10 Authentic Spanish Foods
Authentic Spanish Foods Dishes with Recipes
In this article we will describe 10 authentic Spanish dishes or foods and tell you the story behind them. We will give you a link to instructions on the best way to make them yourself at home and links to the products and food you need to make the recipe authentically.
As Spain has miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, many of its specialty foods are made with seafood. Seafood happens to be the focus of our products, which we deliver around the U.S. to restaurants and homes.
Whether you want to make Spanish cuisine at home, or if you simply want to discover a broad range of Spanish food, you will find what you want here.
Paella
But let’s be honest, where it’s from will not change the taste or the recipe of this authentic Spanish food.Some ingredients for a classic paella are rice, shrimp, butter beans, and mussels.
You can put many other ingredients in a paella, like chicken, calamari, clams, or chorizo. It will all depend on the flavor profiles and foods you like.
Our recommended recipe for paella
Paella ingredients you can find in our shop:
Authentic Spanish food : Tortilla
“La tortilla espanola” is another famous Spanish dish common not just to Spain but to other European countries like France and Italy. Be careful not to mistake this authentic Spanish food with Tortilla (a Mexican dish).
Spanish tortilla is famous around the world largely because it is so easy to make. It is a popular tapa, but it is also eaten as a main dish or even in sandwiches. Kids love to bring tortilla sandwiches to school.
A Spanish tortilla is mainly three ingredients: potatoes, onions, and eggs. You can also add parsley, spinach, bacon, chorizo, or anything else you want in there. As soon as you add the eggs, you will have a great tortilla.
Our recommended recipe for a tortilla.
Pulpo a la gallega
This authentic Galician tapa dish is famous throughout Spain. If you are frequent reader of our blog you have read about pulpo a la gallega many times. You can find a good recipe in our article 3 easy octopus recipe.
Pulpo a la gallega is octopus, olive oil, garlic, potatoes, and paprika. Like many other authentic Spanish dishes, there are many different ways to cook this delicious tapa.
You can find the high-quality Spanish octopus you need for this recipe in our shop.
Authentic Spanish Food : Churros
Seriously, though, who doesn’t love churros? You can find this delicious sweet, fried treat at events all over the world.
There are many stories behind the invention of churros, none of which can be confirmed 100%. We prefer the version that says nomadic shepherds created churros because they were always moving and most of the time lost in mountains or countryside, far away from bakeries. They created an easy to make (and easy to eat) treat that you can fry instead of bake.
Churros are like any other specialty food of a particular country. Nothing compares to a pizza made by an Italian, or crepes made by someone from France. It is the same for churros. While you can find them at any carnival or street fair the world over, they won’t be made the secret way Spanish people make them.
From our shop: authentic spanish churros. Try them to taste the difference!
Artichokes with almond sauce
One of the foods that Spanish people use a lot of is the artichoke. Spain grows excellent artichokes due to its geographical location and the Spanish farmers’ expertise with artichokes.
A popular and authentic Spanish dish is artichoke hearts with almond sauce. The dish is basically a stew of vegetables, meat, bread, and some almonds. The vegetables give the dish a fresh taste. Add some ham or pork for additional flavor and finish it with bread and almonds to thicken the texture.
You can find this dish in many markets in Spain. When it comes to artichokes, make sure to use the heart and choose ones that are small and light.
Our recommended recipe for artichokes with almond sauce.
Artichokes with almond sauce ingredients you can find in our shop:
Gamba de Palamós
We mention Gamba de Palamos frequently on our blog: Gambas de Palamós, the best shrimp in the World!
We won’t say much more about them here except to say (again) that these shrimp are the most precious and delicious you can find in the world. They are a protected species found only in a small area of the Mediterranean Sea. Fishermen need special authorization to be able to fish it.
Gamba de Palamos is, for us, one of the most authentic foods in existence. They live off the shores of Palamos town in Catalonia, so we can even say that they are a unique Catalonian specialty.
If you want to know more about Gamba de Palamos, check out our many blog posts about it. If you want to try it, we are exclusively importing it to the US. Check it out on our shop page.
Gazpacho
To make an authentic Spanish gazpacho blend fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, bell pepper, and some herbs. Make sure your soup is cold when you serve it. We suggest you serve it as an appetizer with some bread or tapa bread like pa de vidre for the full Spanish experience. Along with intense flavor this soup gives you your daily vitamins!
Pa De Vidre
Since it is the perfect companion to gazpacho, now we’ll introduce the famous pa de vidre or glass bread in English. This is another authentic Spanish food that we talk about a lot on our blog. You can read this article if you want to try to make it your own: What is pa de vidre?
What makes this bread particularly good with soups and tapas is its super crunchy texture. It is called glass bread because it breaks like pieces of glass when you cut it.
If you are reluctant to try to make authentic Spanish pa de vidre yourself, you can buy it in our shop. It is very difficult to find outside of Spain, and we are proud to be one of the few U.S. importers of this Spanish specialty.
Fabada
To make this dish yourself in an authentic Spanish way, we suggest you use Asturian fava beans as the main ingredient. Using that particular bean is what makes this dish authentic. If you make this dish with another type of bean, or without using beans, we are sorry to say that you won’t be making a fabada.
To your stew of Asturian fava bean add some spicy meat to give it all the flavor possible. Meats like Iberico pork complement the beans perfectly.
Our recommended recipe for fabada.
Fabada ingredients you can find in our shop:
Patatas Bravas
Last but not least, patatas bravas. This authentic Spanish tapa is a menu staple in tapas bars throughout Spain and any tapas bar across the globe. It is a super easy dish that you can make any time.
Patatas bravas is simply potatoes cut into small pieces and then fried. The key to making this an authentic Spanish food is to serve it with a spicy sauce. Instant tapas!
As with any dish, you can add additional ingredients to make it your own such as cheese, other spices, meat, or anything else that sounds good to you.
Our recommended recipe for patatas bravas.
Bon appetit!
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