No one can deny that the national cuisine in most countries is one of the things that can alert the attention of tourists, and Spain is no exception. Like any Mediterranean country, it combines characteristics of its neighbors; in particular, it is related to France and Italy, being one of the best in the world for quality and variety of products. In contrast, it is impossible to seriously talk about the existence of ethnic cuisine, but it is more appropriate to consider a number of regional cuisines, each of which was influenced by climatic conditions and lifestyle. In general, Spanish cuisine is likely to use techniques such as chilling in wine (red in the south and west of the country and white in the east), baking with feta cheese, and grilling on a rack (grill). Specific to all regional cuisines is the widespread use of green sage and crushed walnuts. Before starting the check on the main peculiarities of regional culinary traditions it will be useful to clarify their problems and common dishes:
1.Paella It is a rice dish from Valencia, which in its modern form emerged in the mid-19th century. Most non-Spaniards regard paella as a Spanish national dish, in contrast to the conviction of the Spaniards that this dish is exclusively Valencian and is believed to be a symbol of the region.
two.Ham (Hamon) seems to be the Spanish name for ham, charcuterie, pork ham.
3.Tapas They are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They can be cold (like a mixture of olives and cheese) or warm (like chopitos, which are battered and fried squid).
4.Spain is a cheese country, where a wide distribution of firm cheeses (Idiazabel, Majon, Manchego), fresh cheeses (Afuega’l pitu, Mato), blue cheeses (Cabrales, Picón Bejes-Tresviso) and creamy cheeses is achieved.
5 without a doubt wine It is the basic element of each and every one of the regional cuisines of Spain. Spain, along with France and Italy, appear to be three of the largest wine producers in the world.
Catalan the kitchen has absorbed all the best of Mediterranean cuisine. Basically, it is surprisingly simple, based on maintaining an authentic taste of seasonal products and traditional in its essence. Catalans are people who think in contrasts. They like to combine incompatible ingredients and mix a myriad of using everything fresh that appears on the market. The most typical of this area is the kitchen called “Mar i Muntanya”, which means “sea and mountains”. This is a delicious and unusual way to mix seafood with meat products. Such combinations include pork and scallops, tuna soup with snails, rabbit, and chicken with crayfish. It is also important to note that this is where romesco with hot pepper sauce, traditional flavored goulash with saffron, seafood, tomatoes and potatoes is served, which are often dusted with aioli (“ali” means “garlic” and “oli” – olive oil).
Galicia (in the northwest, the Atlantic coast) is a center of the fishing industry, which delivers the best seafood, especially scallops, which are known as “a symbol of Santiago”. In the city of Santiago de Compostela there is a tomb of the Apostle of Santiago, and here a traditional Spanish almond cake originated, which is always decorated with a sword in memory of the saint. The king of all dishes, of course, the octopus in Galician or octopus at the fair, cooked in a traditional copper pot, and served on a wooden stand with finely chopped potatoes, sprinkled with large sea salt and paprika. One more thing to taste are the wines, which also include some specific ones; In particular, in addition to the simple fishermen’s wines, the Albariño (Albariño) is striking, being the white one with flavors of apricot, peach, almonds, apples and fresh herbs.
A region richer in seafood is Basque Country, where the basic principle of cooking is a minimum of hot spices, but only fresh products. In almost all the bars you will find tapas and every good restaurant participates in a contest for the best tapas of the year. However, the tapas can be substituted for gambas pil pil (prawns fried in olive oil) and champerniogne pil pil (mushrooms roasted with garlic), served in low round ceramic plates. Travelers can also try the piperada – soft scrambled eggs with red pepper, tomatoes, and garlic. San Sebastián, on the Bay of Biscay, is a popular fishing port from which the traditional salted cod (balacao) is served. Special popularity is gained with cod in garlic sauce, pike fins, huge grilled beef patties, and fried eels. There are plenty of fresh truffles and mushrooms in the kitchen, which are fried, baked in casseroles, or put into a cake. A wide variety of cheeses can be a considerable matter for both locals and tourists. It is worth tasting a traditional local cheese of the Idiazabal type made only with raw sheep’s milk and fermented for at least two months to acquire a delicate creamy flavor.
The old and the new Castile It is home to many traditional Spanish dishes, where chickpeas (nutes), beans, chorizo and pisto (garlic paste, herbs and olive oil) are preferred. The distinctive feature of this cuisine takes place in the Arab influence; In particular, nutes are initially imported by Carthaginians. The traditional potato omelette (tortilla) is also native to this area and the local roast suckling pig and lamb steak are worth a try. The pig should weigh between three and four pounds, and should only be between 15 and 20 days old. An old oven is used to cook it, in which the meat becomes more tender. Visitors should not forget about the magnificent fish dishes in this area. The most popular are bacalao al ajo arriero (cod with garlic sauce), dos y pingada (ham and eggs), arroz a la zamorana (rice in Samoran) and soup de ajo (garlic soup). Wine lovers can sample the achievements of local wineries from areas such as Ribera-del-Duero (sophisticated and expensive red and rosé wines), Rueda (light, fresh and fruity white wines) and Toro (highly concentrated varieties).
Moroccan culture has had a great impact on the Andalusia Gastronomy even the Moors helped the locals to get acquainted with citrus, almond and rice for paella. Cold soup gazpachois born in Andalusia. Today it is cooked with tomato, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and garlic in contrast to those times, when there were no tomatoes in Europe and gazpacho was prepared with white grapes and almonds, frayed together with Moorish mortar. Andalusia can also so much with classic salad of oranges and soak (salted cod), escabeche (pickled fish) and many tapas to nibble on.
In short, it should be admitted that all the variety of Spanish cuisine can be found in restaurants in Madrid, where you can taste both mixed and exclusively regional cuisine. As you can see, there is an influence from both Europeans and Arabs, which reflects Spanish history within the limits of the kitchen. That is why Spanish culinary traditions are recognized as one of the tourist attractions of this country.