Spanish food and drink -- perfect ingredients for your house in Spain.
Spanish food and drink are one of the great attractions of buying an apartment or house in Spain. Spanish food is based on fresh ingredients and served either in mini-sized portions (tapas) or hearty meals, while Spanish wines and sherrys cater for all tastes, budgets and occasions. Living in Spain brings the opportunity to discover more of this local cuisine, and to experience the country’s refreshingly slow pace of enjoying it.
Living in Spain – the eating day
Spanish food -- breakfast (desayuno): this is usually a light meal. If eaten early it consists typically of milky coffee with a toasted bread roll spread with butter and jam, or a fruit juice with a Danish pastry. Those that prefer a later breakfast, usually in a bar or café, might choose a long, skinny doughnut dipped in hot chocolate, a slice of tortilla, or a sandwich of sausage or cheese. Many Spaniards have both an early and late breakfast.
Spanish food – lunch (comida): The very idea of a midday lunch hour is alien to the Spanish. Their lunch break is late (anytime between 13.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs) and long (usually two hours) because this is the main meal of the day for most people living in Spain. The first course might be a bowl of soup or a salad. The main course will consist of fish, meat or poultry (often a stew served with rice, or meatballs, or roast chicken), while the desert may be an ice cream, crème caramel (called a flan) or just a piece of fruit. After such a hearty lunch, many Spaniards take their siesta until 17.00hrs.
Spanish food – dinner (cena): Dinner is usually lighter than lunch. It is typically served between 18.00 hrs and 20.00 hrs but may be up to two hours later in the south during the summer. Many Spaniards choose to fill up on tapas in the evening rather than eat a traditional meal.
Living in Spain – eating out
Eating out in Spain is relatively cheap. The tradition of tapas (saucer-sized dishes of snacks) is a good way to sample a large variety of Spanish food without spending a fortune. All types of food are available as tapas, from whitebait, squid and sardines to olives, cheese and spicy lamb chunks. Both locals and foreigners living in Spain will often make an evening of hopping from bar to bar tasting different tapas.
Spanish food – some regional and national specialities
- Paella originates from the Valencia region and is long-time favourite Spanish food. Rice mixed with meat and seafood and slowly simmered
- Guizat de peix is a typical island dish of stewed red snapper.
- Pote gallego, from the Basque region, is a warming stew of chorizo sausages, beans and vegetables
- Patatas Riojanas is a hearty dish of potatoes and spicy sausage
- Gazpacho, from Andalucia, is a soup made from tomatoes, cucumber and breadcrumbs, and eaten cold
- Morego de sardinas is a tasty dish of grilled pilchards from Costa Colida
- Tortillas are ubiquitous inexpensive omelettes which come in many varieties
- Jamon Serrano is delicious cured ham and available all over Spain
- Cocido Madrileno is the capital’s stew of chickpeas, vegetables and meats.
Living in Spain – where to buy Spanish food and drink
Whether or not you decide to go completely native with your eating habits, sooner or later you are sure to want to try cooking a local dish in your own apartment or house in Spain. If your chosen recipe is from a region far from where you are living in Spain, you may find it difficult to hunt down the ingredients. Generally, the basic ingredients of regional specialities are best bought in the areas where they are famous.
Most fresh Spanish food is sold local to where it was grown. Markets are a popular outlet for vegetables, fruit and seasonal products (including meats) but they also sell a full range of foodstuffs.
Wine is sold in grocers and supermarkets but it also possible to buy it at the vineyard if you book an appointment.
Living in Spain – soft drinks
A small cup of black coffee (café solo) is the pick-me-up of choice for most people living in Spain, but expresso with a splash of milk (café cortado) and milky coffee (café con leche) are also available. So, too, is a wide range of soft drinks.
Living in Spain – beer and wine
Most Spanish beer (cervesa) is bottled lager although you can sometimes find local draughts.
Sangria, a mix of red wine, fizzy lemonade and chopped fruit, is an essential ingredient of Viva Espana! First encountered on holiday, it is happily quaffed by those who upgrade to permanent living in Spain. Also popular is Agua de Valencia (the Spanish version of Bucks Fizz) – cava and orange juice.
Local wines are a happy discovery for expats living in an apartment or house in Spain. They not only taste good, they are very affordable (see our Cost of living in Spain page). The broad range or quality wines include many famous names including Jerez (for fortified wines ie sherry), Cava (sparkling white wines), Malaga (for sweet wines) and Rioja, the wine most commonly served with Spanish food. Salud! Cheers!
