In this blog we will do our best to try to explain the basic information needed for anyone seeking to understand and appreciate the best food, wine and drinks made in Spain. So you too will be able to understand the products, its qualities and even have informed conversations with natives of Spain.
We will also provide in this blog recipes to help you prepare yourself the most typical dishes and drinks of Spain.
Spanish wines can be classified in different ways, such as by type, by grape variety, by age, by vinification, and also by their quality label. In Spain, wines are categorized in 6 quality levels of Protected Designation of Origin (Denominación de Origen Protegida – DOP). There are 97 wines with DOP, which are subdivided into […]
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Spanish chorizo is the most popular pork charcuterie in Spain and is a must in any Spanish kitchen and restaurant. A sausage to be considered as chorizo needs to be made with garlic and paprika, cured in the open air or smoked, contain minced pork as the main base, and be marinated with spices such […]
Continue reading
A symbol of Valencian gastronomy, Horchata Valenciana, also known as Orxata de Xufa (in Valenciano) or Horchata de chufa, is a very popular, delicious, milky-looking, and refreshing summer drink consumed throughout Spain during the hot summer months. This highly refreshing and delicately flavored drink is part of the Valencian culture and has been consumed there […]
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Pimentón de la Vera is presumably the best paprika in the world. It comes from the region of La Vera, in the north of Caceres (Extremadura, Spain). This is a product that should not be missing in any kitchen. Pimentón ranks among the most popular ingredients in Spanish cooking, competing with saffron for spice shelf […]
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Fuet, also called Espetec, is arguably Catalonia´s most popular cured sausage, and also quite popular throughout Spain. This thin, soft and tender sausage is made from lean pork seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices and finely minced fat. It is stuffed into a thin pork casing with a caliber of 34 – 36 mm. […]
Continue reading
Tetilla cheese (Queso Tetilla / Queixo Tetilla) is the most characteristic and internationally renowned Galician cheese, easily recognizable by its shape and its smooth, thin, straw-yellow rind. The word ‘tetilla’ clearly defines the traditional conical, concave-convex, pear-like shape, with a slight “nipple”, more or less pointed top at its apex, which is the reason why […]
Continue reading
Cabrales cheese, also known as Quesu Cabrales, Queso de Cabrales, or Cabraliego, is a highly-prized cheese and the most international food of the Spanish northern region of Asturias, with an intense, persistent and slightly spicy flavor. In 2020, Guinness World Records awarded Cabrales the record of the most expensive cheese in the world when a […]
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Manchego, easily the most well-known Spanish cheese throughout the world, is beloved for its rich, buttery taste and compact consistency. Manchego sheep’s cheese is usually made from pasteurized milk and needs to be matured for a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of 2 years. The milk of this Spanish cheese does not contain […]
Continue reading
Spain is a true kingdom of sausages (embutidos), which emerged as a way of extending the shelf life of meats, but nowadays, beyond a method of preservation, they are a delicious way of consuming pork. These are the most popular: 1. Chorizo Chorizo is the most popular pork charcuterie in Spain and is a must […]
Continue reading
Eating tapas has become one of the most typical Spanish customs, which has now been exported all around the world, and locally adopted and adjusted to the local taste and needs. If Italy made pizza popular all over the globe, Spain is doing now the same with tapas. But, what is a tapa? A tapa […]
Continue reading
In Spain, there are more than 260 varieties of oil. Of all of them, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the most renowned for its high quality. Depending on the production process, we can distinguish two large groups. On the one hand, coupage extra virgin olive oil, which is made from different types of olives […]
Continue reading
In Spain there are more than 100 varieties of cheeses made by artisans. Of these 100 varieties, 26 have Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) and 3 more have Protected Geographical Indications (IGP), a seal of quality that indicates quality and characteristics that are only possible thanks to the environment in which they are produced and […]
Continue reading
Jamón Ibérico (Ibérico ham), Serrano ham, pata negra ham, acorn-fed ham, cebo ham, bodge ham (cellar), Gran Reserva ham (Great Reserve), recebo ham, country ham… All these terms are used to define the typology of the different qualities of ham available in Spain. This terminology is not easily assimilated and understood by the end consumer. […]
Continue reading
Spanish wines can be classified in different ways, such as by type, by grape variety, by age, by vinification, and also by their quality label. In Spain, wines are categorized in 6 quality levels of Protected Designation of Origin (Denominación de Origen Protegida – DOP). There are 97 wines with DOP, which are subdivided into […]
Spanish chorizo is the most popular pork charcuterie in Spain and is a must in any Spanish kitchen and restaurant. A sausage to be considered as chorizo needs to be made with garlic and paprika, cured in the open air or smoked, contain minced pork as the main base, and be marinated with spices such […]
A symbol of Valencian gastronomy, Horchata Valenciana, also known as Orxata de Xufa (in Valenciano) or Horchata de chufa, is a very popular, delicious, milky-looking, and refreshing summer drink consumed throughout Spain during the hot summer months. This highly refreshing and delicately flavored drink is part of the Valencian culture and has been consumed there […]
Pimentón de la Vera is presumably the best paprika in the world. It comes from the region of La Vera, in the north of Caceres (Extremadura, Spain). This is a product that should not be missing in any kitchen. Pimentón ranks among the most popular ingredients in Spanish cooking, competing with saffron for spice shelf […]
Fuet, also called Espetec, is arguably Catalonia´s most popular cured sausage, and also quite popular throughout Spain. This thin, soft and tender sausage is made from lean pork seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices and finely minced fat. It is stuffed into a thin pork casing with a caliber of 34 – 36 mm. […]
Tetilla cheese (Queso Tetilla / Queixo Tetilla) is the most characteristic and internationally renowned Galician cheese, easily recognizable by its shape and its smooth, thin, straw-yellow rind. The word ‘tetilla’ clearly defines the traditional conical, concave-convex, pear-like shape, with a slight “nipple”, more or less pointed top at its apex, which is the reason why […]
Cabrales cheese, also known as Quesu Cabrales, Queso de Cabrales, or Cabraliego, is a highly-prized cheese and the most international food of the Spanish northern region of Asturias, with an intense, persistent and slightly spicy flavor. In 2020, Guinness World Records awarded Cabrales the record of the most expensive cheese in the world when a […]
Manchego, easily the most well-known Spanish cheese throughout the world, is beloved for its rich, buttery taste and compact consistency. Manchego sheep’s cheese is usually made from pasteurized milk and needs to be matured for a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of 2 years. The milk of this Spanish cheese does not contain […]
Spain is a true kingdom of sausages (embutidos), which emerged as a way of extending the shelf life of meats, but nowadays, beyond a method of preservation, they are a delicious way of consuming pork. These are the most popular: 1. Chorizo Chorizo is the most popular pork charcuterie in Spain and is a must […]
Eating tapas has become one of the most typical Spanish customs, which has now been exported all around the world, and locally adopted and adjusted to the local taste and needs. If Italy made pizza popular all over the globe, Spain is doing now the same with tapas. But, what is a tapa? A tapa […]
In Spain, there are more than 260 varieties of oil. Of all of them, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the most renowned for its high quality. Depending on the production process, we can distinguish two large groups. On the one hand, coupage extra virgin olive oil, which is made from different types of olives […]
In Spain there are more than 100 varieties of cheeses made by artisans. Of these 100 varieties, 26 have Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) and 3 more have Protected Geographical Indications (IGP), a seal of quality that indicates quality and characteristics that are only possible thanks to the environment in which they are produced and […]
Jamón Ibérico (Ibérico ham), Serrano ham, pata negra ham, acorn-fed ham, cebo ham, bodge ham (cellar), Gran Reserva ham (Great Reserve), recebo ham, country ham… All these terms are used to define the typology of the different qualities of ham available in Spain. This terminology is not easily assimilated and understood by the end consumer. […]
