Cooking Styles & Traditions of Spain

As someone who has traveled Spain for many years, people often people ask me to describe Spanish food, what it tastes like and how is it special. It’s a hard question! With Spain’s distinct regions and such a rich history, it is hard to give a short answer. From the roasted meat culture of Castilla y Leon to ‘pescaito frito’ seafood, fried to perfection in Cádiz, there is an amazing variety of techniques and dishes in Spain that I love.

If I had to give a short answer, I would say all Spanish cooking traditions share a love for fresh seasonal ingredients that are prepared simply to allow their flavors to shine. And, in every region of Spain, food is all about connecting and sharing with friends and family. Finally, though it may seem obvious to a lot of you, food from Spain is definitely not spicy! In fact it has very little similarity to the cuisine of Mexico (as good as that can be!)

For those of you who are new to Spain’s incredible food culture, I’d like to share a short description of the traditions and cooking styles that are the foundation of Spanish cuisine.

Fresh, Local Ingredients

Whenever I visit a city in Spain, the local market is a top destination. Whether it is the famous Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, or smaller but bustling Mercado de la Concepción in El Puerto de Santa María, I find it invigorating to see beautiful local produce, ultra-fresh seafood and local charcuterie. On one visit to El Puerto I saw a woman tending a basket of live snails, whisking them back as they tried to make a run for it!

Local pride in food from the area is always impressive to me. In Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the southern Atlantic coast, they have a special shrimp that thrives off the Guadalquivir River estuary – you can’t find it anywhere else. Just sixty miles away in Huelva, they celebrate their “gamba blanca” shrimp and call it the “queen of shellfish”. So much for calling them small, medium and jumbo shrimp!

Whether it is the famous local shrimp in Andalucía, the tender artichokes of Navarra or the roasted lamb of Segovia, the Spanish prefer simple preparation techniques that let the fresh ingredients shine. There is no need to drown the ingredients in sauces or bury them in pasta when you have excellent locally sourced foods.

Grilling & Roasting

Speaking of simple, honest preparation, grilling (a la parrilla) and roasting (asado) are popular in almost all of Spain’s 17 regions. There is nothing tastier than feasting on grilled fish in the Basque port town of Getaria.  I remember sitting at a table with a view of the fishing boats that dock nearby – the fresh catch is taken straight from the boat to the ‘parrilla’ and served with minimal seasoning.

In Segovia they roast suckling pig in wood fired ovens, or "hornos de leña" until the skin is crackling and the pork melts in your mouth.  It is so tender, they literally cut it with a porcelain plate. Other amazing grilled foods are fresh chorizo sausages, pulpo a la gallega (Galician-style octopus) and lechazo (roast lamb from Castilla y León).

Sautéing & Frying

Sautéing (sofrito) is a foundational way of cooking in Spain. A mixture of garlic, onions, tomatoes and peppers is gently cooked in olive oil to form the base of many dishes. “Tomate frito” is a sauteed tomato sauce that is the base of many Spanish dishes, from cocidos to empanadas and paella.

Frying in olive oil is an important method, especially in Andalucía, where pescaíto frito (fried fish, fresh from the sea) is a beloved street food. I love ordering a plate of ‘puntillitas’, lightly breaded tiny squid, and eating them like popcorn!

When talking about frying, I have to spotlight churros. In Spain, going to the “churrería” for freshly fried churros pastries is a way of life, usually served with thick “chocolate a la taza” for dipping. The Spanish snack on them for breakfast, an afternoon snack (merienda) or as a classic hangover food after a late night on the town.

Rice & Paella Cooking

Rice is a classic Spanish ingredient, ever since it was introduced by the Moors 1,000 years ago. I remember visiting the beautiful rice fields of Valencia in the Albufera Natural park, a beautiful landscape of swaying rice plants and abundant wildlife. I could picture the farmers pausing in their harvest to prepare a simple meal on a flat pan, featuring the short grained rice of their fields with what was at hand – maybe a rabbit snared nearby, plump snails plucked from the blades of grass and a few dried beans from a burlap bag. From this humble farmer’s meal was born the famous paella of Valencia.

Strictly speaking, the authentic paella of Valencia is still based on these original ingredients, along with aromatic saffron that was another gift from the moors. The flat paellera, or paella pan, is also essential because it distributes the heat evenly and allows for a thin layer of al dente rice that absorbs all the flavors.

There are many other delicious rice dishes in Spain, often called “arroces” or rices. I love “arroz caldoso”, featuring a soupy broth with seafood or meats. “Arroz abanda” is an intensely flavorful seafood dish originating in Alicante, prepared in a paellara. The name "a banda" translates to "on the side," referring to how the fish is served apart from the rice, often with a side of alioli or the local sauce, salmorreta. There are many other rices you should try, like “arroz con pollo” , “arroz negro”, “arroz de la montaña” and “arroz don mariscos.”

Curing, Pickling & Salting

Arguably the most beloved foods of Spain originated from necessity of preserving foods for the winter. Spanish ham, or jamón, has been salted and cured for millennia – jamón was even a favorite of the Romans, who imported them from Spain. Jamón Serrano and Ibérico is central to every region of Spain, from Cataluña to Sevilla.

Salting fish was introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians. My father and I visited a seafood curing house in Barbate where anchovies were aged in a barrel packed with sea salt brine until each delicate fillet was cut and rinsed by hand. In another room on the roof, slabs of Almadraba tuna were salted and hung in the sea breezes to dry, creating intensely flavorful mojama. It was amazing witnessing methods that had not changed in thousands of years. Another ancient curing tradition from the north of Spain is “bacalao”, or salted cod. This staple has fed the Spanish people for centuries and is an essential ingredient in many recipes.

Pickling (escabeche) with wine vinegar is also common, especially for fish like “boquerones” (white anchovy fillets) and vegetables, like baby eggplant, guindilla peppers and sweet pickled garlic.

Slow Cooking & Simmering

Another classic cooking method is slow cooking. Stews like cocido madrileño and fabada asturiana from the mountainous region of Asturias are simmered for hours to develop deep, rich flavors. These rich stews are especially common in colder regions, where hearty meals are preferred. I remember stopping at a small restaurant in Galicia when I was walking the Camino de Santiago. I asked for a menu and the owner waved her finger – they only served one dish, “cocido de garbanzo.” It was delicious!

Baking & Pastry Making

Spain also has a rich tradition of baking, especially in the form of breads like pan con tomate and pastries such as ensaimadas. Galicia is credited with introducing the world to empanadas, seafood stuffed pies, which originally served as a snack that was east for workers to carry.

Tapas Culture

Finally, I must write about Spain’s amazing tapas. Tapas is less a way of cooking than a way of living. There is nothing more Spanish than meeting friends at a bar or café to catch up and share a bite and a drink. Authentic tapas are simple small dishes made from local ingredients, a microcosm of Spain’s food culture.

Spanish cooking traditions are a celebration of local flavors, simplicity and community. Whether it's the slow-simmered stews of the north or the fried seafood of the Andalucian coast, Spanish food offers an amazing variety of flavors rooted in centuries of tradition. And the Spanish way of eating is always about sharing great food with friends and family.
 

¡Hola! I'm Jonathan Harris, one of the owners of La Tienda. I love sharing insights about Spain's amazing food culture. 

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