Gourmet Articles

Travel around Spain and you'll find that you can eat a different kind of dish in almost any town or village. Regional specialties abound, and every region, town or village is proud of its own foods - and will tell you that they're the best in the whole of the country.

There is a huge influence of various seafood items along the coast regions, whereas the more inland areas are famous for their wonderful fresh and savory meat dishes and fresh vegetables and fruits.

And the star of Spanish cooking is undoubtedly the tapa, the appetizer or tidbit that is offered along with your drink in a bar, or served as an entree for lunch or dinner.

In small towns and out in the country, you probably won't find a great selection of restaurants, but the cooking tends to be honest, and based on local fresh produce. In the larger cities you definitely will find a great variety of different eating places of all types, where you can find not only the best-known Spanish specialties, but also great international cooking.

A popular dish for a snack or a main course is calamari, deep fried crispy rings of squid that are served with different dipping sauces. Shrimp are either deep fried or pan fried and spiced, usually served in a peel and eat style, not shelled and prepared as is more common in North America. For those that enjoy spicy foods a sausage called a chorizo or a salami like meat called salchichon is very popular with fresh sourdough bread.

There is a lot of talk about the healthy qualities of the Mediterranean diet, and the traditional Spanish diet fits in well with this. The basic ingredient is olive oil, preferably Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Mediterranean diet is also rich in cereals, vegetables and fruit. Spanish cooking is also very strong on fish dishes, and Spain has one of the biggest fishing fleets in the world. Strangely enough, in Madrid, which is in the geographic center of the country, over 300 kilometers from the nearest coast, you can find some of the most wonderful fish dishes you'll ever taste.

Spain is a country that produces wonderful fresh vegetables and fruit. A visit to a local market is a wonderful experience. It is very common to eat a dish of just one vegetable as an entree, or, perhaps more usually, one vegetable sauted with ham, or with ham and onion.

Desserts in Spain may include the traditional Christmas dish of Turron, a sweet dessert made with almonds and honey. The simple yet elegant flan with its caramelized top and rich custard bottom is an ideal dish to have with a cup of coffee after a wonderful Spanish meal.