How much do you know about traditional Spanish dishes? Learn about the food culture in Spain, and the recipes to salivate over, in this post…
The cultural aspects of any language you learn are just as important as its grammar and pronunciation. Especially, when we’re talking about Spain, with its vibrant traditions and unique style of life!
If you’re used to having only three meals a day and eating your food in a hurry, Spaniards will teach you how to appreciate every dish. Locals usually have five mealtimes a day rather than just three!
El desayuno (breakfast) is the first meal; it’s generally eaten at home and doesn’t take too long. It often includes café con leche (coffee with milk), toasts with jam and butter, and magdalenas — freshly baked lemony cupcakes.
- Magdalenas
Time to cook: 30 min
Difficulty level: easy
Main ingredients: egg, sugar, butter, flour, lemon, milk
After working for a few hours, many people take a break for el almuerzo (mid-morning snack). The typical foods are all kinds of tapas and bocadillos (sandwiches). It’s a very important meal, and one that many people use as networking time with coworkers. So, if you hear coworkers say “Vamos a tapear!”, grab your jacket and get going. You can also hear the same phrase later in the evening when Spaniards go to their favorite tapas bars.
- Tortilla española
Time to cook: 35 min
Difficulty level: easy
Main ingredients: egg, potato, onion
La comida (lunch time) in Spain can last for up to three hours. Some office workers prefer to have their lunch at home and most of the time is spent on the commute. Restaurants and cafes will often have a menu del dia that consists of three or four courses. You may be offered sopa de ajo (garlic soup), paella de marisco (seafood paella), and flan (custard with caramel sauce) for dessert.
- Paella de marisco
Time to cook: 40-50 min
Difficulty level: medium
Main ingredients: rice, chicken, shrimp, mussels, squid, fish broth
If you get hungry at the end of the working day (6pm), you might have an afternoon snack called la merienda, to fill the meal gap between lunch and dinner. It’s often something sweet, like a pastry, but could also be something savory, like a sandwich.
Churros are a very popular option. If you’ve never tasted them before, churros are fried pastries served hot, similar to donuts. Muy delicioso!
- Churros
Time to cook: 20 min
Difficulty level: easy
Main ingredients: flour, water, sugar, oil
After work, most people spend the evening relaxing with friends and family. You might stay at home and cook something or invite your friends to go out for tapas. Tapas — smal portions of food that are shared — are very popular, and there are dozens of options to suit your cravings.
In general, there are no typical dishes for la cena (dinner), but you can expect smaller portions at this time. It’s also served much later than Americans are used to eating dinner — think 10pm!
Keep Learning: Check out more Spanish phrases for dining, or learn more about the Spanish culture in our other blog posts!
Even More Traditional Spanish Dishes
Beyond these, there are many popular dishes that come directly from Spain. While the origin of churros, for example, is unclear, the 20 dishes listed in the infographic below have strong historical ties to Spain specifically. Follow the numbered guide to see which area the dish is linked to.
Which of these traditional Spanish dishes sounds good to you? Here are some links to recipes around the web:
- Magdalenas, via The Tapas Lunch Company
- Churros, via The Food Network
From the infographic:
- Caprese empanadas with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, via Laylita’s Recipes
- Tortilla española, via The Kitchn
- Fabada asturiana, via My Kitchen in Spain
- Cocido madrieleño, via Devour Madrid Food Tours
- Paella de marisco, via La Tienda
- Pulpo a la gallega, via Cool Food Valencia
- Turron de Alicante, via Serious Eats
- Pisto, via Spanish Sabores
- Pa amb Tomàquet, via Back2Spain
- Cooked egg with jamón ibérico, via NY Times Cooking
- Arroz negro, via The Food Network
- Pork skin chicharron, via Mexico in My Kitchen
- Pizza Española With Chorizo and Manchego Cheese, via Enjoying Spanish Recipes
- Patatas bravas, via May I Have That Recipe
- Zarangollo, via Native Spain
- Pringá, via Foods and Wines From Spain
- Mojo Picón Sauce with Potatoes, via Your Spanish Recipes
- Arroz a la Cubano, via About Food
- Ropa vieja, via Arousing Appetites
- Pinchos Morunos (Pinchitos), via Spanish Fiestas
Your turn — share or link to your favorite recipes for Spanish food with a comment below!
Guest Contributor: Martha SimonsMartha is a writer and editor at Translateshark, a translation service. She enjoys writing articles on learning languages and translation, reading, and traveling, as a way to free her mind and relax.
Suzy S.