Guide to Spanish Cuisine

Spanish cuisine, as we sample it in restaurants in Britain, brings together a wide variety of dishes from the various regions of Spain. Over the centuries Spanish cuisine has stayed close to the land, integrating influences from each culture that has come into contact with it, featuring the freshest of local and seasonal vegetables, with seafood on the coast and pork, lamb and game in the inland regions.

The Roman Empire left its mark with the garlic and olive oil that features throughout Spain, as the preferred staple flavouring of many dishes. Even in those times, Spain was famed for its fine hams and pork products which were exported to Rome along with huge quantities of the olive oil that Spain produced.

The Moorish occupation of Spain from 711 -1492AD left its greatest mark on the cuisine of the southern regions of Spain where the influence was felt the longest. Here almonds and citrus fruits were introduced, with huge groves established, as well as sugar cane and spices like cinnamon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, sesame and aniseed. The sweet nougats and confectionery of Southern Spain all evolved from this period of history. It was also at this time that rice was introduced to the flat tidal area of Valencia, giving rise to the famed Spanish dish of paella with its hints of saffron from the same Arabic influence.

With the discovery of the New World and Spain being at the forefront of exploration, new foods such as potatoes, tomatoes and peppers were brought back to Spain and wholeheartedly embraced into the cooking traditions of most regions. So a simple bowl of gazpacho soup with its fresh tomato and red pepper, flavoured by garlic and olive oil, really spans many centuries of history and half the world to satisfy our taste-buds.

The renowned Spanish tradition of tapas, snacks and appetizers before a meal, also arrived in Spain from the Middle East with the Moorish occupation. The Spanish sociable character, enjoying long lunches and evenings spent talking with friends over drinks and tapas, before a late meal at 11pm, has meant that tapas have evolved from simple snacks of cheese and olives to a whole range of cooked dishes that can be put together to make up a whole meal if you prefer.

However Spanish cuisine also has a fine tradition of hearty main dishes that are often overlooked in Britain: rich lamb and bean stews, chicken and prawn dishes, fried seafood, sausage casseroles and vegetable stews. To explore the huge variety of regional cuisine you really need to travel to Spain yourself, but you can get a taster of the flavours of Spain from the varied tapas menus of some of our Spanish restaurants at home before you go.

view Spanish restaurants in Nottingham, Spanish restaurants in Derby or Spanish restaurants in Leicester.