Enjoy Spain's Famous Food!

Travel around Spain and you'll find that you can eat a different kind of dish in almost any town or village. Regional specialties abound, and every region, town or village is proud of its own foods - and will tell you that they're the best in the whole of the country.

On the coast, logically, you'll find some excellent fish and seafood dishes, and inland you'll be delighted with the wonderful dishes made from meat and vegetables. There are an infinite variety of ways of combining these ingredients - and you'll find excellent fresh fruit, too.

And the star of Spanish cooking is undoubtedly the tapa, the appetizer or tidbit that is offered along with your drink in a bar, or served as an entree for lunch or dinner.

Outside the main cities you'll not find many smart restaurants, but the food served in the tascas or bars will be tasty and based on fresh local produce. In places like Madrid, Barcelona and other larger cities, you'll find restaurants of all types - and prices - where you'll be able to try not only local specialties, but also international cuisine to the highest standard.

There are two main meals of the day, lunch ("comida" or "almuerzo") and dinner ("cena"). Both are eaten considerably later than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Lunch is usually eaten between 2.00 and 3.30 in the afternoon, and dinner any time after 9.00 in the evening. Breakfast is a very light affair, and most people have a snack in the early evening, called a "merienda".

There is a lot of talk about the healthy qualities of the Mediterranean diet, and the traditional Spanish diet fits in well with this. The basic ingredient is olive oil, preferably Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Mediterranean diet is also rich in cereals, vegetables and fruit. Spanish cooking is also very strong on fish dishes, and Spain has one of the biggest fishing fleets in the world. Strangely enough, in Madrid, which is in the geographic center of the country, over 300 kilometers from the nearest coast, you can find some of the most wonderful fish dishes you'll ever taste.

Vegetables and fruit make up a very important part of many Spaniards' diets. A typical entree will be a salad or a vegetable sauted with ham, and fruit is eaten by many people as a dessert. The main course could be meat or fish.

Desserts are perhaps not as varied as in some other countries, but you can still find a great variety, often varying from region to region. And after your dessert, why not end your meal in typical Spanish fashion, with "caf, copa y puro" (coffee, liqueur/spirit and cigar - although the cigar is becoming less and less common).

Article Source: http://www.ezine-directory.info

Terry Roberts has lived in Spain for many years. Visit his website, Travel to Spain, for information and advice for your next trip there - and be sure to see his ideas on the Top Ten Things to Do in Spain.

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