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Spain and Its Famous Food

By: Terry Roberts. One of the best things about visiting Spain is the amazing number of foods that are offered depending on what area of the country you travel.

There is a huge influence of various seafood items along the coast regions, whereas the more inland areas are famous for their wonderful fresh and savory meat dishes and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Of course all of Spain is famous for the wide variety of appetizers or tapas that are provided as either part of a main meal or as small tidbits to have with drinks.

In small towns and out in the country, you probably won't find a great selection of restaurants, but the cooking tends to be honest, and based on local fresh produce. In the larger cities you definitely will find a great variety of different eating places of all types, where you can find not only the best-known Spanish specialties, but also great international cooking.

A popular dish for a snack or a main course is calamari, deep fried crispy rings of squid that are served with different dipping sauces. Shrimp are either deep fried or pan fried and spiced, usually served in a peel and eat style, not shelled and prepared as is more common in North America. For those that enjoy spicy foods a sausage called a chorizo or a salami like meat called salchichon is very popular with fresh sourdough bread.

But perhaps the best-known Spanish dish outside Spain is the paella (which is, in fact, the name of the pan where the dish is cooked). Paella is a dish based on rice, colored and flavored with saffron, which can contain any mixture of meat, vegetables, fish or seafood. The "original" paella comes from Valencia and was made with rabbit, broad beans and other vegetables, but the best known types of paella now are often "mixed" paellas, containing different kinds of meat, fish and seafood.

Spain is a country that produces wonderful fresh vegetables and fruit. A visit to a local market is a wonderful experience. It is very common to eat a dish of just one vegetable as an entree, or, perhaps more usually, one vegetable sauted with ham, or with ham and onion.

Desserts are perhaps a little less varied, but can also be delicious. The most common dessert you'll find in a "normal" restaurant is a crme caramel, but many different regions will tempt you with their own special sweet. And after your dessert, don't forget your coffee and, as long as you're not driving, your chupito - a shot of spirit or liqueur.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Terry Roberts has lived in Spain since the 1970s. Visit his website, Travel to Spain, for tips and guidance on your next trip there - and be sure to see his ideas on the Top Ten Things to Do in Spain.

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