country Essentials · 15 foods
Spain Essentials
A considered first route through Spain: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Spain foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
15 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Valencia, Spain
Paella Valenciana
Valencia’s wood-fired saffron rice with rabbit, chicken, green beans, and garrofó, finished with socarrat.
Andalusia, Spain
Gazpacho
Andalusian chilled tomato, cucumber, pepper, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar soup for hot days.
Spain
Spanish Potato Omelette
Tortilla de patatas
Thick potato-and-egg omelette with a tender center, served warm or at room temperature.
Galicia, Argentina
Galician-Style Octopus
Pulpo a la gallega
Galician octopus over potatoes, paprika, olive oil, and coarse salt on a wooden plate.
Spain
Garlic Shrimp
Gambas al ajillo
Shrimp sizzling in garlic-infused olive oil, served hot in a small clay dish.
Spain
Iberian Ham
Jamon iberico
Paper-thin acorn-aged Iberian ham with marbled fat that softens on the tongue.
Catalonia, Spain
Garlic Mayonnaise
Allioli
Catalan garlic-and-olive-oil emulsion, traditionally pounded without egg and served with grilled foods.
Spain
Squid in Ink
Calamares en su tinta
Tender squid in a deep black ink sauce, a northern Spanish seafood classic with bread or rice.
Catalonia, Spain
Cava
Bottle-fermented Spanish sparkling wine, especially associated with Catalonia’s Penedès cellars.
Spain
Spanish Hot Chocolate
Chocolate a la taza
Thick Spanish drinking chocolate made for dipping churros, closer to custard than cocoa.
Asturias, Spain
Asturian Bean Stew
Fabada asturiana
Asturian white-bean stew simmered with chorizo, morcilla, bacon, and pork shoulder.
Catalonia, Andorra
Bread with Tomato
Pa amb tomaquet
Toasted Catalan bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil, salt, and optional garlic.
Castile-La Mancha, Spain
Pisto
Pisto manchego
La Mancha’s slow-cooked tomato, pepper, aubergine, and courgette stew, often topped with egg.
Asturias, Spain
Cachopo
Asturian breaded veal or pork filled with ham and cheese, crisp outside and molten inside.
Valencian Community, Spain
Jijona Nougat
Turron de Jijona
Soft Jijona nougat of milled almonds, honey, and egg white, a Christmas confection.