Regional cuisine

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Every region of Spain has its own distinct cuisine and specialties.

Valencia

Valencia, is located in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea.  Valencia was invaded several times. In the early part of the 8th century, the Moors arrived in Valencia and this influenced the area’s cuisine. The Moors brought spices, rice, sugarcane, oranges, and almonds to the area.

Rice is grown in the Valencia region and dishes are common. The best-known Spanish dish, a stew called paella, comes from Valencia.

Valencia is on the coast but also has mountains inland.  Fish, seafood and rice are the mainstays of the coastal cuisine, but meat dishes including lamb and goat are common in the mountain areas. Valencia is also well known for its oranges.

 

Cataluña (Catalonia)

Catalonia is in north eastern Spain. It has miles of coast line on the Mediterranean Sea.  Its food is influenced by the Romans, Arabs French and Italians. It is known for its sophisticated inventive dishes combining seafood, meat, poultry, and local fruits. The south of the region is a major grower of oranges.

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Catalonia has a wide variety of rice dishes, as well as meat, poultry and fish. Four basic sauces are important in Catalonian food: samfina, sorito, picada and alioli. Pan con Tomate is Tomato Bread traditional to Catolonia.

Andalusia

Andalusia is located in southern Spain. It includes the provinces of Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba and Granada. Andalusia covers a large, over 17% of Spain. It extends from the border of Portugal in the west, to the Mediterranean Sea in the east, all along the southern coast of Spain and is a busy tourist area.

Andalusia has a long history of being conquered, because of its climate, good fertile land agriculture and its position near the Strait of Gibraltar. It was invaded by  Celts, Romans and the Moors and these have influenced the diet of the region.The people in Andulusia  used many Arab (Moorish) ingredients and cooking techniques into their cuisine that are still used today. The Moors brought new foods like figs, pomegranates, and oranges honey and almonds.

Andalusia’s traditional food is a Mediterranean diet, including lots of olive oil, fish, fruits, nuts and vegetables. Fresh fish and seafood are eaten daily in coastal regions. Stews and bean dishes are common in the mountain areas. Cured olives, olive oil and cured ham are common in Andalusia.  The area around Cádiz is famous for sherry, or jerez wine. Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, comes from Andalusia in southern Spain. Andalusia is the most important area for producing olive oil in Spain.

Asturias

Asturias is between the regions of Galicia to the west, Cantabria to the east and Castilla-Leon to the south. The Asturias has miles of coastline to the north and traditionally, the people were farmers, shepherds and fishermen. The regions diet includes fish, seafood, beef and lamb. Asturias is known for its cheese, and there are over two dozen varieties of cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheeses made in Asturias.

The signature dish of Asturias, in north western Spain, is fabada, a sausage and bean stew.

Castilla-Leon

Castilla-León is the largest region of Spain. As it is in the interior of Spain meat is important and the region is also known for its roast sucking lamb and pig.  This part of Spain is also colder then other regions and stews are common. Chickpeas were one of the basic foods of the region and the main ingredient in Castilian stews. Castilla is also known for its’ wonderful bread.

Castilla La Mancha

Castilla-La Mancha covers a large area of central and south-central Spain. It is a large plain surrounded on all sides by mountains. The climate is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The land is not as fertile as other areas as water is scarce in the elevated plain and a lot of land erosion has taken place.

There are lots of sheep farmers in the area and a lot of the dishes are traditional shepherds food. The typical dishes of this region are heavy stews and soups. The traditional pisto stew is made simply with red and green peppers, tomatoes and squash. Sopa de Ajo or garlic soup is another common dish. Bread and cheese are eaten everywhere in the area. Castilla-La Mancha is the second most important area in Spain for olive oil production.

Canary Islands (las Islas Canarias)

The Canary Islands are located off of the west coast of northern Africa. The islands were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 14th and 15th centuries and were conquered by 1500. The islands have a sub-tropical climate. The soil has volcanic material. They are a popular tourist destination and the economy depends mainly on tourism. Potatoes, bananas, sugar cane, exotic fruits and tobacco are grown and exported. Many south Americans settled on the islands after the discovery of the Americas and the food is influenced by that. The food is a mix of Spanish, South American and African. As they are islands fish is an important part of the diet. Vegetables and fruit are grown on the island and potaoes, bananas and exotic fruits are eaten.

Galicia

Galicia is located in the extreme north western corner of Spain on the Atlantic Ocean. The people of Galicia are descendents of Celtic people. It is a cold, wet climate, with hilly land and rocky coastlines. It is one of the poorest areas of Spain. The people are usually small farmers or fishermen and the people eat what they grow on the farm or catch in the sea. The area is known for its fish dishes, soup and stews. Several varieties of potato are grown in the area.

The Basque Country  (el Pais Vasco)

The Basque Country  is located in northern Spain on the border with France. It is a very mountainous region and includes the Basque Mountains, Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains. In the mountain areas the people eat beef, veal and game, snails, potatoes, beans and other vegetables  and various cheeses.

In the middle ages this area was very poor and meat and wheat were scarce. The people ate lentils, beans and fruit. But over time in the coastal area fishing became and important industry and more fish such as cod, eel, and squid was eaten.

Many people from the area went to the Americas when exploration was taking place and brought back foods from there. Corn, peppers, beans, tomatoes and potatoes became part of the  Basque diet. In the XIX century the Industrial Revolution helped raise the standard of living in the Basque Country. Because it is close to France over time French influences became common on the food of the region.

Cantabria

Cantabria is a region on Spain’s north coast on the Bay of Biscay and is a mountainous region. Inland, farmers bake their own bread and make their own cheese. Milk is the main agriculture product of the area. Stews are a main food inland and venison is a popular meat. Near the coast the fishing industry is important and fresh fish is popular and anchovies and lobster are caught daily. Flan al Caramelo (caramel custard) is a popular desert.

Navarre

Navarre is a region in northern Spain, it has mountain, valleys and major rivers. It is near the Pyrenees and borders France. The climate is mixed.  Agriculture is important in the area. Rice peaches and a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, artichokes, asparagus and peppers are produced. Asparagus and artichokes from this area are bought by big restaurants in Spain. Cows and sheep are the main animals kept. Navarre is also home to Roncal cheese. It is produced from raw unpasteurized milk. 

La Rioja 

La Rioja is an inland region in northern Spain. It covers part of the Ebro valley towards its north and the Iberian mountain range in the south. It is an agricultural region and it has a good irrigation system.  The food of the area is influenced by neighbouring regions. The food is simple and uses the top quality products from the region including local vegetables such as peppers, garlic, onions, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, chard, borage. Stews are very popular and usually are made from beans.  Lamb and ham are popular meats. The region is well known for its wine.

Aragon

This region of Spain region borders France, and includes some of the Pyrenees mountains. Lamb, wild boar, venison are very common in this area and meals include roast lamb or hotpots. In the south of the region ham (Iberian ham) is popular and is said to be some of the best in Spain. Snails are popular and this comes from the French influence. Mushrooms, borage, sweet onions and asparagus are grown in the region. The food in this area is described as good, honest, cooking.

Extremadura,

Extremadura, is a western Spanish region and borders with Portugal. It’s a remote area of mountains, forests, lakes and reserves. The region is known for its pigs and peppers. Iberian Ham is well known and the sweet, sticky ham is eaten with bread, oil, olives and cheese. Peppers are grown and used to make paprika. Pimentón de la vera is smoked paprika and is only made in this region.  The cooking is simple.

Madrid

Madrid is the capital of Spain and the population is varied. Madrid is not especially known for its own cuisine. The cuisine of Madrid is a combination of the food from the other regions as people have moved to work and live in the capital.  Eating tapas is common in Madrid.

Murcia

Murcia is a city in south-eastern Spain. The climate is hot summers, mild winters, and low precipitation. It is a tourist regsion. The region is not known for its food.  But the city, is called Europe's orchard as it has an agricultural tradition and produces fruit, vegetables, and flower for home and for export.