Spanish
cuisine
is made of very different kinds of dishes due to the differences in geography,
culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by the variety of seafood available
from the waters that surround the country. As Spain has had a history with many
different cultural influences, the richness and variety of its cuisine is overwhelming, but all
these ingredients have made up a unique cuisine with thousands of recipes and
flavours. The international influences are perhaps most obvious in Barcelona.
Next door to a shop selling ready-made falafels might be an Asian food restaurant,
which is next to a traditional tapas bar, and on and on in amazing variety.
Much
influence on Spanish cuisine has come from the Jewish and Moorish traditions.
The Moors were a strong influence in
Spain for many centuries and their food is still eaten in Spain today. These are
some of the primary influences that have differentiated Spanish cuisine from Mediterranean cuisine,
of which Spanish cuisine shares many techniques and food items.
Daily
meals eaten by the Spanish in many areas of the country are still very often made
traditionally by hand, from fresh ingredients bought daily from the local market.
This is more common in the rural areas and less common in the large urban areas
like Madrid, where supermarkets are beginning to displace the open air markets.
However, even in Madrid food can be bought from the local shops, bread from the
panaderia, meat from the carniceria, etc.
Traditional
Spanish cooking also often revolves around outdoor cooking over a fire, perhaps
in a special clay or brick oven.
One
popular custom when going out is to take tapas with your drink (sherry, wine,
beer...). In some places, like Granada, tapas are given for free with your drink
and have become very famous for that reason. It should be noted that almost every
tapas bar serves something comestible when a drink is ordered, without charge.
Another
traditional favorite is the churro with a mug of thick hot
chocolate to
dip the churro in. Churrerías, or stores that serve churros, are quite
common. Specifically the Chocolatería de San Ginés in Madrid is very famous as a place
to stop and have some chocolate with churros, often late into the night (even
dawn) after being out on the town. Often traditional Spanish singers will be seen
to entertain the guests. [1] (http://www.spain-info.com/madrid/Classic-Cafes-Madrid.html)
Typical
Spanish foods also include
See
also
External
links
