EATS

The Spaniards have carved an infamous place for themselves throughout history as explorers, inquisitors and conquistadors (conquerors). They are responsible for discoveries across several continents, with their most famous explorer being one Mr Christopher Colombus, who despite being Italian, was employed by the Spaniards when he made his discovery of the ‘New World’ in 1492, known as the The Americas. The discovery of many cultures, sites and modern day wonders can be accredited to the Spaniards, so it’s no wonder why Spanish is the 4th most widely spoken language in the world with over 425,000,000 speakers. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, its almost impossible to escape the imprint that the Spaniards have left on the world, and thank god, because they certainly had a great deal to contribute to the world today.

Modern day Spain has etched its place in the world as a country so diverse in its regions with 5 languages spoken and a multitude of different dialects throughout. A country rich in culture, history and influences… many of them the remnants of the Moor rule that can be traced back to 711AD lead by Tariq Ibn Ziyad and the subsequent invasion by the Al-Mohads from Northern Africa conquering Spain in 1147. Although these attacks devastated the Spaniards and cause great bloodshed, some of the things they have left behind in the wake of their destruction have enriched the strengthened today’s Spain greatly.

When I think of Spain I do tend to think of sun, vibrant and proud people, beautiful landscapes and their mouth-wateringly vast array of food, glorious food. Whatever is said about them, boy oh boy do these people love to eat and they do it with great passion and flair. Further evidence of their culinary excellence lies at the very top of the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list where the Barcelona based ‘El Bulli’ (Pronounced “El Boo-yee”) proudly sits. Why not have a look for yourself? Click here

So indeed they do know their onions (pardon the pun) but one of my favourite Spanish pastimes is Tapas which is concept that consists of dining on a wide variety of dishes in smalled portions (similar to Greek/Turkish/Arabic Mezze or Italian Antipasto).

Tapas, also known as ‘Pintxo’ in the Catalan and Basque regions of Spain, can be absolutely any type of food, from meat, fish, poultry to vegetables. Some of my very favourite classic Tapas dishes are Albondigas (delicately spiced meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce), Gambas al ajillo (Giant prawns with garlic), Tortilla (a layered potato and onion omelette) and absolutely anything with Chorizo, which is a delicious pork sausage spiked with either sweet or fiery hot paprika spice which unleashes a bright red colouring into the sausage. Ahhh… Its making my mouth water as we speak and justifiably so, because it is delicious. Chorizo is to Spain what Salami is to Italy… Get it? It’s almost a national treasure. Invaluable to Spanish cooking, it lends spice to the bland, flavour to the flavourless and colour to the duller dishes within their vast repertoire. They pretty much add it to everything from white bean stews, deli platters and of course their globally famous national dish of Paella.

Paella is a decadent rice based dish cooked throughout Spain in giant and sometimes ridiculously oversized pans (often positioned in the middle of a town square) which attract massive gatherings and have been known to be the pinnacle of many ‘Festas’ or festivals throughout the land. The rice is combined with an excellent stock (usually made of pork or chicken) with generous quantities of saffron which give it the infamous golden colour and what you put it in greatly varies from person to person. I guess the idea of this huge offering stemmed from the Royal Courts of Spain where it would be prepared in vast quantities and studded with costly and luxurious items such as seafood, chicken and pork. My opinion of a classic Paella would include a good variety of shellfish (I like mussels, squid, large shrimp and clams) top quality Chorizo sausage and either some chicken or some good meaty white fish. Onions and peas are also essential to its success… But some people add peppers, chicken, pork and pretty much anything and everything they have to hand. I guess that’s the beauty of Paella, there is no one way or making it, just a basic principle that you can tailor to suit your own personal taste and don’t be fooled though it may sound like a lot of work, it really isn’t. The result is a generous bounty of the best Spain has to offer and each mouthful always makes me feel like I’m back in Spain.

The Spanish also have a very sweet tooth and their desserts are definitely not for the faint-hearted or for anyone on a diet for that matter! They have a particular obsession with chocolate, which was one of the things that they bought back from Mexico on their ancient voyages of discovery and with it they make a killer hot chocolate. It most definitely does not bear any resemblance to the thin, watery, pale sludge we are familiar with but instead a luxuriously richer version which is silky and almost gloopy-thick mixture of molten chocolate and a little milk which they consume in copious quantities, usually with a generous side serving of Churros. Now I really don’t have a sweet tooth, but there is something very addictive about these piped doughnuts that are rolled in sugar and sometimes cinnamon before being dunked in the hot chocolate mixture. Mmmm, I just love them. But should you need a deterrent… take heed that Churros are packed full of fat, calories and carbs (just like most doughnuts) and inevitably will contribute to your demise. So eat sparingly if possible, although that can prove to be a challenge in itself.

Another generous contribution to the world is the vast range of wines that they produce all around the country, as well as pioneering the creation of Sherry, Spain makes and exports some of the very best wines the world has to offer. These people don’t just offer amazing food, they can match the perfect glass of wine to every dish they create. So if you haven’t yet made it to the shores of this wonderful and culturally-rich country, you shouldn’t need much more persuasion than this… And for the fussy types amongst you, if food and wine aren’t a big enough draw for you, then how about plenty of stunning sun-drenched coast lines, glistening water lapping its shores, endless picturesque and varied scenery which from the mountain-esque to the beautifully lush and green… Whatever motivates you, take your lead from some of their greatest explorers in history and plan your own personal discovery of Spain…. I guarantee that there won’t be any room for disappointment! But I would hope you leave lots of room for the food! Buen Viaje e Buen Provecho!!!!