Tapas are an essential ingredient of Spanish culture and one of the most popular in the world and are a must try when you come to Spain. Tapas have an appealing aroma and it is impossible to resist eating them. We have already talked about typical food in Granada, now, let’s take a look at the ten most popular tapas you must try in Spain.
Jamon Serrano
Jamon Serrano is one of the most common tapas dishes in Spain. It is a cured and dried meat that is salted then kept for a particular period to get the perfect texture and color.
Jamon Bellota is a type of hams removed from pigs that got to be the best quality. These types of pigs are fed with pasture and acorns until they reach fifty kilograms of weight. According to the percentage of the Iberian breed, the red color is the color label for those with fifty percent Iberian ham and the black color label for those with a hundred percent Iberian ham. The other types of Iberian feeding pigs apart from bellota are cebo and cebo de campo.
Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)
This is an egg and potato omelette that is very tasty. Seasoning the egg with salt beforehand helps it retain moisture when cooking and the slow cooking of the potatoes and onions in plenty of olive oil helps it to have a soft texture that shows its perfection.
Boquerones en Vinagre
Boquerones en vinagre is an incredible appetizer that you can find all over Spain. They are fresh anchovies marinated for three hours in salt water and for six hours in vinegar. They are then drained and seasoned with salt, garlic and parsley. Since it contains so much vinegar, it is usually served with beer.
Albondigas en Salsa
This is a type of food with beef and pork meatballs cooked in a spiced tomato sauce. Because of these spices, they have perfect aromas making you just want to eat them they have the most appetizing aromas tempting you to just eat them.
Patatas Bravas
Patatas bravas are one of the quintessential dishes in Spain. It consists of boiling the potatoes in salted water for several minutes, then they are fried and served with a tomato sauce with a mixture of different spices, depending on the city where you eat them.
It can be ordered by adding extra ingredients such as fried fish, baked chicken or chorizo.
Croquetas (Croquettes)
They are fried béchamel sauce fritters flavored with ham, cheese, or shrimp flavored with loads of different ingredients such as: ham, cheese, chicken or shrimp just to say a few. Their end result is a crispy exterior and a soft inside.
Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spinach with Chickpeas)
It is a dish of cod with chickpeas and spinach where the cod is the main ingredient. The dish is prepared by submerging the cod in salt at least one day before preparing. Chickpeas and white beans are afterward added, followed by spinach, oil, garlic, onion, and paprika.
Calamares fritos (Fried Squid Rings)
Fried squid or also called calamares a la romana, is one of the most typical and popular dishes in Spain and is very easy to prepare. They are squid rings lightly breaded and fried.
These in turn, are a typical dish of Madrid of the “fast food” type. They are usually eaten as a snack around the Puerta del Sol, in places as emblematic as the Plaza Mayor.
Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Prawns)
Gambas al ajillo is a typical dish that can be found mainly in central and southern Spain, especially in Madrid. It is usually served with your drink in bars. The dish consists of cooking the prawns in a clay pot, then frying them with parsley and garlic in olive oil. It is usually accompanied by a glass of red or white wine.
Pá amb tomàquet (bread with tomato)
Pan tumaca is a typical catalan dish, also known as pa amb tomàquet. It consists of toasting a piece of bread, spreading crushed tomato on top, adding a little garlic and olive oil and, depending on the tastes of each person, you can also add sausage, tortilla, ham or cheese.
Did you like this review about tapas? Then, do not miss our article explaining what is the difference between pintxos and tapas.
If we have whetted your appetite with this list of the most popular Spanish tapas and you want to know all the gastronomy that this country has to offer, do not hesitate to visit it and stay in our hotels that we have all over Spain. You will feel at home thanks to Catalonia Hotels & Resorts.
