Traditional Spanish Cooking

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 11:52 Written by Carlos Galvin Thursday, 17 February 2011 11:30

Spain is known for its culinary traditions and healthy Mediterranean diet.  Traditional Spanish cuisine, although it varies from region to region, relies on an abundance of locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, poulty, cured ham, sausages and, of course, incredible seafood.  Olive oil, great wines and cheeses also round out the Spanish diet.  

There are many dishes based on beans (lentils, chickpeas, green beans) and different types of bread that vary in each region.  People from abroad normally associate Spanish cuisine with tapas (a variety of small appetizers), paella (a rice dish from Valencia with seafood or meet, or both and vegetables) and sangria.  Tapas are important in Spain because the Spanish are a very social people and they like to be out in the evening, visiting the neighborhood bars, meeting their friends for drinks and tapas. They often fill up on tapas and then don't need to cook dinner later. 

If you are visiting Spain and want to learn more about Spanish cuisine and even try your hand at it, you might want to sign up for one of the cooking classes and learn to make some traditional Spanish dishes like, paella, tortilla (egg and potatoe dish), tapas, etc.   There is a class that we recommend in Madrid that meets every day of the week from 12 noon to 3:00 pm.  The classes are given in Spanish and English and cost approximately 70 Euros, which includes the class, recipes and lunch with wine. It's a great way to spend a few hours, interact with locals and other foreigners, learn more about the culture and home cooking, and get to eat what you made in class.  

If you are interersted in one of the cooking classes in Madrid, contact us and we'll send you more information. 

4