super spanish foods -
region by region ...

Traditional recipes and spanish foods vary from region to region in this land of diverse climate and geographical conditions.

Discover below an overview of traditional culinary specialities for each of Spain's wonderful areas.

And, at the end of the page, you'll find links leading to traditional Spanish recipes. So, start getting your pinny out! ...

spanish foods - the north

Northern Spain produces abundant fish and seafood from the Atlantic and Cantabrian Seas. Its higher rainfall and lush, green pastures result in excellent dairy produce, artisan cheeses and a wide selection of fresh vegetables.

The Basque Country is famed for its exquisite sauces and the area is a veritable gastronomic delight. Due to abundant local fish and seafood, a fundamental part of the cuisine is its stews, fish and seafood dishes. As well as local fishing, the Basques also catch cod off the shores of Iceland and Norway, where it is salted and dried for sale throughout Spain as the popular salted bacalao.

Local dishes include cod recipes such as la zurrugutina, bacalao en salsa verde and bacalao al pil-pil. Amongst the meat dishes you will find la tripotcha, perdices ederra, chuletas de cordero a la guipuzcoana ... and a variety of scrumptious desserts and cakes are on offer.

Galicica is a region of wonderful, wholesome Spanish foods and, nowhere else in Spain will you encounter such a wide variety of fish and seafood, complemented with abundant local vegetables plus top quality meats from its rich, green pastures.

On top of that, it is noted for its soft artisan cheeses, such as la tetilla and its tasty hams and cold meats originating from the likes of Lugo, Maside, Sarria, Lalín, La Coruña ...

Apart from making the most of local fish and seafood, hearty soups and stews are the order of the day. Typical dishes using regional Spanish foods include caldo gallego - a warming, substantial soup; empanada - a tasty type of fish pie; and lacón con grelos - a mix of cured pork, spicy chorizo sausage and turnip tops.

Asturias is known throughout Spain for the production of its wonderful, dry cider. Yet another area with a plentiful supply of fish and vegetables, it also uses white haricot beans for the basis of many local dishes, for example the superb fabada asturiana. The best and most expensive haricot beans originate from Asturias - La Granja - and are known worldwide.

Fresh, fat local sardines and tuna also play an important part in local cuisine, as does meat - in particular, pork.

Navarra is noted for its tender lamb, succulent suckling pig, and abundant fresh vegetables - in particular, plump white asparagus and spicy pointed peppers (pimiento piquillo) which are canned and sold throughout Spain.

The many religious convents of the area also supply a variety of delicious sweet Spanish foods and biscuits, and the region is also renowned for its rich wines.

Local dishes include truchas a la navarra - river trout, deboned and stuffed with Serrano ham; bacalao con ajo, a tasty cod-in-garlic dish; perdices con chocolate - an unusual dish of partridge in a rich, chocolate-tasting sauce; plus many roast dishes using milk-fed lamb and suckling pig.

La Rioja, apart from its fine Spanish foods, is another region renowned for superb wine. Loca fresh vegetables, meats and poultry are also in plentiful supply, as is the abundance of hams and spicy chorizo sausages.

Cod plays an important part in local cuisine too (bacalao a la riojana), as do white haricot beans and the simple yet succulent sauces.

Aragon is a region where pork is the king of meats, with lamb a close second. Also home to a wide variety of sweet Spanish foods such as cakes, marzipans, turrones and desserts made out of flour, sugar and almonds.

Tasty cured hams, roast pork and lamb, garlic soups and wholesome stews accompanied by beans, potatoes or rice make up a large part of local gastronomy. Plus ... snails ...! Try caracoles picantes a la aragonesa (if you dare!) accompanied by one of the superb local wines!

spanish foods - the east

It is on Spain´s east coast that you find Spanish foods pertaining to the famous Mediterranean diet - considered so healthy due to its being based on the local Spanish foods of fish and seafood, olive oil and fresh fruit.

Catalonia is famous for its tasty sausages, in particular those from the town of Vic. The white butifarra sausage contains pork, tripe and pine nuts, whilst the black variety has blood, belly pork and spices.

The region also produces many types of cured sausage, such as the finely textured llangonisseta and the long dry fuet. The local cheese is the tasty Mató cheese.

Local cooking is varied, embracing sweet and savory combinations, fish stews, snails and classic sauces like the spicy romanesco, prepared from red peppers, tomatoes and chillies.

Other typical dishes using regional Spanish foods include: amanida - the local salad; suquet - a delicious fish and seafood stew; butifarra amb mongetes - black sausage with white haricot beans; and crema catalana, a sumptuously rich egg custard.

Valencia Community is the principal rice growing region of Spain. It is also the world´s largest exporter of oranges, plus a major grower of lemons, satsumas, clementines and almonds.

It is, therefore, no wonder that the best-known of all Spanish dishes originates from this community - that´s right, the paella! There are many variations, depending on whether you favor meat or seafood, but the main ingrediant is always round-grained rice using saffron to bestow the golden-yellow color and fabulous aroma.

Fideus a la cassola is another local recipe - a sort of noodle dish with a mixture of colorful ingrediants.

The abundance of almonds is used to make sweets: the two main varieties of turrón - one a soft paste of ground almonds, the other brittle and studied with nuts; almendras garrapiñadas is a crunchy, almond sweet; and guirlache is made of toasted almonds.

And ... any meal can be pleasantly rounded-off with some of the local Puzol cheese.

Murcia. The fertile plains of this region provide tomatoes, broad beans, garlic, vegetables and pulses for much of Spain. There is also plenty of fruit - oranges, lemons, dates ... The spicy chorizo sausage is also much-loved in this area, as is the local cabra goat´s cheese.

Traditional recipes include pastel de carne - minced meat and chopped hard-boiled eggs in a golden puff pastry; michirones - a broad bean and chorizo mixture; pisto murciano - which uses a variety of vegetables. And, there is an abundance of local artisan sweets, cakes and candied fruits (frutas escarchadas).

spanish foods - the south

Andalucia is the large region which comprises the south of Spain where, in years past, the Arabs introduced rice, lemons, oranges, olives, vines and many new vegetables and spices to the area.

Nowadays, you will also find an abundance of other fruits, such as strawberries, apples, pears, melons, plus figs and other tropical fruit. The beautiful city of Granada owes its name to the locally grown pomegranate.

The plentiful supply of olives in the area makes Andalucia the third largest exporter of olive oil to the rest of Europe. The mountain regions also supply superb Spanish foods in the form of jamón Serrano - Jabugo and Trevélez - and wonderful artisan cheeses - for example, Grazalema.

As far as local cuisine goes, tomatoes and peppers are much used, as are local sherry vinegars for salad dressings. Grilled fish is very popular, in particular sardines and calamares (squid) and, in the mountains, stews of tripe and chickpeas are common fare. But, perhaps Andalucia is most famous for tapas, for it was in this region that they were invented.

Local recipes using regional Spanish foods include the well-known gazpacho - a cold vegetable soup with tomato base; cachorreñas - a fish soup from Cádiz; rabo de toro a la jerezana - a rich casserole made of bull´s tail, vegetables and red wine; fritura de pescado - a delightful fish mixture; huevos a la flamenca - a simple gypsy meal of eggs, chorizo and vegetables; and pescado a la sal - fish baked whole in a crust of salt.

The Arab influence resulted in many sweet dishes and desserts: yemas de San Leandro - a kind of marzipan sweet; and tocino de cielo - a luscious custard and caramel dessert.

spanish foods - the center

Extremadura. As with the rest of central Spain, Extremadura has a plentiful supply of game - wild boar, pheasant, partridge, hare - and these ingrediants are the base of many local dishes. Apart from roast game, you will find lots of wonderful, hearty stews.

The region also produces a magnificent variety of cold meats, cured hams - jamones de Montánchez -, sausages and chorizo.

Local dishes include el frite - fried lamb flavored with garlic, onion, lemon and paprika; gazpacho de pastor - a kind of individual game tartlet (nothing to do with the Andalucian gazpacho); and pollo al padre Pero - chicken braised in pepper and tomato sauce. There is also a tantalizig variety of local cakes and buns, such as the almond-based furrinillas.

Castilla La Mancha. As far as Spanish foods are concerned, this are is probably best known throughout Spain and the world as being the top producer of saffron or azafrán.

Saffron was introduced into Spain by the Moors, centuries ago. Its strands are soaked, crushed or toasted to add the gentle golden color and marvellous aroma found in many of Spain´s traditional dishes, in particular - though by no means exclusively - to its rice dishes.

These saffron strands are the stigmas of the purple autumn crocus and it is the world´s most expensive spice because it has to be hand picked.

The local Manchego cheese, made from sheep´s milk, is also widely regarded throughout Spain. Young Manchego cheese is known as fresco; the curado is over 13 weeks; and the añejo is at least 17 months.

Dishes typical of the region which use local Spanish foods include pisto manchego - a mixture of peppers, tomato, onion and courgettes in the style of ratatouille; several game dishes, such as liebre a la mancha; plus a variety of cakes, buns and desserts, like mantecados manchegos and miel sobre hojuelas.

Madrid is not an area known for being a great producer of Spanish foods, but it does offer excellent preserves and cured meats.

The restaurants of Madrid are a rich source of specialities from every Spanish region, often offering superb fresh fish on the table within a few hours of being caught.

The best known of local traditional fare is the adaptable cocido madrileño, providing up to three courses cooked in the one pot! It is, essentially, a slowly-simmered stew of beef, chicken, ham and belly pork with chickpeas, cabbage, chorizo and morcilla. The stock is drunk first, as a soup, and the rest is often served as two separate courses.

Apart from some very fine roasts, another local recipe is for tripe, or callos a la madrileña. And there is a rich variety of local sweets and cakes such as rosquillas listas de san Isidro - a type of doughnut.

Castilla y León is a traditional farming and agricultural land where an enormous variety of Spanish foods are produced, pulses or legumes in particular. Here you will find some of the best white haricot beans - alubias blancas of Barco de Ávila; the chickpeas of Fuentesauco; and the lentils La Armuña. Consequently, many local dishes consist of a variety of wholesome, one-pot pulse/legume stews.

Many tasty cheeses are produced: a soft, white cheese from Burgos; a hard cheese from Páramo de Masa; a cottage cheese from Sedano; plus cheeses from Villalón and Armada.

The area is also known for its crust white bread or pan de pueblo, milk-fed lambs and fresh water fish.

Local dishes include a variety of roasts, such as cochinillo asado a la segoviana - roast suckling pig; truchas en arcilla - clay-baked trout; and sopa de almendras a la castellana - an almond soup.

spanish foods - the islands

You will also find a delicious variety of Spanish foods away from the mainland of Spain, on its two groups of islands - the Balearics and the Canary Islands.

Balearics. Traditional recipes vary from island to island but tend to reflect the cuisine of Catalonia with its mixture of sweet and savory.

Fish, seafood and pork are main ingrediants, combined with a generous mixture of vegetables.

Maó, the capital of Menorca, is reputed to have invented mayonnaise, and is also home to a fine local cheese. Drinks produced on the island include a highly perfumed gin, plus liqueurs such as palo, which is flavored with crushed almond shells.

The island of Mallorca is home to the spicy sobrassada sausage and the sweet pastry known as ensaimada.

Along with a good selection of soups, local dishes include huevos a la sollerinca - a dish consisting of eggs, sobrassada sausage and pea sauce; tumbet - a type of tasty vegetable casserole; and coca de trampó - a pizza-style dish.

The Canary Islands are, probably, most well-known for their bananas! They are the small, sweet La Gomera variety as opposed to the larger plantains and are much appreciated on the mainland of Spain.

The temperate climate also produces a wealth of other tropical fruit - guava, mango, papaya - and vegetables. The sea provides abundant fish.

Local drinks include a rich, amber-colored Malvasía wine; a selection of spirits such as rum; plus coffee, orange and banana-flavored liqueurs.

Many local dishes are served with papas arrugadas - a popular potato dish. Gofio is a type of Guanche cornmeal used to thicken typical Canary stews and to make their bread. And Queso de Flor/Guía is the local cheese.

Other typical dishes of the area include sama frita con mojo verde - fried fish with a spicy sauce; puchero canario - a saffron stew with sausage, beans, cickpeas and potatoes; and bienmesabe - a sweet cream dessert of almonds, egg yolk and cinnamon.

Perhaps you would now like to see some of those recipes which can be concocted out of the above Spanish foods? Yes? Well ... you should find plenty on the links below ... ¡Qué aproveche!

related pages ...

Check out wonderful Spanish recipes at the links below ...

Traditional Spanish Recipes.
Simple Tapas Recipes.
Spanish Rice Recipes.
Delicious dessert recipes.
Alphabet of Spanish foods.

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