Spain Food

Expect extra virgin olive oils, chic peas and lentils, cheese and wine. Expect parsley and rice almonds, loads of garlic and onions, saffron and cinnamon, and fresh fruit. Expect very fresh fish and seafood, game and cured hams, sausages and fresh breads, beef and chorizo. Now add to that a dash of regional diversity, topped with Spanish conviviality, and you get a pretty accurate picture of Spain food.

In Spain, everything from the arts and letters to gastronomy is rich and diverse. Each valley, each village, and each region take pride in their own recipes and the unique way they prepare their dishes from the simplest to the most complex.

Spain food is a reflection of the many cultural influences brought to the Iberian Peninsula. One of the major influences on Spain food was the 781-year Moorish presence on the Peninsula. The Arab conquerors, and later rulers, brought most of the exotic ingredients found in Spain food, including saffron, almonds, and peppers. They also introduced sweets and pastries. All these were incorporated to create refreshing dishes such as the cold almond and vegetable soups still popular today.

Ziryab, a 10th-century Moorish chef, is considered among the world's culinary pioneers. He is credited with introducing to Europe the Arab fashion for eating a standard sequence of dishes - soup to dessert.

But aside from the sequence, the Moors also left another legacy for which Spain food is best known. The tapa, or Spanish hors d'oeuvre, is considered as Spain's most popular culinary innovation. The name of this particular Spain food was derived from tapar, meaning "to cover."

The early form of the tapa was said to have been pieces of ham or cheese that were laid over glasses of wine. The purpose was purportedly to keep the flies out and also to keep stagecoach drivers sober.

Today, the tapa is generally taken as appetizers, eaten before the main course during lunch or dinner. However, in some parts of Spain, especially in the south in Andalucia where it originated, many people regard tapas as meals in themselves.

Soups are important Spanish dishes. Each region has its own version of the standard Spanish soup with different ingredients and different manner of preparation. If you are in or around Madrid, the standard soup is the sopa de ajo, or soup garlic. This form of Spain food is made with water, oil, garlic, paprika, bread, and cured ham. If you move north, however, the standard soup becomes the sopa de pescado, or fish soup.

Another important Spain food is the gazpacho, another soup that originated in Valencia, Spain. This is a cold blend of tomatoes, water, garlic, bread, and vegetables. The modern gazpacho is made in a blender. But for a more authentic taste of this excellent example of Spain food, prepare the meal by hand in an earthenware mortar.