Traditional Stews

 

There are some very famous recipes: “Cocido madrileño”, a traditional stew typical of Madrid, with chickpeas, noodles, vegetables and meat; “caldo gallego”, a traditional stew from Galicia with all kinds of meat and vegetables from the north of Spain; and garlic soup, with bread, ham, olive oil, garlic, paprika and egg, typical of Castile-León.

In Spain there are no fewer than ten pulses with designation of origin status.

Although they can be eaten all year round, bean, chickpea and lentil stews are traditionally eaten in the autumn and winter. The secret: top-quality ingredients and cooked with much care and patience.

Let yourself be tempted by recipes like lentils with “chorizo” spicy sausage and “fabada asturiana” with coveted white “faba” beans and pork. Delicious and satisfying.

 

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From the sea

 

The variety of ingredients from the Cantabrian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the rivers that cross the country is the source of some of Spain’s greatest culinary delights. From fried fish in Andalusia to shellfish in Galicia, you will find top-quality freshwater and seawater products cooked in a wide variety of ways throughout Spain.

Without any doubt, seafood is one of Spanish cuisine’s most coveted products. Lobster in Catalonia and prawns in Andalusia are exquisite dishes and the quality and selection of seafood found on the coasts of Galicia are acknowledged worldwide.

 

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Meats and0 cheeses

 

Spain’s incredibly varied climate provides us with excellent pastures for livestock. This is why our meats and cheeses have such a special flavour.

Ham is one of the mainstays of Spanish culture. Especially, Iberian cured ham with four main designations of origin (Guijuelo, Dehesa de Extremadura, Huelva and Los Pedroches) which makes it one of Spain’s most coveted products worldwide.

 

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From the garden

 

In Spain, we have exceptional vegetables, cereals and pulses that are the basis of some of our star dishes.

Let’s start with Valencian paella, an internationally renowned dish in Spanish gastronomy based on rice.

The original recipe has given rise to an endless number of variations using almost any ingredient from the sea, the farm and the garden. You should try them all!

 

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Sweets and desserts

 

In Madrid you can get a sweet at any time of the day. Together with drinking chocolate, “churros” (traditional fried-dough pastries) have made the city famous, to the point where they can be found in a number of foreign countries, each with their own little twist.

In Catalonia there are desserts like “mel-i-mató”, a little local cottage cheese with honey.

“Turrón” (nougat) is the Christmas sweet par excellence in Spain and Alicante is the home of Jijona nougat, one of the best on the market. With a soft and crumbly texture and a delicious flavour, it is one of the economic mainstays of its place of origin.

After a visit to Mallorca, you can take the island’s favourite dessert home with you on the flight. Take a little taste of Spain away with you with a delicious “ensaimada”, a typical dessert which is usually filled with “Angel’s hair”, a transparent threaded jam made from pumpkin pulp.