Eating
Out
 Eating
out in Spain is often cheap and meals are substantial rather
than gourmet. One of the best ways to sample Spanish food is
to try tapas, or snacks, which are served at any time of day
in local bars.
These range from cheese and olives to squid or meat delicacies
and are priced accordingly. Many of the specialities of Spanish
cuisine are based on seafood, although regional specialities
are easier to find inland than along the coast. In the northern
Basque provinces, there is cod vizcaina or cod pil-pil; angulas,
the tasty baby eels from Aguinaga; bream and squid. Asturias
has its bean soup, fabada, cheeses and the best cider in Spain,
and in Galicia there are shellfish, especially good in casseroles,
and a number of regional seafood dishes such as hake à
la Gallega.
In the eastern regions the paella has a well-deserved reputation.
It can be prepared in many ways, based on meat or seafood. Catalonia
offers, among its outstanding specialities, lobster Catalan,
butifarra sausage stewed with beans, and partridge with cabbage.
Pan amb tomaquet, bread rubbed with olive oil and tomato, is
a delicious accompaniment to local ham and cheese.
The Castile area specialises in roast meats, mainly lamb, beef,
veal and suckling pig, but there are also stews, sausages, country
ham and partridges. Andalucía is noted for its cooking
(which shows a strong Arab influence), especially gazpacho,
a delicious cold vegetable soup, a variety of fried fish including
fresh anchovies, jabugo ham from Huelva and many dishes based
on the fish which the coast provides in such abundance. Restaurants
are classified by the Government and many offer tourist menus
(menu del día). Restaurants and cafés have table
service.
Drink
Spain is essentially a wine-drinking country, with sherry being
one of the principal export products. Its English name is the
anglicised version of the producing town Jerez (pronounced kherez),
from which the wine was first shipped to England.
Today, Britain buys about
75% of all sherry exports. There are four main types: fino (very
pale and very dry), amontillado (dry, richer in body and darker
in colour), oloroso (medium, full-bodied, fragrant and golden)
and dulce (sweet). Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Puerto de
Santa María are other towns famous for their sherry and
well-worth visiting. Tourists are able to visit one of the bodegas
(above-ground wine stores) in Jerez. In the Basque Country a
favourite is chacolí, a 'green' wine, slightly sparkling
and a little sour, rather than dry.
The principal table wines are the riojas and valdepenas, named
after the regions in which they are produced. In general, rioja,
from the region around Logroño in the northeast, resembles
the French Bordeaux, though it is less delicate. Valdepenas
is a rougher wine, but pleasant and hearty. It will be found
at its best in the region where it is grown, midway between
Madrid and Cordóba. In Catalonia the ampurdán
and perelada wines tend to be heavy and those that are not rather
sweet are harsh, with the exception of the magnificent full-bodied
Burgundy-type penedés wines. Alicante wine, dry and strong,
is really a light aperitif. Nearby, the Murcia region produces
excellent wine. Often it makes a pleasant change to try the
unbottled wines of the house (vino de la casa). It is much cheaper
than the bottled wines and even in small places is usually good.
Similarly, inexpensive supermarket wine is very acceptable.
Among the many brands of sparkling wines known locally as cava,
the most popular are Codorniú and Freixenet, dry or semi-dry.
The majority of Spanish sparkling wines are sweet and fruity.
Spanish brandy is as different from French as Scotch whisky
is from Irish. It is relatively cheap and pleasant, although
most brandy drinkers find it a little sweet.
Spain has several good mineral waters. A popular brand is Lanjarón
which comes from the town of the same name. It can be still
or sparkling. Vichy Catalan is almost exactly like French Vichy.
Malavella is slightly effervescent and Font Vella is still.
Cocktail lounges have table and/or counter service. There are
no licensing hours. |