Even without being a culinary critic, one can notice that Spanish cuisine is as bright, colorful and unusual as the country itself. Despite the simplicity of preparation and an uncomplicated set of products, the menu of any Spanish restaurant will surprise and delight even the most capricious gourmet. And what names do Spain’s culinary books give us : jamon, turron, paella, tortilla, gazpacho! Feel how taste buds are activated and your appetite kindled? And this is only a small fraction of the dishes that Spanish national food boasts.
Let’s, as they say, go over the most popular Spanish dishes. Let's try to highlight the main flavoring shades and decide on the most important components of Spanish cuisine.
Meat products
Jamon is Spain’s national dish, which I’ve probably never heard of. Even during the time of the great Roman Empire, on the table of noble gentlemen there were always dried pork legs. No matter what region of Spain you come to today, there will always be on the table, in the restaurant menu, your “signature” national jamon.
There is a huge variety of types of this dish. Here everything will depend on the type of pork that was used for cooking. As a rule, the national dish of Spain - jamon (photo attached) - is prepared from a breed of pigs, which is called the "black hoof". The taste of jamon from one region of Spain can differ significantly from another piece, which was made in the neighborhood. The taste of two pieces of jamon differs if they were cooked at different times and at different temperatures.
There are many museums in the country whose exhibits are pieces of dried pork. There is even a special profession - jamon carver. In general, it turns out that the meaty Spanish delicacy has formed a real cult around itself.
And how to refrain from trying such a delicacy? After all, even nutritionists constantly talk about the benefits of jamon. Some experts even recommend replacing fatty fish with such meat. It is known that jamon is a fairly high-calorie dish. How do the Spaniards keep the wasp waist? Many ladies say that it’s just a couple of pieces of hearty jamon and a glass of good red wine that make their day full, saturate, please and give strength.
Chorizo
Continuing the meat theme, one can not help but say about such national food in Spain as chorizo ​​sausages. They are made from quality meat with the addition of a large amount of fragrant paprika and even hot chili. Such sausages can be found in ordinary morning sandwiches, they are fried on the grill and barbecue, they are added to the first dishes and stews.
Cheese
Speaking about the national dishes and drinks of Spain, one cannot but mention the delicious cheeses. Each region has its own traditional national cheese recipe. Each cook has a family secret. Someone uses sheep’s milk, while others prefer to cook cheeses on goat.
The most popular, often bought and ordered in restaurants is the blue cheese Cabrales. The delicate and at the same time semi-solid structure will not leave anyone indifferent, and the blue mold on the cheese will give special piquancy to any dish where it will be added.
Paella de valencia
To visit Spain and not to taste the famous paella? It just can't be! The dish that was "born" in Valencia is famous all over the world. In its original form, it was prepared from the simplest products that were only available to peasants: legumes, rice, duck or rabbit meat. Modern chefs have begun to add chicken, seafood, pork, various aromatic spices and herbs to the dish.
If earlier the national dish of Spain - paella - was light, now the cooks are not afraid of experiments. The tourists really liked the black paella, tinted with ink of cuttlefish and flavored with a lot of olive oil and saffron.
Preparing the dish in a large pan or pan with a thick bottom. An obligatory component is rice. Spanish chefs say cooking utensils are selected based on the number of people who will eat paella. If there are two, then the pan will be small, if the person is 5-7, then the dishes are taken deep and large. There are even huge banquet servings for 50 or more people.
Remember the ad that told us about the dishwashing competition between the Spanish villages of Villariba and Villabaggio? It is in such huge pans that they prepare national food in Spain. They wash the dishes (no matter how funny, but true) in fact the whole village.
Gazpacho
First courses are especially appreciated by the chefs of this country. Each area has its own traditional soup or chowder. In the restaurant menu you can find many types of dishes from small noodles. Spain is famous for its cold summer soups, such as gazpacho.
Gazpacho de AndalucĂa is a cold (sometimes even served with ice cubes) tomato stew. Also, fresh cucumber, bell pepper, a lot of garlic and olive oil are added to the soup. The soup is not only very tender and fragrant, but also quite satisfying. He perfectly satisfies hunger in the summer heat, when you don’t want meat or sweets at all.
Tapas
Remember the phrase from the song: "I blinded him from what was"? Spanish national food called tapas is an exact reflection of these words. Tapas do not have an exact recipe, and they can not be called an independent separate dish from the cookbook. This is the main type of Spanish appetizer, which is prepared from what is currently in the refrigerator.
Tapas can contain meat ingredients, fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, grilled vegetables, cheese, etc. Everything will depend on the availability of certain products and the purpose of preparing the snack. Tapas are served before the official reception, are offered to guests at anniversaries and weddings, and are also prepared for friends who come to visit to drink beer on a day off.
Even the bars have their own specific tapas recipe. You can walk around the pubs and not know what kind of snacks are served here today. Small surprises from the chef of the cafe are always made for guests.
Variety of seafood recipes
Spain is perhaps one of the few countries that boasts a huge number of recipes for preparing seafood. The country is in second place (after Japan) in seafood consumption. Here you can often find oysters and shellfish, shrimp and squid, fish and scallops in the restaurant menu.
Residents of sunny Spain dishes, salads and all kinds of seafood appetizers simply adore and, importantly, they know how to cook them. Especially often seafood is used for cooking tapas. Here are some simple examples of cooking and assembling a dish:
- eggplant, potato balls, mussels;
- fried squids, any fresh vegetables;
- fried eggs, tuna and fresh herbs;
- salmon, cauliflower, capers;
- carrots, daikon radish, scallops;
- boiled shrimp, cheese.
Sweet spain
Every tourist who has visited Spain speaks a lot of eulogies in the direction of the Spanish confectioners. Many bring home sweets as souvenirs. Each autonomous community is famous for its national sweet dishes, so upon arrival in this country I want to try everything and go everywhere.
In Catalonia, cooks are especially good at catalan. The dish is made from eggs, milk and sugar. It turns out a kind of delicious custard with cinnamon and lemon zest. Some call it a caramel souffle.
Alfahor - sweet cookies with caramel and delicious cream - is prepared in Andalusia. Delicious donuts will be the hallmark of Valencia, and in Murcia you will always be offered a wonderful and incredibly tasty pie with oranges.
Let's try to cook
If you are interested in the country and you want to breathe in the flavors of Spanish dishes in your kitchen, then we advise you to cook paella. This is perhaps the visiting card of the country. And in cooking, the dish is unpretentious enough, which cannot but please beginners and inexperienced housewives "in Spanish culinary affairs".
So, for the preparation of Spanish paella, you will need the following products:
- chicken legs;
- garlic;
- Tomatoes
- olive oil;
- bell peppers;
- ground paprika;
- salt;
- 200 gr. rice;
- a couple of glasses of chicken stock;
- ground pepper.
Chicken paella is a classic of the genre. She is preparing in a large pan. First, you need to prepare the chicken legs. Peel is removed from them, then the meat is cut into small cubes. Pour olive oil at the bottom of the dishes, throw pieces of chicken there. Fry the chicken cubes until crisp.
Secondly, spices and seasonings. Grind the garlic with a knife. Add it to the chicken. You can also put in a paella and several small onions, of course, previously peeled and cut into small cubes. After frying vegetables, add tomatoes cut into slices to the ingredients. Stew for a couple of minutes. As soon as the moisture from the tomatoes evaporates, add paprika and spices with herbs. Mix everything thoroughly.
The last ingredient is rice. Pour it into the pan and pour the chicken broth. We close the lid and simmer the dish until rice is finally cooked. When it is almost ready, experienced chefs advise to make the maximum fire and fry paella until blush. It is important that even rice becomes crispy and acquire a beautiful crust.
If you want to diversify paella, then instead of chicken you can always add fish or seafood. Paella with mussels and shrimp is especially tasty. You can buy a sea cocktail in the store, which already contains a set of different seafood. So each time paella will be varied, satisfying and aromatic.
Paella Cooking Variations
There are really a lot of them, below we list the most popular:
- with seafood;
- with chicken hearts;
- with bell pepper and caraway seeds;
- with pork;
- with a rabbit and beans;
- with chicken and green beans.
Experts say that in the Spanish paella you can add almost everything that the soul desires. It is somewhat reminiscent of tapas or pizza: we put everything that is currently at hand. Even rice may not be in paella; it can be replaced with legumes.