Spanish cuisine is popular around the world due to its unique, comforting taste, regional diversity, and rustic charm. Besides, Spain is a huge country that has many regions. Each region offers different things, but it’s great how they’re not too different that it’s still identifiable as something that originated from Spain.

Although not every ingredient originated from Spain, the history and culture of one of the most popular cuisines make sense, and it’s amazing how they bring every dish to life.

Are you getting more interested in Spanish cuisine? In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most popular things that make Spanish cuisine unique.

1. Regional Diversity

As mentioned, Spain is divided into several regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, and Valencia.

Sure, if you didn’t originate in Spain, you might’ve been familiar with only a few of them, but each of these regions contributed to the ever-popular Spanish cuisine. They offer unique flavours and ingredients, so it can be hard to identify the signature dish of the whole country, even if Paella is the most popular one. Fortunately, each region also has their variation of the dish based on the available ingredients in their area.

2. Simplicity of the Cooking Methods and Ingredients

Many of the Spanish dishes are made of simple ingredients, which makes them simple yet powerful. Besides, even if there are only a few ingredients used in making dishes, they’re still flavourful due to various reasons, such as fresh ingredients, flavour profile, cooking techniques, and natural ingredients.

The simplicity of Spanish cuisine allows the natural flavours to shine, even if a dish only has a few ingredients.

3. Tapas Culture

When people talk about Spain, one of the things that comes to their minds is tapas. Tapas are more than just snacks; they’re an experience and a ritual. According to the YouTube video of Spain Revealed entitled “What are tapas? 3 secrets for eating tapas like a Spaniard!”, tapas can be a lot of things. They’re more than just small plates of food; it can be an experience of going from one bar to another that serves free food along with each drink you order, and it can also be how people get together or get to know each other while enjoying this food serve in small plates, and having drinks.

4. Specific Ingredients

Mediterranean food is usually colourful and full of vegetable ingredients, which is also something you can notice about Spanish cuisine. However, what makes it different from other Mediterranean cuisines? There are specific ingredients that are tied to the Spanish way of cooking. Some of these include pimentón (Spanish paprika), olive oil, and saffron. Once you encounter these ingredients in a dish, there’s no doubt about it being included in Spanish cuisine.

5. Seafood

Being one of the countries near the sea, there are many regions in Spain offering seafood-based dishes. Some of these regions include Galicia, Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Basque Country. In terms of the dishes, it’s recommended to try Pulpo a la Gallega, Paella de Marisco, and Boquerones en Vinagre.

However, even if you’re not in these regions, you can still try Spanish seafood dishes and tapas. For the tapas, there’s the Gambas al Ajillo, Calamares Fritos, and Tuna Croquettes.

6. Traditional Cooking Methods

Aside from the simplicity of the ingredients, the cooking techniques are also essential in making the best Spanish dishes. Some of the most common equipment includes clay pots, paella pans, terracotta dishes, and heavy-bottom pots. As for the cooking methods, they usually use slow roasting, open flames, and wood-fired ovens.

Of course, as years go by, Spaniards also develop tools and meticulous methods that can preserve their methods and improve the experience of anyone who eats their dishes.

7. Wine and Food Pairing

Spain is also famous for its wines from various regions, such as Catalonia, Rioja, Andalusia, and Galicia. Their wines are as diverse as their regions, which is why wines are also great reflections of their cuisine. In addition, these wines can significantly improve the overall taste and experience of Spanish dishes.

8. A Deep Respect for Seasonality

As mentioned, Spain loves fresh, high-quality ingredients, and they respect the seasonality of these ingredients. So, when you visit Spain at different seasons, there’s a huge chance that you won’t be able to see the same produce as when you first went there. At the same time, the dishes offered by local Spanish restaurants may also vary depending on the seasonal menus.

Final Thoughts

Appreciating Spanish cuisine can help you open more doors to flavour possibilities. By understanding the factors that make it a unique cuisine, you can have a wider understanding of why it is popular and what makes it one of the cuisines that many people love.

Are you a fan of Spanish cuisine? Share your favourite Spanish dish by commenting below!