Food in Spain is delicious and varied: having arrived here, you will probably want to try the dishes of Spanish cuisine. If you do not want to significantly increase your food costs, you should not visit fashionable restaurants - give preference to small and cozy cafes.
To save even more, look for places with the sign “menudeldia” - here you can order a set menu consisting of first, second and salad at an affordable price.
Food in Spain
The Spanish diet consists of vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood, legumes, cereals, herbs, olive oil.
Arriving in Spain, it is advisable to try traditional dishes - jamon (dry-cured ham), paella (a dish of dyed rice, seafood, vegetables and poultry), tapas (light snacks), various types of cheese, gazpacho (cold tomato soup).
Where to eat in Spain?
At your service:
- bars (snacks and drinks are served here, and in some even hot dishes);
- cafes (they are located on every corner in any Spanish city: the Spaniards love to come here for friendly meetings);
- cafeteria (in these “fast food” cafes you can have a snack at the bar or at a table for an additional fee);
- casa de comidas (these inns offer guests to taste delicious and inexpensive food);
- parador (in these restaurants, open at castles, palaces or former monasteries, you can taste excellent Spanish food).
Drinks in Spain
Popular drinks in Spain are tea, coffee, horchata (a soft drink made from almonds), wine, sherry, liqueur, sangria (a drink based on red wine, spices and fruits), cava (a local drink reminiscent of champagne).
In Spain, you should definitely try Rioja wines from red wines, and Catalan wines from whites. It is also worth trying the dessert drinks of Malaga.
Gastronomic tour to Spain
Want to try Spanish food and Mediterranean delicacies? Take a gastronomic tour in Spain: you can visit a number of establishments where you will be treated to specialties. Alternatively, you can go on a food tour that involves visiting Spanish provinces and famous estates, where you can also get up close and personal with Spanish cuisine.
For example, meat lovers should go to Castile and Leon - here you can try roast lamb (paletilla de cordero) and suckling pig dishes (cochinillo asado). Bean soups (judias and alubias blancas) are also available here.
If you are fond of cheese, go on a cheese tour - a trip to Castilla la Mancha (home of Idiazabal cheese) or the Pyrenees (famous for the production of Roncal cheese).
If you decide to spend your vacation in Spain, you can enjoy a rich excursion program, warm sea and excellent Mediterranean cuisine.
Updated: 2020.02.
