Spanish food
Spain’s cuisine is as diverse as its landscapes, shaped by a mosaic of autonomous regions, each with its own identity, ingredients, and traditions. From casual tapas shared among friends to elaborate regional feasts, Spanish food celebrates flavour, community, and a deep sense of place.
In the Basque Country, culinary creativity thrives with pintxos (small bar snacks often served on bread) and the region’s famous Basque cheesecake, delicious, incredibly rich, and deeply caramelised on top. In Asturias, mountain fare like cachopo (breaded veal fillets stuffed with ham and cheese) and fabada asturiana (a hearty bean stew with chorizo and morcilla) are regional highlights. Galicia, on the north-west coast, is all about the sea, known for polbo á feira (Galician octopus) and pimientos de Padrón, fried and sprinkled with sea salt.
Further south, Andalusia delights with gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) and rabo de toro (oxtail stew), while Catalonia boasts dishes such as botifarra amb mongetes (Catalan pork sausage with white beans) and the silky crema catalana, often seen as Spain’s answer to crème brûlée. And no mention of Spanish food would be complete without paella, the saffron infused rice dish born in Valencia, now enjoyed across the country.
Though flavours vary from region to region, tapas remain the beating heart of Spanish dining culture, fitting for a country where the evening meal is often enjoyed late, long after the sun has set.
