experiments and innovations, Spanish cuisine can adequately compete with the French for the title of "haute cuisine".

A bit of history

Variety and rich color Spanish dishes due to the diversity of cultural and ethnic roots of the population. The history and origin of many dishes goes back to ancient times, when the Greeks and Phoenicians considered themselves masters on this peninsula. The latter introduced olives into the diet, which later became national products. Indeed, after some time, the Romans began to import olive oil from Spain to their place in Rome. In turn, the Romans' ability to preserve fish and grow grapes became useful for Spanish culinary specialists.

Many Spanish culinary traditions regarding the use of spices and herbs have been rooted since the time of the Arab-Moorish rule, which lasted about 8 centuries. Thanks to trade relations, Indian pomegranates, rice, eggplants, African melons and figs from Constantinople appeared in Spain. Since the time of the Moor, the Spanish population has remained indifferent to sweets. In the 13-14th century, products from the New World appeared in the country - zucchini, peppers, beans, potatoes, which further diversified the already colorful food of the Spaniards.

Important dates that relate specifically to Spanish cuisine

13th century - In Spain, thanks to the settlement of the country by the Moors, plants such as apricot, quince, carob and pistachio trees, almonds, oranges and carrots appeared.

1324 - The first cookbooks written in Catalan began to appear in the Spanish colony. This year, the first cookery book, The Book of St. Sophia" ("Libre de Sent Sovi"). It contained recipes for Catalan cuisine with step by step description cooking.

1519 - After the conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortes, the whole world learned about such products as tomatoes, chocolate, turkey, vanilla, chili peppers.

1520 - The first printed book, The Cookbook (Libre del coch) by Robert de Nol, was published, presenting the most common dishes of Mediterranean cuisine.

2nd half of the 20th century - The system of classification of food products began to be introduced in the country. The new list includes more than 100 products that have been marked with the DO (Denominacion de Origen) protection mark.

1970-1980 - This period is considered the date of the creation of the "new Basque cuisine" (nueva cocina vasca). The developers of the new, more easily "healthy peasant food" were Basque chefs who innovated under the influence of french cuisine. In just a few years, innovations have become widespread throughout the country.

2009 - Starting this year, for several years, the provocative cuisine of the El Bouly restaurant, owned by Ferran Adria, has become widespread and popular. His institution received the title " best restaurant peace."

New provocative Spanish cuisine

Today, the kitchens of many high-end Spanish restaurants are dominated by alchemy, which is becoming increasingly popular due to its innovative and radically new approaches. " New kitchen» (La nueva cocina) is a type of molecular cuisine. The emerging technology is based on the use of components such as liquid nitrogen, dry ice and others, which were also used in the food industry. The pioneer and successful chef of this trend was Ferran Adria, who spends a huge amount of time in his own funded laboratory, where research is carried out and more and more new recipes for innovative cuisine appear.

For the Spaniards, Ferran Adria is a real legend, because this man went a long and difficult path to become the owner of a restaurant. He first began his career in the kitchen by washing dishes. He got a job as a dishwasher to earn money for a trip to the sea for recreation.

Today, this man's restaurant has a peculiar schedule. Visitors can come here only for six months, the rest of the six months the institution is closed to receive guests. Table reservations are made only one day before the opening of the restaurant for the new season. The most surprising thing is that, despite the huge number of applications for one place in the restaurant, the institution remains unprofitable. Since 2003, Adria has received the title of "best chef".

It was Adria who became the founder of the new destructive cuisine. Moreover, he not only develops new dishes, but also conducts experiments with combinations of various products and reincarnation traditional dishes into new options.

An example is the transformation of the usual hot Catalan dish, which includes spinach, raisins, pine nuts, olive oil, into a cold frozen spinach dessert, served with sherry and roasted pine nuts. There are a huge number of such attractive options and experiments. Popular experimenters include Juan Mari Arsac, Sergi Arola and Pedro Subihan. Thanks to the developments and experiments of such chefs, Spain is a leader in the world of innovative cutting-edge cuisine.

DO - quality mark

Modern man seeks to eat not only tasty, but also without harm to the body. The quality of products today is everyone's concern. The Spanish government is no exception, they also strive to protect their products from fakes. The National Institute for Quality Control (Instituto Nacional de Denominaciones de Origen) has developed its own DO (Denominacion de Origen) classification system, which includes the most common products. Only products that meet certain requirements and criteria can receive such a quality mark.

Bread, meat and vegetables are staple foods

The source of meat for the Spaniards is pigs

It can be rightly noted that the main animal of Spain is the pig. More than 20 thousand heads of these animals are grown on the territory of the country. It is also worth noting that all parts of the pig, including legs, ears, heads, find their use in Spanish cuisine. Pork gained its special significance in the diet of the Spaniards during the Reconquista period, when the use of this meat in writing was considered a distinctive feature of ethnic and political affiliation. Moors and Jews don't eat pork at all.

For the Spaniards from ancient times to the present day, an important date for the peasants is the day of the slaughter of pigs - Matanza (Matanza), which falls on November. In central Spain, dried hams still hang from hooks in most houses today. And on holidays the main main course, which is honorably placed on the table, is suckling pig. In fairness, it should be noted that even today every Spaniard eats pork during the day. This meat is part of most Spanish national dishes that are common in the country:

• Chorizo ​​(chorizo) is a delicious smoked sausage;
• Tosino (tocino) - bacon;
• Lomo (lomo) - pork sausage dry-cured character;
• Salchichon (salchichon) - ham sausage;
• Morcilla is a blood sausage.

This is not a complete list of dishes based on pork.

Dried ham - jamon

In the mountains of Andalusia, a high quality pork product is produced, which is popular and in demand throughout the country. This is a jamon ham, for the manufacture of which the meat of white breed pigs (jamon Serrano) is used. It matures in special dryers (secaderos), which are located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada. It is there that there is a dry cold wind necessary to obtain such a taste. Before hanging the hams to dry, it is carefully rubbed with sea salt. Until the final readiness of the product from the moment of hanging for drying and removal, it can take from 12 to 32 months.

The best hams of this nature are famous places in Treveles, but no less popular and delicious food in Terreul (Aragon), the provinces of Girona (Catalonia) and Soria (Castile and León).

But the most revered of all dried hams is the black leg jamon (pata negra). This meat is distinguished by the fact that it is made from the hams of black-hoofed pigs of the Iberian breed. The pigs that are used to make this product graze freely in the territories of Extremadura and Andalusia, where holm oaks grow. It is the acorns of this plant that pigs feed on. The most delicious Andalusian ham is produced in Jabugo.

Cohrizo - delicious sausage delicacies

In the production of delicious and varied sausages, Spain will not yield to any country. It should be noted that in the nomenclature of sausage products, mainly dry-cured sausages prevail. Practically throughout the country, dry-cured chorizo ​​sausage is produced, which has become famous all over the world. There are a lot of varieties of such a product, but its main distinguishing feature is its bright red color. It is achieved due to the chili pepper and paprika included in the composition. Among other components, naturally, pork, which is chopped and has a fatty character, garlic, spices and other parts from the carcass of pigs, should be singled out. In each region, the composition of the recipe is slightly different. Today there is a huge amount of chorizo. It can be sausage products from soft to too spicy taste, as well as from dry-cured character to products that have undergone heat treatment.

bakery products

Talking about the cuisine of Spain, the story will not be complete without mentioning the bread. After all, it is a fundamental product in any country. In Spain, there are two main types of bakery products:

1. Pan de barra is a thin loaf that spoils very quickly. In appearance and taste, it resembles a French baguette.
2. Pan de chapata - bread in the form of a loaf dense structure which can keep its freshness for several days.

The main granary of the country is Castile, where vast areas of land are occupied by the cultivation of high quality wheat. Baking bread in Castile is done by trained bakers (panadero) who get up very early. They need to bake three main and popular types of bread every morning:

• Pan candela - premium quality wheat bread;
• A kind of round bread;
• Bread sticks (colin).

But the inhabitants of each region have their own unique recipes. For example, the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands and Catalonia prefer pa de pages - a tomato type of bread. And in Andalusia, the favorite bakery product is cornbread (borona). It is sometimes stuffed with meat.

Vegetable dishes in Spain

Another favorite and almost obligatory dish among the Spaniards are salads. And this is probably the only salvation for vegetarians who live in the country or are going there on vacation. Not a single feast and even a simple meal can do without a salad. The most popular and common salad is ensalada mixta, which consists of onions, tomatoes, olives and lettuce. Most often, such dishes are seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

You can watch the recipe for making real Spanish paella in this video:

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Paella, tapas, empanada, morcilla - isn't it, these names already awaken the appetite! The Spaniards know a lot about food: their dishes are not only indescribably good in taste, they are also extraordinarily beautiful! And although Spanish cuisine is not as well known in the world as French or Italian, it is in no way inferior to them!

Features of Spanish cuisine

Spain is a fairly large country and its cuisine varies greatly from region to region. Moreover, there are many contradictions in the local culinary tradition: for example, Spanish cuisine is called Mediterranean, which implies an abundance of fish and seafood dishes, but in fact, meat is cooked here much more often. Also, each region is proud and boasts of its special dishes, calls them unique, but all of them are united by the use of a large amount of olive oil, garlic and many aromatic herbs and spices.

Over the centuries, different regions of Spain have formed and developed their own culinary traditions, which were influenced by the Romans and Arabs, French and Americans. Today it is already difficult to say which dishes appeared in this territory and which ones were brought from outside, but modern Spanish cuisine is completely different from any other in the world.

Basque cuisine is deservedly considered the most refined: it mixes Spanish and French dishes, fish, seafood, beef, chicken, and beans are used in large quantities. The northwestern part of the Spanish coast is famous for its soups, sauces and fish dishes: in Cantabria, fish is best cooked, in Galicia, boiled octopus and merlan fish in a pot are considered an unsurpassed dish.

The cuisine of the eastern regions, in particular Catalonia, has been most influenced by French and Italian culinary traditions: here, each dish is served with fragrant sauce, here they cook amazing pork stew, fried pork sausages with white beans, monkfish soup, they definitely use a lot of vegetables, cheese, and dairy products in cooking.

In Andalusia, in the south of the country, the influence of the Arabs is most pronounced, in addition, it is here that the best olive oil is produced and many dishes are traditionally deep-fried. The famous gazpacho soup also comes from the southern regions of Spain.

Spanish breakfast, lunch and dinner: local flavor

Spaniards take food seriously and thoroughly. In the early morning, just waking up, they drink a cup of coffee, less often - freshly squeezed Orange juice. The time for a real breakfast here comes later, around 10 o'clock in the morning - at this time

one gets the impression that absolutely all Spaniards are sitting in cafes: shops are closed for a short break, there is almost no one on the streets. At this time, it is customary to drink coffee again, eat fresh baking or a “Spanish sandwich” - a small loaf cut lengthwise with a filling of tuna, slices or cheese.

From about 2 to 4 pm in Spain, it is customary to have lunch (lunch here is also often called lunch). In this country, especially in small towns, it is still customary to take a break for a siesta - during these hours all institutions, shops are closed, only cafes and restaurants are open. For lunch, the Spaniards traditionally eat salad, paella or baked meat (fish) with a side dish, possibly soup. Be sure to serve dessert at the end of the meal: fruit, turron, cream, pudding or pie. No dinner is complete without a glass of local wine.

At the end of the working day, at 6 pm, the Spaniards usually drink another cup of coffee with a piece of their favorite dessert. But it is customary to have dinner here late - around 8 - 9 pm. For dinner in Spain, you can order the same paella, salads, fried fish, seafood, cold cuts, cheeses, olives. And, of course, what is dinner without good wine!

National drinks

Let's start with the fact that the Spaniards are very fond of coffee. It is not very customary to drink tea here, but everyone drinks fragrant, delicious coffee, 5-6 cups a day. Spaniards also love freshly squeezed fruit juices. special soft drink is horchata - an interesting drink that is made from ground, almond nuts (taste - for an amateur).

Among alcoholic beverages, of course, Spanish wines are most famous: sherry (fortified wine), a wide variety of dry red and white wines, local cider - these drinks have earned popularity far beyond the country. Spaniards often drink sangria, a sweetened dry red wine with fruits and spices.

You should definitely try the Spanish liqueurs. Here, each region prepares its own special liquor, among which the most famous are Licor 23 and Ponche Caballero. Here you can even find such curiosities as "Licor de bellota" (acorn liqueur), which is made in Extremadura and "Licor de cantueso" (lavender liqueur) in Murcia.

National dishes

There are a lot of special dishes in Spain and all of them are worth trying. One of the most famous local delicacies is called jamon- dry-cured pork ham, which you can really try in any bar or restaurant, and often they are hung just from the ceiling and spread an amazing aroma!

Morcilla Black pudding is also very popular in Spain. This delicacy in each region is prepared according to its own special recipe and the taste is therefore always somewhat different.

Among the most famous Spanish dishes are traditionally called - complex dish rice with fish, seafood, chicken, many spices, white wine and so on. There are as many paella recipes in Spain as there are housewives who cook it!

Spanish soup is famous all over the world gazpacho- vegetable cold soup with bread, tomatoes, spices and olive oil, which is often served with ice.

And the Spaniards are very fond of closed pie empanada, pies , fabado(bean dish), various appetizers, soups sofrito and cocido and many, many other goodies!

Spanish recipes and dishes - video

We invite you to see the cooking process and recipes for four dishes of Spanish cuisine:
Catalan fish soup (Suquet de peix), Paella (Paella), Catalan custard (Crema Catalana), Sangria (Sangria).