Cold tomato soups are especially popular in Andalusia. In salmorejo, unlike gazpacho, white bread, jamon, cut into small pieces, and a boiled egg are added. It turns out filling: be sure to try it if you’re in Cordoba.
2. Tortilla de patatas.
Every self-respecting Spanish housewife has a special double-sided frying pan on which you can fry this thick potato omelette on both sides. Although “as simple as a tortilla”, — Spanish analogue of the Russian expression “simpler than steamed turnips”, preparing the perfect tortilla is not as easy as it seems.
3. Paella.
The first acquaintance with paella leaves many perplexed: rice is like rice, often hard, cold and burnt. To truly appreciate the taste of paella and understand why the Spaniards sincerely love this dish, a tourist needs to adhere to simple but very important rules. First, when choosing a restaurant, make sure that the chefs will prepare paella especially for you, and not put the finished dish on plates. Real paella should be brought to you in a separate frying pan, and not earlier than 20-30 (or even more) minutes after ordering. Secondly, do not order paella for dinner: the Spaniards never do this, which means that in the evening you have a chance to get a dish prepared “as for your own” much less.
4. Croquetas.
Caution, it’s hot! Croquetas are oblong balls of bechamel sauce fried in oil. In any, even the simplest restaurant, you will most likely be offered several types of croquetas to choose from: with chicken, with jamon, with vegetables, and so on. Like many other peasant dishes, croquetas now and then make daring forays into haute cuisine. So don’t be surprised if you see broccoli and sheep’s cheese croquetas on the menu of a decent restaurant, accompanied by an orange-endive salad — or something like that.
5. Cod (Bacalao).
The Spaniards respectfully say about a person empowered to make important decisions: “he cuts the cod”. Cod occupies such a place of honor in Spanish cuisine. In the north of Spain, in the Basque Country, cooking cod has been elevated to the rank of a high art, the most famous masterpiece of which — cod in pil-pil sauce. A less refined, but no less popular method of preparation, used by chefs throughout Spain — bell peppers stuffed with cod.
6. Stewed offal (Callos).
A very traditional and very masculine dish from Madrid. Although it may contain both vegetables and beans, the result is still meat stewed in a meat sauce with meat. It makes it easier to survive that pleasant and sunny time, which the residents of Madrid consider the harsh and long Spanish winter.
7. Pinchos,
Tapas,
Montaditos.
Small sandwiches and mini sandwiches, traditional Spanish snacks, and options for such snacks — thousands. In bars that serve pintxos, each sandwich is pierced with a wooden skewer. Visitors themselves pick up the snacks they like from the bar, and when it’s time to pay, the waiter simply counts how many skewers are left on your plate and quickly makes the calculation.
8. Tinto de verano,
Clara,
sangria.
The Spaniards are great at celebrating and having fun. This is partly why light alcoholic drinks are so popular in Spain, which can be drunk even on the hottest summer day. Tinto de verano (“summer wine”) — red wine diluted with soda. Clara — beer half and half with lemonade, sangria (be careful, this — is the most insidious!) — chilled wine with ice and fruit.
Author of the article: Tatyana Khrylova
