Spanish Food That You Should Taste

When you go to a foreign country, you should immerse yourself in their food and culture. You could look for restaurants which serve the food you are used to at home or you could go to one of the many fast food restaurants, but you would miss out on a great culinary experience. If you have never tried foreign food, then you might be wondering what Spanish foods you should taste. Where do you begin when it comes to Spanish foods?

Spanish cooking is simple, with a lot of bread, olive oil, wine and garlic as the basics of many dishes which date back to the Roman times. From the Muslim rule you will find spices including saffron and honeyed desserts. From South American colonies, potatoes and tomatoes are used.

Tapas is an essential dish on any Spanish table and if you don’t want to have a large meal, then find a Tapas bar where you can enjoy these with a drink. Tapas can be a complete meal and you could have many different foods served. Olives, ham or cheese on bread, tortilla which is a potato and onion omelette, white anchovies, meat balls, green peppers, prawns with garlic, squid, deep fried calamari rings and many other bite sized foods.

Jamón ibérico is the best ham from Spain. It is made from the hindquarters of a wild pig that is fed on acorns.

Chorizo is a highly seasoned sausage, again made from pigs fed on acorns.

Paella is a traditional dish that you will find in all restaurants but there is a lot more to Spanish eating habits. Paella is a rice dish, usually cooked with seafood, pork, rabbit or chicken and seasoned with saffron. You will find that fish and seafood is very high on the list of foods eaten in Spain. Some of the favorites are tuna, sardine and anchovies. These can be cooked simply with some garlic or herbs.

Suquet is a tomato stew with fish, shellfish and potatoes. This is cooked with wine and seasoned with saffron.

Another dish to try is fritura de pescade which is a fish and squid dish.

It won’t matter whether you are a meat or fish lover, you will find fresh food to enjoy. Clean, fresh flavors are seen in most Spanish cooking, with influences from many countries.