When we think of Spain we are transported to the warm weather, the gentle waves of the Mediterranean, the laid back lifestyle and the wonderful aromas of Spanish food.
There are many types of food that Spain is famous for from the delights of tapas to the incredible seafood that you can find on most resorts across Spain. Locally caught fish, juicy tuna steaks and sardines cooking on the spit. If you love food, there is so much to choose from, and most of it locally produced.
When we talk about Spanish food, we cannot leave out one of their most famous dishes, the humble paella. There are many different paella recipes as each Spanish family will have their unique take on it, but there are some basic rules that bring them all together.
It should be cooked using a paella pan (paellera) which is a very flat and large type of frying pan. Also once you have added the rice and ingredients, you should simply leave it alone. Don’t be tempted to keep stirring it otherwise the rice will start to break down and become mushy.
There are many variations of paella, the most traditional will have rabbit as it was essentially ‘peasant’ food, with ingredients that were easy to come by or left over. The seafood paella has become one of the most famous and it looks as good as it tastes. It will usually have prawns, mussels and squid as well us chunks of local fish.
Prawns Pil Pil
There are many fabulous prawn recipes from Spain but one of the most famous around the world is Prawns Pil Pil, a sizzling dish of prawns in hot oil with chillis. Some recopies will include sherry and others just the oil.
Eating in Spain
Food is not just something people do to survive in Spain, it is an essential part of their family life. If you head out at the weekend you will often see large tables of Spanish enjoying food. It is a family occasion where children, parents and grand parents come together to gossip and enjoy each others company. The Spanish siesta is still an important tradition to Spaniards as it is when families will eat together and then sleep it off for an hour before returning to work.
The modern Spain still embraces food but it is also enjoyed socially by friends who head out at the weekends for a catch up and a few drinks. The other big change is that it is not just Spanish food on offer and many people now enjoy the variety of international food on offer such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese and so on.
Whether you want a full blown meal or a simple Mediterranean salad, Spanish food is full of flavour and excitement!
