Spanish gastronomy has left its mark on the hearts of many people around the world. Therefore, in this post we have decided to make a list of the best dishes of Spanish cuisine.
In addition to being diverse and full of flavours, Spanish cuisine is considered one of the best in the world. In fact, many tourists come to Spain with the sole intention of trying the best of its gastronomy.
An excellent reason to read this post and meet the best dishes of Spain. If you want to start exploring the wonders left by the cultures that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula, stay with us until the end of this article and discover the most delicious typical dishes of Spain. Let’s go there!
Spanish gastronomy
If there is something that Spain can boast of, it is its gastronomy. This is the result of the clash of a large number of cultures, which populated the Iberian Peninsula years ago. In fact one of the Characteristics of Spanish gastronomy is that plurality of mixtures of flavors.
This has resulted in a gastronomic culture full of colors, life and rich flavors. In addition, due to its geographical position, another of the main characteristics of Spanish gastronomy is the Mediterranean diet. Which is an essential part in many recipes that we know today as the best of spanish gastronomy.
Even after the discovery of America, many new ingredients were implemented almost immediately in Spanish cuisine. Ingredients such as vanilla, potatoes or tomatoes and many others, which crossed the Pacific to further enrich the Spanish food culture.
On the other hand, the crops typical of that land and the olive trees, gives the Spanish gastronomy dishes variety of fresh and wild products.
10 best dishes of Spanish food
The time has come for you to meet the best dishes of Spanish cuisineso that you fall in love much more with this country.
1. Paella
It is impossible and unthinkable to talk about Spanish culture and its gastronomy without mentioning paella. This is one of the most typical dishes of Spainso recognized is that it even has its own WhatsApp emoji.
You can find it everywhere in Spain with some variations, although where it stands out the most is in the Valencian community, since it was born there. The name of this dish comes from the type of pan used in its preparation.
It should be noted that it was created by day laborers, who cooked with whatever they could, which is why the original paella was made with rabbit, chicken, green and white beans, and even snails. This was mixed with the vegetables they had on hand to create the paella.
2. Potato omelettes
This is another of the most famous dishes of Spanish gastronomy, and without a doubt one of the typical foods most loved by the inhabitants of the Iberian region. In Spain, a potato omelette will never be rejected, whether with or without onion, this dish has to be one of your goals when exploring the spanish flavors.
This is based on an omelette made from potato and egg, the potato is slowly fried in oil. Some people decide to add onion to the recipe, but the important thing is that when it is almost ready it is drained to put the egg.
3. Crumbs
If someone asks:What are the typical dishes of Spain?, in the answer you can not miss the crumbs. A dish as typical as it is diverse, since you can find many different versions. Some of the types of crumbs that you can find are the Extremaduran crumbs, the Aragonese, Andalusian or the gachasmigas.
As its name suggests, this dish is about breadcrumbs, except that depending on the area, it is mixed with various ingredients, including eggs, bacon or chorizo. Therefore, if you are not on a diet, we invite you to try this delicious dish.
4. Madrilenian stew
Another of the favorite typical dishes of Spain is the cocido madrileño, which comes from Madrid as its name indicates. This is another dish that is born because of workers such as laborers and farmers who had to manage to eat.
It’s a tasty stew Spanish based on noodle soup enriched with chicken, hen, bacon, black pudding, black pudding or green beans. Without a doubt, this dish is delicious and one of the most outstanding in the country for its great variety.
5. Galician octopus
Also called octopus a la feira, it is simple but recognized in Spain. This is an incredibly easy dish to prepare, since it only consists of a cooked octopus that is softened and then cut and then served with oil, sweet paprika and salt.
But despite the simplicity of the recipe, this dish is unmatched in flavor. That is why it is part of the best spanish recipes that we mention here. In fact, when you try it, you will agree with us.
6. Oxtail
The oxtail is another of the most typical dishes of Spain. The existence of this recipe dates back to ancient Rome, but it began to become popular and recognized at the end of the last century, in Córdoba. This was because the bullfighters gave their neighbors the bull’s tail along with other organs of the animal.
The stew was originally a soup and contains bull tail, onions, carrots, bay leaves, tomato, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Just by looking at the ingredients it seems like an interesting dish, just wait until you eat it and you will be delighted.
7. Prawns with garlic
This dish is very easy to find in any bar and any restaurant, but being so common only gives us an indication of how popular it is. One of the particularities of Spanish gastronomy is that there are many dishes based on fish, molluscs and shellfish.
This is also a simple dish, but like the previous ones, it is no less delicious for that. It is made from prawns cooked with olive oil, garlic, parsley and chilli. Don’t miss out on the great quality of Spanish seafood and try some with this dish.
8. Lentils with chorizo
This dish, despite its simplicity, makes a spectacular combination, even if it is only vegetables with chorizo. To make it even more appetizing, some people also use blood sausage or bacon in its preparation.
You can find it in any of the Spanish regions, and although it is not as popular as other dishes, it is one of the wonders of Spanish cuisine. And to do it you don’t need much, just add garlic, onion, peppers and the flavor of the spices to the lentils. And finally, the ingredient that gives them the distinctive touch, the chorizo.
9. Manchego ratatouille
If you are one of the people who like to eat in a healthier and more natural way, we recommend that you try the ratatouille from La Mancha. This dish, very similar to ratatouille from France, is a vegetable fry that comes from Castile.
If you want to prepare it, you only need to make a sauce with olive oil, garlic, onion, zucchini, green pepper and fried tomato. After everything is well cooked, you should combine it and stir everything until the flavors are well distributed.
10. Gazpacho
Although not much is known about its origin, it is from the best of spanish gastronomy. And it is believed that this recipe is almost as old as the bread itself. But the least of it is its history, what is really surprising is its incredible flavor, without a doubt one of the dishes that you should not miss.
Gazpacho is a mashed bread soup that is served cold, whose main ingredients are onion, zucchini, cucumber, garlic and green pepper. It is also usually consumed in summer as it serves to cool off from the heat.
Thus ends our list of typical dishes of Spain. Although there are many other delicious preparations in this extensive gastronomic culture, we wanted to tell you about the most deeply rooted recipes in this European region. Worth trying them all!