Local delicacies are an important part of a successful holiday in Spain. Discover Spanish cuisine!
Spanish food culture varies by region
Finnish tourists love Spain – not least because of the delicious food and reasonably priced restaurants.
In Spain, regional differences can be seen not only in climate and culture but also on the plate, as each autonomous region has its own local specialties. However, seasonality and appreciation for good ingredients are always emphasized in Spanish food.
The Mediterranean diet, praised as healthy, makes Spaniards proud of their food culture. The food, which mainly consists of olive oil, fresh vegetables, good meat and fish, dairy products and rice, is also part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.
Skillfully prepared Spanish food should be enjoyed surrounded by friends or family, and the ingredients often come directly from the producer or the market hall, instead of from large grocery stores. Local wines are also an important part of a Spanish meal.
Mealtimes are also a significant part of food culture, and Finnish tourists immediately pay attention to them. In many cases, the Spanish dinner is only enjoyed closer to Finns’ bedtime.
Discover Spanish food!
1. Start the morning the Mediterranean way
Breakfast that is breakfast is usually the smallest meal of the day in Spain, eaten either at home or in a neighborhood cafe. A modest meal almost always includes coffee with milk, which is often accompanied by bread or another small snack.
The most popular breakfast treats include toasted bread, a traditional Spanish potato omelette, a lemon muffin, or Magdalena, or delicious churros, which are eaten despite the early hours with a sweet chocolate sauce.
Toasted bread that is toast is a simple dish that is usually drizzled with jam, olive oil, butter or tomato sauce. Instead of a traditional industrial slice of toast, the bread is fresh, preferably hand-baked and picked up from a neighboring bakery.
Traditional Spanish potato omelette potato omelette is familiar to most travelers, and it is customary to eat only a small piece of tuhtia omelette for breakfast. As the name suggests, the omelet, which mainly consists of potato and egg, is a great breakfast dish, and most people like it. Potato omelette is also easy to prepare at home.
Gourmets will be delighted at the Spanish breakfast table, because it is very common to enjoy traditional Spanish dishes as a friend with milk coffee churroista. Deep-fried donut dough bars are dipped in melted chocolate and enjoyed with a good appetite.
If a fatty and chocolatey breakfast is too much, a mild lemon muffin will help you with your sweet tooth in the morning.
2. The afternoon lunch is plentiful
Spanish lunch that is lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day, which includes several different dishes. In Spain, it is customary to take a two- or three-hour break from work and school in the afternoons, when there is also the opportunity to enjoy a hearty lunch in peace.
A lunch of at least three courses always includes fresh bread, soup or salad as a starter, fish or meat as a main course, and dessert, which can be, for example, fresh fruit or pastries.
Traditional Spanish appetizers include cold tomato soup gazpacho and the air-dried ham loved by the Spanish ie ham.
As the main course for lunch, it is usual to serve, for example, a rice-based dish paellaawhich is often served with seafood such as mussels and octopus. Traditional paella originates from Valencia, and the wide pan has vegetables and meat instead of seafood.
For sale in lunch restaurants menu del dia usually includes three courses, and a large meal keeps you full for a long time.
3. Eat dinner late at night
Spanish dinner – dinner – is smaller than lunch and is only eaten late in the evening. Spanish restaurants may not open their doors until eight in the evening, which requires getting used to from the point of view of the Finnish food rhythm.
After a heavy lunch, dinner is light and usually includes salad, omelette, fish or chicken.
In Spain, it is common to eat traditional Spanish tapas for dinner instead of a meal, i.e. an assortment of small portions of a few bites, which are ordered to the table in several different ways. Tapas bars and restaurants are popular all over Spain.
In many bars, you can also get tapas for free. In Spain, it’s not customary to only drink alcohol, so in restaurants you can sometimes get a little salty on the side of the drink.
4. Don’t forget the Spanish delicacies
Although the Mediterranean food culture is known for its healthiness, Spanish desserts do not skimp on cream or sugar. Spanish cream puddings Catalan cream and flan complement the meal brilliantly, and also taste great with coffee.
In addition to breakfast, churros can be enjoyed at any time, even as a sweet snack or in the wee hours at the end of an evening at the bar.
Other Spanish delicacies worth tasting are nutty nougat delicacies turron and Spanish almond cookies, the shape of which varies depending on the region.
5. Wash down the goodies with a good drink
Spanish wines are a significant part of the local food culture. It is easy to get to know the wines, as the restaurants proudly serve the wines of their own region.
Wine is produced almost everywhere in Spain, so a visit to a winery is easy to organize. You can buy the producers’ own products from the farms to take home.
Wines can also be enjoyed in a non-traditional form, because the Spanish sangria is a popular drink especially on hot days. Wine-based sangria, usually served in pitchers, also contains other alcoholic beverages such as brandy and orange liqueur, as well as plenty of fruit slices. The recipe may be different for each bar.
For lovers of non-alcoholic drinks, Spain offers freshly squeezed juices, including orange juice, orange juiceis the most common. A place serving freshly squeezed juice is easily recognized by the bright orange citrus presses and a large pile of fresh oranges.
>> Read also: Ten things that surprise Finns in a Spanish restaurant
Rantapallo editor-in-chief Inka is always ready for an adventure. If he can choose for himself, he prefers to go on an active trip to the ends of the earth.
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Source: www.rantapallo.fi
