Spanish cuisine, Spain

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Spanish cuisine is made of very different kinds of dishes due to the differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by the variety of seafood available from the waters that surround the country. As Spain has had a history with many different cultural influences, the richness and variety of its cuisine is overwhelming, but all these ingredients have made up a unique cuisine with thousands of recipes and flavours. The international influences are perhaps most obvious in Barcelona. Next door to a shop selling ready-made falafels might be an Asian food restaurant, which is next to a traditional tapas bar, and on and on in amazing variety.

Much influence on Spanish cuisine has come from the Jewish and Moorish traditions. The Moors were a strong influence in Spain for many centuries and their food is still eaten in Spain today. These are some of the primary influences that have differentiated Spanish cuisine from Mediterranean cuisine, of which Spanish cuisine shares many techniques and food items.

Daily meals eaten by the Spanish in many areas of the country are still very often made traditionally by hand, from fresh ingredients bought daily from the local market. This is more common in the rural areas and less common in the large urban areas like Madrid, where supermarkets are beginning to displace the open air markets. However, even in Madrid food can be bought from the local shops, bread from the panaderia, meat from the carniceria, etc.

Traditional Spanish cooking also often revolves around outdoor cooking over a fire, perhaps in a special clay or brick oven.

One popular custom when going out is to take tapas with your drink (sherry, wine, beer...). In some places, like Granada, tapas are given for free with your drink and have become very famous for that reason. It should be noted that almost every tapas bar serves something comestible when a drink is ordered, without charge.

Typical spanish foods include
Paella (saffron rice)
Fabada Asturiana (bean stew)
Mariscos (shellfish)
Gazpacho Soup
Lechazo asado (roasted milk-fed lamb)
Chulletillas (grilled chops of milk-fed lamb)
Tortilla de patatas (egg omelette, with potatoes)
Churros (often con chocolate at 3am in a chocolateria)
Chorizo (spicy sausage)
Jamon Serrano (cured ham)
Cocido (a chickpea and meat stew of sorts)

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