Spanish Food Basics
By Lisa & Tony Sierra, About.com Guides to Spanish Food
Spanish cooking has popular roots. It is the people’s cuisine. Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. Spain sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, so the Spanish diet is definitely Mediterranean. Fresh fruits, vegetables and fish are eaten in abundance, along with lots of healthy olive oil and garlic. Meat, poultry and game are eaten in smaller quantities. Spanish wine accompanies most meals.
Spanish Cooking Basics and Tips
A few basics about Spanish cooking will help start you out on your adventure in preparing Spanish food, including tips on stocking your kitchen and choosing and cooking with olive oil.
- An Introduction to Spanish Food and Cooking
- Essential Foods for the Spanish Kitchen
- Stocking a Spanish Kitchen
- Spanish Cooks' Secret to Speed Cooking - Pressure Cookers!
- Tips on Buying Spanish Olive Oil
- Tips for Frying with Spanish Olive Oil
- Grades of Spanish Olive Oil
- Spanish Sauces - Salsas Espanolas
Essential Ingredients
There are several essential ingredients in Spanish food and you probably already have most of them in your pantry. They include olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and paprika, as well as saffron.
- Garlic - Essential Ingredient in Spanish Food
- Spanish Paprika - Pimenton
- Tomato - Essential Ingredient in Spanish Cuisine
- Spanish Saffron - Essential Ingredient in Spanish Food
- Grades of Spanish Olive Oil
Spanish Regional Cuisine
There are traditionally six culinary regions in Spain, however within those regions are areas of distinct cuisines. Learn more about the cuisine of each region - where they are, what dishes they are known for and what are the best foods to try from each region!
- About Spain and its' Cuisines
- Spanish Regional Cuisine of Cataluna
- Spanish Regional Cuisine of Asturias
- Spanish Regional Cuisine of Castilla-Leon
- Spanish Regional Cuisine of Galicia
- An Introduction to Paella
FAQs about Spanish Food
The FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions below provide answers to questions you may have about Spanish food. What are tapas? How does Spanish chorizo differ from its cousin in Mexico? Is Spanish food spicey? With so many different regional cuisines, are there any national dishes in Spain? Discover the answers to these questions and more.
- What are Tapas?
- What are the "national" dishes of Spain?
- Is Spanish food spicey?
- What is Spanish chorizo?
Spanish Meals and Culture
To a new visitor to Spain, it might seem like Spaniards are always eating... that's because they are! Seriously, the Spanish love to eat local dishes and like generous quantities. What do they eat? When do they eat?
- Meals and the Culture of Spain
- Spanish Menus - How to Order at Spanish Restaurants
- Eating out in Spain: Restaurants, Cafeterías & Bars - Guide to the Rating System
- Grocery Shopping in Spain - Fresh Foods in the Markets of Spain
- Spanish Food - A Mediterranean Diet
Spanish Wines
Spain has produced good wines since ancient times. Today, things are no different. Spain has many wine-producing regions that are world-famous, including La Rioja and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, not to mention the Sherry region, famous for sherry wine.
