Who doesn’t love eating? Everyone knows who loves food, loves eating more than three courses a day. Even the ones who are not foodies cook their own meals because not only it’s a necessity to our bodies, but food alone makes us feel better in every possible way. With thousands of variants of food being eaten everyday all over the world, what your palate craves sometimes is a food with different blends of spices. Spain is widely known for their local food. Almost everyone cooks a spanish-style meal; it’s different, it’s delicious, and it’s worth savoring. Speaking of style, you can find more spanish style here.
The people of Spain are known for their feasting on their traditional food — they take their time in eating. It brings them together. Normally, Spanish people have five courses of meals a day: the breakfast (el desayuno); tapas (light meals before lunch); lunch (la comida); snack (la merienda); dinner (la cena). What their food has is something the world can’t just easily duplicate. So what exactly are their food anyway? Here are the must-try Spanish traditional food:
1.) Gazpacho
A gazpacho is a Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables and spices. Only the ripest and reddest tomatoes, with garlic, olive oil, bread, peppers and cucumber are blended until it’s smooth as silk, then chilled and poured into bowls. It’s deliciously refreshing as it is usually served cold.
2.) Pisto
Pisto (also known as Pisto manchego) is a great Spanish dish and it originated from the Region of Murcia, Castilla La Mancha and Extremadura. It is made of tomatoes, eggplant, lots of onions, a mix of red and green peppers slowly fried in olive oil. It somehow resembles ratatouille or it is the Spanish version of ratatouille — it is usually served warm as an appetizer or served as a side dish. This is not a dish that likes to be rushed. It’s a taste of perfection.
3.) Paella
Paella is a widely known Spanish rice dish that originated from Valencia. Paella is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. Known for its unique combination, it’s undoubtedly a mouthwatering dish. It is considered by many as Spain’s national dish, but Spaniards, of course, almost unanimously consider it to be a dish from the Valencian region. Ingredients for paella include chicken, saffron, runner beans and butter beans. But the most important element is the rice, the ideal type of rice would be the bomba or Calasparra that is grown on Spain’s east coast, which are certainly good for absorbing all the flavours.
4.) Pollo al ajillo
Any Spaniard will tell you that the best garlic chicken they ever tasted is the one their ancestors used to make. Undeniably, they are right. With lots of cloves of garlic that are fried in olive oil to flavour it, then taken out before adding pieces of chicken. After the chicken is cooked, the cloves of garlic go back in with some thyme and rosemary, some dry sherry or white wine. If you’re not a fan of garlic, then Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo Al Ajillo) might just change your mind.
5.) Tortilla Española
Eggs, onions, and potatoes. This Spanish omelette or tortilla is so much more than its parts. The potatoes and onions are slow fried in olive oil then mixed with the beaten eggs for the flavours to mix prior cooking. You can add some slices of chorizo, spinach, ham, courgettes or whatever you have to hand to make a very scrumptious meal out of next to nothing. Tortilla española is one of Spain’s most famous and beloved traditional dishes. Again, it is nothing more than just an egg. It is one of the most profoundly delicious dishes imaginable.