6 Delicious Spanish Dishes You Should Definitely Try
Spanish cuisine is all about simplicity and sophistication. Traditional dishes are colorful and festive and typically highlight some of Spain’s best ingredients, including vibrant olive oil, juicy tomatoes, and fresh seafood. Due to the delightful flavors of these and other common ingredients, some Spanish chefs consider attempts to elevate Spanish dishes to be disrespectful to their natural essence.
There’s also incredible regional variety in Spain, meaning a traditional dish in one city might not be as popular or made differently in another. Here are six delicious and authentic Spanish dishes that are worth the trip but can also be made in the comfort of your kitchen.
1. Paella
Arguably the most well-known Spanish dish worldwide, paella is a dish that typically includes a mix of tomatoes, rice, and beans cooked in a broth over an open flame. The rice is toasted on the bottom of the pan, forming a crust.
Paella, believed to have originated in 18th-century Valencia, draws its name from the Latin word patella, which refers to the pan used for its preparation. However, another theory suggests the name came from the Arabic word baqiyah, meaning “leftovers.”
The original, authentic Valenciana paella includes rabbit, duck, and chicken. Seafood paella, a more widespread version outside of Valencia, often incorporates ingredients such as shrimp, clams, and mussels. If preparing paella at home, you can customize the dish with whatever flavorings and protein you prefer, but make sure to use saffron in the broth.
2. Patatas Bravas
Tapas, which originated in Spain, are essentially small servings of food prepared and plated to be shared with others. They can be eaten on their own as a light snack during happy hour or as an appetizer, which is more common in the United States.
“Tapas originated in Southern Spain and is an adaptation to the social culture of eating and drinking outside the home and fulfills the same social function as the English public house and other similar institutions,” notes Shawn Hennessey, who organizes tapas tours in Seville. “It’s important to note that the tapeo (tapas crawl) is not primarily a ‘drinking culture’ thing — it’s oriented to friends and family with a communal atmosphere. In short, tapas are a way of life.”
Patatas bravas (“brave potatoes” in English) is one of the most popular tapas menu items in Spain. While Spanish cuisine doesn’t include much spicy food, patatas bravas is the exception. Potatoes are cubed and fried before being finished in a spicy ketchup sauce and dusted with paprika. They can also be topped with a garlicky aioli to balance the heat.
3. Jamón ibérico
Spanning across different regions, jamón ibérico, a cured ham dish, can be found throughout Spain. The country’s annual production of over 35 million hams ranks it among the world’s top producers and consumers of this renowned meat. Jamón ibérico is a simple yet delicious dish that has been a staple of Spanish cuisine for centuries. The ham, produced from black Iberian pigs, is salted and hung to dry and cure in the open air for three years.
Jamón ibérico is usually served on its own in thin slices or can be accompanied by bread.
4. Tortilla Española
Tortilla Española is a perfect example of the simplicity of Spanish cuisine. The easy-to-make omelet dish is prepared with only a few ingredients and can be eaten for breakfast or at lunch as a filling for a sandwich.
Tortilla Española is a thick cake-like mixture of eggs and vegetables (potatoes and onions, usually); it shares many similarities with a frittata except for how it’s cooked. Whereas frittatas are baked in the oven, tortilla Española is fried in a skillet and requires some patience and technique to flip while keeping it intact.
5. Pan Con Tomate
Pan con tomate is another simplistic yet flavorful dish that is prepared with few ingredients and is ready in no more than a few minutes. A popular tapas menu item, pan con tomate is a slice of rustic bread topped with garlic, tomato, and olive oil. Many Spanish restaurants use it as a base to create other delicious tapas with toppings like anchovy filets or cured ham.
6. Pintxos
Pintxo, in most of Spain, refers to a tapa served on a skewer. In the Basque region, it’s used almost interchangeably with tapas. The popular tapas dish can be served with a variety of ingredients, but it usually includes small slices of bread, preserved meats, and pickled vegetables. The most popular variation is the pintxo Gilda, which includes preserved anchovy, green olive, and pickled guindilla pepper. Roasted blue-cheese-stuffed dates, wrapped in bacon, is another popular pintxo.
