Spain is well known for paella and sangria. But there is so much more to traditional Spanish food and drink, with many resional specialities.
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Horchata and Fartons
Traditional Paella
Valencian Paella. The rice in paella is flavoured with saffron and rosemary and combined with chicken, rabbit, green beans and garrófo (butter beans). There’s a misconception that paella is made with seafood like mussels and prawns but this isn’t the original Valencian-style paella. Sampling authentic local dishes when travelling is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local culture. Traditional Valencian restaurants still serve this dish with snails. The dish is called Paella because that’s the name of the large, shallow pan it’s cooked in.
Fideuà
Fideuà is a seafood dish based around noodles, rather than rice. The word itself comes from the Valencian “fideuada”, which literally means lots of noodles. Perfect if you fancy a change from rice. Its key ingredients are different types of white seafood. Typically, monkfish, cuttlefish, and squid. There are shrimps and crayfish too. It’s all cooked in a fish stock and seasoned very simply with lemon.
Esgarraet
Esgarraet is a Valencian word meaning ‘tearing’. It refers to the tearing of the red bell peppers and bacalao which is salted, (salazones) cured fish. The fish, often cod, is marinated with olive oil and layered with strips of red pepper and garlic. The dish is a delicious blend of the sweetness of the peppers combined with the salty flavour of the cod. Soak up the juices and olive oil with hunks of freshly baked bread.
Bollit
Bollit. A stew, served as a side dish. Sometimes known as hervido, it usually contains some combination of potato, carrot, onion and green beans accompanied by oil and vinegar.
El Apertivo
Tapas
There are so many tasty little dishes known as tapas throughout Spain. There are a multitude of different dishes with so many regional variations.
Served as small plates, often as an accompaniment to drinks. They may include air dried hams, cheeses, fish, stews, olives and everything in between.
As before, There is so much more we saw and did that I haven’t included here – you’ll just have to go see it for yourself!
Next post Moncofar to Torrevieja
I haven’t gone into great detail about anything in particular in this post, so if you would like me to expand on anything please leave a comment and I will endeavor to write another separate post on the topic.
Happy Motorhoming.
Hope You Enjoy!
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