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Spain
Mallorca
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Formentera
Ibiza
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Duero
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alqui
vir
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Tajo
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Túria
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CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35
Tel. 91 416 73 41 - 28002 MADRID
www.infonegocio.com/gcar - AÑO 2004
MADRID
León
C A N T A B R I A
N
C A T A L U Ñ AA R A G Ó N
L A R I O J A
N A V A R R A
P A I S
V A S C O
C A N T A B R I AA S T U R I A S
G A L I C I A
C A S T I L L A Y L E Ó N
C A S T I L L A - L A M A N C H A
M A D R I D
E X T R E M A D U R A C O M U N I D A D
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OCANO
ATLçNTICO
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terrneo
ESPAAPORTUGAL
FRANCIA
ITALIA
SUIZA
AUSTRIA
ALEMANIABLGICAREINO UNIDO
Islas
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TòNEZ
ARGELIAMARRUECOS
Translation: Hilary Dyke
Photographs:Archivo Turespaña
Graphic design:Megacolor, S.A.
Published by:©Turespaña
Secretaría de Estado de Turismo
Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio
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3
The visitor will find that the
Spaniard’s eating habits and
approaches to cooking vary
greatly from one region to
another.There is absolutely no
connection between the care,
solemnity and gastronomic
ability displayed when a lunch
is organised by a tripasai
(the term used in the Basque
Country to refer to a lover of
good food) and the informal
culinary approach of the
Andalusian, who will be seen
in the bars nibbling pescaíto,
or fried fish.
When describing Spanish
cooking, it has become common
practice to divide the peninsula
into six conventional culinary
segments: the North is the place
for sauces; in the Pyrenees,
we find the home of the
chilindrones, the typical
accompaniment used in many
of the region’s dishes; next,
the area for cazuelas or
casseroles, covering most of
Catalonia; then come the rice
dishes, found throughout the
eastern region; followed by fried
dishes in Andalusia and, in the
centre, the roast.
Although this clear-cut division
has its advantages for practical
purposes, it proves too simplistic
in other ways. In this guide,
we have preferred to adopt a
more detailed approach so as
to give as comprehensive an
insight as possible into Spain’s
gastronomy, while keeping to
the inevitable pattern of
segments described above.
Spanish Cooking
irst and foremost,
Spanish cooking may
be defined by two
basic ingredients:
garlic and olive oil. As in other
Mediterranean cuisines,
both elements are
indispensable when it
comes to creating different
combinations and flavours.
However, behind this general
definition of the unmistakable
character common to the
cuisines of Spain and its
Mediterranean neighbours,
there lies a vast range of
variations.
In the main, Spanish cooking
stems from popular roots.
Although the art of the good
table is practised, little is said
about it, apart from in the
Basque Country and Catalonia,
and any refined, receptive palate
is guaranteed a succession of
unforgettable experiences.
F
4
In Spain, stews are made in
accordance with a quasi-
universal method, consisting of
filling the stew pan with three
kinds of basic foodstuff – the
meat, pulses and vegetables
characteristic of each area, and
leaving them to cook together
under a patient, watchful eye.
When ready, the dish is served
in separate courses, usually
three, known as vuelcos.
First comes the soup, made
from the stock, then the
pulse and vegetables and,
lastly, the meat.
The feature common to all Hispanic stews or cocidos is the pulse
brought to Spain by the Carthaginians: the chickpea, which gives
the Madrid and Andalusian stews, to quote just two of the more
outstanding instances, that certain something.Then again,
we must not forget the equally splendid stews from
the North, made with beans.
A national dish
Madrid stew
he Spanish recipe
book contains dishes
that have leapt to
international fame,
like paella and fabada;
others, like gazpacho and the
Spanish omelette, have enjoyed
a more modest degree of
popularity.There are, however,
a number of less well-known,
highly traditional dishes,
scattered all over the country.
A case in point is the one that
might well be considered as the
national dish par excellence; the
one that might be seen as being
characteristic of the entire
gastronomic map in that it is
to be found anywhere on the
peninsula, albeit in versions
peculiar to each area.We are
talking about the majestic stew,
known as cocido, olla, pote,
escudella..., depending on
the region.
T
Paella
1/4 kg potatoes • 6 eggs • 1 dl oil • 1 onion
Peel and wash the potatoes and cut into thin slices. Chop the onion. Pour
the oil into the frying pan and, when hot, add the onion. Sauté the onion and
then add the potatoes along with salt to taste. Shake the pan gently from time
to time until the potatoes are soft.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and then the potatoes. Mix
well. Pour the mixture into the frying pan and cook on a high light until brown.
Turn the omelette over to stop it from drying up inside.
SPANISH OMELETTE
5
ecause of the migratory flows
from the lands of Galicia to the
four corners of the country,
where many Galicians have set
up restaurants and taverns, Galician
cuisine, based on a mixture of land and
sea produce, has become one of
the most widespread in Spain.
Octopus is extremely popular in Galicia, where
it is prepared a feira, a method used in the
annual religious pilgrimages. First, it is well
pounded to make it tender and then cooked
whole. To serve, it is cut into pieces and seasoned
s the traditional layout
of Spanish gastronomy
would have it, the lands
of Galicia, Asturias, the
Basque Country and
Cantabria make up the area
for sauces. In actual fact, the
common denominator in the
culinary arts of these regions
is quite simply quality and
quantity. Seafood from the
Cantabrian Sea holds pride
of place on the menus,
where the diner is tempted by
memorable dishes in which the
prime quality of the ingredients
is heightened by touches of
refined simplicity.
Meat in this, the country’s only sizeable area of
pastureland that remains green throughout the year,
is also worthy of special mention. Here, unlike in
other parts of the peninsula, the flavoursome stews
are made with dried beans.To liven up his meal,
the diner might try any of the light, mild wines,
quite different from those found in the interior.
When in Asturias, a refreshing option is cider,
made from locally-grown apples.
A
Galicia
B with oil, paprika and salt. Then, there is the crusted pie, orempanada, Galicia’s most traditional dish. The filling,meat or fish, lends itself to countless variations,
all mixed with lots of onion. It is spread
between two fine layers of pastry seasoned
with saffron and brushed with oil so as
to retain the moisture.
However, when it comes to serious
eating, the best-known dish awaiting
the visitor to Galicia is lacón con grelos.
Lacón is meat taken from the front leg
Octopus Galician style
Green Spain
of the pig and then boiled.
Grelos are the leaves of small
turnips. The two ingredients
are boiled together and served
with a spiced sausage and a
few potatoes or cachelos per
diner. The turnip leaves give
the whole thing an
unmistakable, slightly
bitter flavour.
Caldo gallego (lit.: Galician
stock) is a common feature
on the Galician dining table.
Conceived to fight the cold
and damp, it is made from
cabbage, potatoes and dried
beans and, depending on the
cook’s purse, ham, spiced
sausage and pork ribs.
Next comes the superb,
vast assortment of seafood,
the best in the country.
For centuries, Galicia has been
exporting seafood and also
supplying the capital.
A Coruña and Vigo, particularly
the town of O Grove, are a
seafood lover’s paradise:
for a moderate price, he may
savour oysters or spider crabs,
crabs, goose barnacles, clams
and lobsters, prepared simply
by boiling.
Deserving of special mention
when speaking of seafood is
the vieira or scallop, which is
served in its shell. (It was the
shell of the vieira that the
6
Among the cheeses produced in the region,one of the best is
the strong, smoked San Simón or Perilla, not forgetting the mild,
fine-crusted tetillas, made from cow’s milk.
pilgrims used to wear on
their way to Santiago de
Compostela). The dish is
prepared by making a mixture
of onion, finely-chopped
parsley and breadcrumbs.
The scallop, still in its shell,
is covered in this mixture and
then baked in the oven.
Turning now to meat, the
bullock provides prime cuts,
while the Villalba capons,
fattened with wheat,
wine and chestnuts,
are of great renown.
When it is time for dessert,
the sweet-toothed Galicians
have a wide range of delights
to choose from: tartas
espiscopales (cakes covered
in fruit), almond tarts, such as
the tarta de Santiago, filloas,
a kind of pancake, ring-shaped
pastries known as rosquillas,
and many more.
As for wines, Galicia is known
for its slightly sour Ribeiro,
served in small porcelain
bowls. Top of the list,
however, is the excellent
Albariño, a white wine made
from grapes which monks
once brought to the region
from the Rhine and
the Moselle.
The region’s drinks also
include the famous orujo,
an eau-de-vie made from
marc and used to prepare
the most popular local drink:
queimada: the orujo is poured
into a deep, earthenware dish
containing bits of lemon peel,
some sugar and a few coffee
grains. The whole thing is
then set alight.
1 kg hake • 2 dl oil • 150 g onion
• 2 kg potatoes • 1 tbsp flour
Seasoning: salt, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, paprika
Taking the central part of the fish, remove the scales and clean thoroughly.
Cut into thick slices.
Heat the oil in a pan over a high light. Add the finely-chopped onion and
fry until it starts to brown, shaking the pan gently from time to time. Then
add a couple of crushed garlic cloves, a spoonful of parsley and a level
spoonful of paprika. At the same time, add the potatoes, cut into slices
about 6 mm thick and not too wide. Mix thoroughly, sprinkling with a
spoonful of flour. When the potatoes have browned, add just enough water
to cover them.
Add salt to taste, six freshly-milled peppercorns and a crushed clove, along
with a bouquet garni made up of bay leaf, thyme and parsley.
Leave to cook for 15 minutes and when the potatoes are ready, place in an
earthenware dish. Cover with the slices of hake, slightly salted. Now place in
the oven for about 10 or 12 minutes.
Serve straight from the earthenware dish.
hake galician style
Typical Galician produce
of rice for dessert. Considered
by the locals to be the best in
the country, the Asturian
version has its own special
feature in that it is covered by
a layer of caramelised sugar.
There are, however, lots of
other sweetmeats, such as
tocinillos de cielo (made of
eggs and syrup), fayules,
frixuelos, carajitos del
profesor, casadielles (fritters
filled with a hazelnut paste)
and many others. As for
cheese, Asturias is the home
of the strongest in the country
and, possibly, in the world:
the famous Cabrales, which
stands apart from other,
no less exquisite cheeses,
like Gamonedo, Peñamellera,
afuega’l pitu and others.
7
here are few other
places where the
traveller will eat so
well for it is here,
in Asturias, that one of the
most universal dishes of
Spanish cuisine is prepared:
the renowned fabada,
which has become so popular
that it is sold in tins and
exported to places all over
Latin America.
Fabada, so genuinely and inimitably Asturian, consists of
exceptionally soft and delicate dried white beans, known locally
as fabes, and a number of pork products: cured knuckle, ham fat
and black pudding. The key ingredients of this magnificent dish
are, of course, the fabes, after which it is named, and also the
black pudding, which, in Asturias, is dry and wrinkled and
miraculously comes back to life as it simmers in the stock.
The dish is eaten as a single course and in huge portions,
as is the norm in Northern Spain.
In addition to this superb dish, the Asturian menu includes
other stews in which the ineffable fabes are used. The visitor
is strongly recommended to try any or all of the relatively new
variations, in which the beans may be combined with clams
(fabes con almejas), with hen, hare, partridge or other small
game. They are a typical feature at
any of the region’s restaurants.
Asturias’ succulent fish dishes
have a mild, unmistakable taste
about them. First and foremost is the
caldereta, a perfect combination of shellfish
and fleshy fish, cooked with other,
complementary ingredients. The coastal
towns are the best place to go to try
this dish, although it is not as easy
to find as fabada.
Then again, merluza a la sidra
(hake in cider) is readily available at
most restaurants. The secret of this
dish lies in the quality of the produce
used, the incomparable Cantabrian hake,
and the liquid in which it is
cooked, cider made from
locally-grown apples. Light and
dry, Asturian cider is a basic
ingredient in the region’s
gastronomy and is the most
popular drink at bars and
taverns, where it flows freely.
There is something of the
ritual about the way in which
it is served: the bottle
is held high in one hand while
the glass is held at an angle
in the other. The idea is to let
the cider fall slowly into the
glass, without spilling a drop.
Our description of Asturian
fish dishes would not be
complete without sparing a
few words for the various
ways of preparing tuna
(ventresca, in which the fish’s
belly is used, el rollo and so
on). However, the star of the
show as far as tourism and
gastronomy are concerned is
salmon, for Asturias, with its
well-stocked Nalón and Sella
Rivers, is Spain’s leading
salmon-producing region.
The classical recipe for the
preparation of the fish is
known as a la ribereña,
in which cava, a sparkling
white wine similar
to champagne,
is used.
When
travelling
round this
region, it is a
must to
choose cream
Asturias
T
Fabada asturiana
Pouring cider
lthough Basque
cuisine has only
recently risen
to fame, it now
occupies the position it
deserves at the top of the
national gastronomic ranking
and there is no question
about the region’s being
a gourmet’s paradise.
In the Basque Country, one is
hard put to finding somebody
who is not well up on the
culinary arts. The Basques are
renowned for their passionate,
caring attitude towards food
and their hearty appetite is
proverbial. Any time or
occasion is right for having
something to eat. It is here
that we find the amarretako,
a repast eaten at 10 o’clock in
the morning; the amaiketako,
eaten at 11 o’clock and the
aparimerienda, a huge early
evening meal; and it is here
that the country’s first
gastronomy societies
were founded.
This is a cuisine which, while
based on tradition, has been
enhanced by touches of
urban, modern inspiration.
When speaking of Basque
dishes, the first ingredient that
comes to mind is the humble
cod: bacalao a la vizcaína
(cod Vizcayan style) is, like so
many other of the country’s
great dishes, tantamount to a
miracle in that it is so cheap.
It consists of nothing more
than cod, dried peppers and
onions. The same may be said
of bacalao al pil-pil, where the
cod is gently fried in oil with
garlic so that the gelatine from
the fish forms a sauce that
gives the dish its inimitable
finishing touch, a toothsome
flavour reminiscent of the sea.
This kind of sauce, one of the
great discoveries made by
Basque cuisine, is used in
lots of other fish dishes.
Other exquisite sauces
peculiar to the Basque
Country include green sauce,
served with hake, and black
sauce, which bathes baby
squid in their own ink.
After cod comes hake,
for which the Basques have
different names, depending on
size and origin. As with a lot
of other Basque gastronomic
produce, there is strong local
rivalry between Guipúzcoa and
Vizcaya when it comes
to judging which has the best
hake. The truth of the matter
is that there is no equal for
either the one or the other
in the rest of Spain, whether
it is prepared al pil-pil, in green
sauce or simply coated with
beaten eggs and breadcrumbs
and fried.
Perhaps the tastiest hake dish
is the one known as kokotxas,
a refined delicacy prepared
with tiny fillets taken from
the fish’s head.
Now for bream, slit in half and
grilled or roasted over an open
fire, with a soupcon of oil and
garlic. However, if the visitor
wants a real treat, he should
go for elvers, or young eel,
which are briefly dipped into
boiling oil containing garlic and
hot red pepper and are eaten
with a wooden fork.
A
The Basque Country
8
Baby squid in their own ink
Hake in green sauce
©
Bl
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Be
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9
Turning to more ordinary
dishes, we find marmitako,
a seafarer’s dish made from
tuna and potatoes, and
sardines, one of the north’s
emblems. Here, they are
roasted whole, straight from
the sea. August is the best
time to have them because
it is then that they are at
their smallest and tastiest.
Eating sardines requires a
certain amount of courage.
Of a strong, lingering flavour,
they should be eaten with the
fingers if they are to be eaten
properly. The best place, of
course, is outdoors, where
the breeze will carry away
their smell and so prevent it
from clinging to one’s clothes.
Having described the fish
dishes, a few words of praise
are now in order for the meat,
which is of excellent quality
and is served in sizeable
portions, usually roasted.
Bérriz is noted near and far
for its T-bone steaks.
There is also a varied range
of poultry dishes, albeit
perhaps less characteristic.
Txakolí is a wine produced in
the coastal area, in the north
of the Basque Country.
An extremely tart white
wine, it is ideal with fish and
seafood. On the subject
of wines, it is worth
remembering that the
Basque Country is home to
the Rioja Alavesa, a leading
wine-producing area of
established repute, supplying
the ideal accompaniment
for any of the region’s
culinary delights.
On the cheeseboard,
the place of honour is held
by the home-made,
strong and smoky Idiazábal,
made from sheep’s milk.
As for desserts, although the
Basques, generally speaking,
are not sweet-toothed,
the visitor will find, amongst
others, filled sponges
from Vergara, rolled wafer
biscuits from Bilbao and
pears done in the oven.
600 g dried cod • 1/2 litre olive oil
• 1 bulb of garlic • 1/2 hot red pepper
Soak the cod in cold water for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water several
times.
Before starting to cook, hold the pieces of cod under cold running water
until they are perfectly clean. Remove the scales carefully. Rinse the fish
once more and place in a pan of clean water. Place the pan on the heat but
do not allow it to boil. When foam starts to form, remove the pan from the
heat.
Take out the pieces of cod and lay them on a clean cloth to remove excess
water.
While the fish is drying, heat the oil, preferably in an earthenware dish,
adding the garlic cloves, cut lengthwise, and the hot red pepper. (If the dish
is not to be spicy, omit the pepper)