May 05, 2019 – Spanish Cuisine

THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION

WHERE TO?                  THE SENSES.

Spanish Cuisine is not about Burritos

The food of Spain is perhaps one of the greatest culinary mysteries to Americans. We think we know it, but most of us do not.

And there is a good reason. We have more off-spring, nephews and nieces of food from Spain than perhaps anywhere else in the world.

Tex-Mex? Third or fourth generation. Mexican, second and third. Wait, how can it be from two generations?

Well, let’s go back to fourteen hundred ninety-two when you-know-who sailed the ocean blue. Departing from Spain, chances are strong that their menu was Spanish as well. By the time they reached the New World, they were probably subsidizing with the seafood they caught along the way.

The many faces of Spanish Cuisine

The islands they chose for their Caribbean Cruise did not have grocery stores. They had to hunt, fish and scour for food supplies. They also learned of new food items from the Carib and Arawak Indians living on the islands. Within weeks they have Nuevo Spanish cuisine. Even when ships begin arriving from Spain more often (instead of every few years,), they stick to the new recipes.

As they reach the mainland of South and Central America, they are bringing two forms of Spanish cuisine. The boats from the homeland are bringing traditional while those arriving from the Caribbean have the new Spanish. Add the diets of the Mapuche, Inca, Mayan, Aztec or one of the other 30+ tribes of aboriginals.

What grows in Aruba, may not grow in Argentina. So Spanish food goes through another morph, incorporating local produce, seafood, and meat. So in Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, etc… you have a Spanish base with the local cuisine on top.

And to confuse things more, new fruits, vegetables, and spices start showing up in dishes in Spain. Corn, potato, tomato, bell and chili pepper, paprika, vanilla, beans, pumpkin, avocado, and cacao (chocolate) to name a few. They were not a part of Spanish Cuisine until after 1492. So, even the cuisine of Spain is not the original.

Spain is not alone. No country has the same diet as their ancestors. New ways to farm, harvest and keep items lead to recipes changing. Trade and the introduction of new food sources also add to this evolution.

Think back to when you were a kid. Did you have fresh strawberries or blueberries in January? The evolution of food continues.

What the Spanish consider Spanish Cuisine.

There was a time when the area we know as Spain was just virgin land. Long before they divide it into three parts. The Greeks came along and brought wine, saffron, and olive trees. The Romans built upon these and introduced mushrooms.

In the 700s, Muslims cross the Strait of Gibraltar, bringing with them foods from Asia, India and the Middle-east. Rice, sorghum,  sugar cane, eggplant, garlic, lemon, peach, orange, and almonds to name a few. The Muslims are there until the early 1600s when the Spanish Christians finally push them back across the strait.

One hundred years later, you have the ships arriving from the New World. So perhaps, most of the essential ingredients in Spanish Cuisine were not native to Spain. But after 300 years, they have made them their own. I think that passes the “time-tested recipe” rules.

Spanish Cuisine – The Top Ten

Haha, it’s still not that simple. There are 17 different regions of Spain, each with their traditional Spanish foods. Similar to Mexican and Argentine cuisine having the same base. Similar but ohh so different. It is the same in Spain. The recipes from the Mediterranean have olive oil as the first ingredient. While in the northern Basque region, milk, cream and butter appear in more recipes. Why? Fewer olive trees, more cows, goats, and sheep.

Paella is from Valencia. Fifty years ago, you would probably not find it in Madrid. Although you can find it anywhere today, it is not a national dish to the Spanish.

There is no one dish all Spain agrees on as the dish of Spain. So, let’s look at some of the essential ingredients.

A Dash Of

Olive oil and olives – The majority of Spanish olives come from the Andalusia or Castilla – LaMancha regions in the south. You can almost tell how far north you are in Spain by the amount of olives in the food.

Saffron – in cooking gives off a vibrant crimson color and a sweet/somewhat grassy flavor. Look for it in paella, stews, soups, and sauces. The best Spanish saffron comes from the region of La Mancha. Some consider it the best quality saffron in the world.

Paprika – is a roasted chile and there are different kinds. Dulce (is mild and sweet), agridulce (is slightly bitter with a bit of heat), and picante (is spicy hot). In the La Vera region of Spain, farmers dry and smoke the chilis over wood for an extra smokey flavor. They use it in sauces and seasoning. It is an essential ingredient in rubs on Spain’s famous meats like chorizo.

Garlic –  there are few Spanish dishes where you won’t find garlic in some shape or form. But not just a clove rubbed on bread; you will find it pickled, fried, roasted, and stewed. Or whipped into an alioli (garlic paste, egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, and olive oil.) Who cares about kissing after dinner, it’s soo good.

Besides Spices

Sherry vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez) – comes from Jerez in southern Spain. This region is where most of Spain’s sherry production takes place. Sherry vinegar is a result of sherry fermentation. Jerez vinegar has its own PDO status (Denominación de Origen.)  They label it by age. Vinagre de Jerez ages a minimum of six months in wooden barrels. Vinagre de Jerez Reserva a minimum of two years, and Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva a minimum of 10 years. The wood makes it smooth, and the vinegar makes it sharp. The more complex the flavors you are mixing it with, the older the sherry you use.

Jamón is a product Spain exceeds at producing. It is ham they cure. Using the pigs back legs, they salt and then cure the meat. Like most things in Spanish cooking, there are variations. How much salt, how long do they cure it, even the diet of the pig. Jamón Serrano – is the conventional ham in sea-salt. Jamón Ibérico – uses a different breed that once was wild. The term Bellota (acorn) means their diet includes acorns giving the meat a nutty flavor. Also, it creates mono-unsaturated fats in the pork making it healthier. There are six different Spanish Jamons with PDO status.

Other P.D.O.s

So What Spanish Cuisine Do I Eat?

It depends on where you are. Just as fried chicken doesn’t cut it as THE American dish, no one meal represents all of Spain. Here are a few to try.

Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omelet)

This dish comes from Navarre in the north where Spain and France meet. Around 1817 farmers are looking to stretch what little food they have. They add potatoes to eggs and bake them in a pan to feed several. The final product is somewhere between an omelet and a souffle.

Some people lose sleep on whether onions belong in a traditional Tortilla de patatas. As onions were a prime vegetable for stretching recipes, I am betting there were some in those early omelets.

Paella

If you are in Valencia, try the hometown rice dish. They slowly cook yellow rice with a combination of tomatoes, onions, and peas. To this, they add, rabbit, chicken, and snails. That’s the traditional recipe. Today you find shellfish, squid, clams, and chicken. These simmer in an over-sized frying pan (paella) over an open fire for hours. In a traditional restaurant, you will only find Paella at lunchtime. In Barcelona, they have a similar dish with pasta instead of rice, Fideuà.

Jamon Serrano.

The pride of Spain. Originating in the Serrano (Sierra) mountains, these giant slabs of pork are now hanging from shop ceilings all over Spain. As they dry, the hams give off a delicious aroma of the meat and spices. Traditionally, they serve the pork in thin slices on a baguette.

Gazpacho.

Gazpacho originates in Andalusia, in southeast Spain. It is a cold tomato soup that is popular in the summer months. The soup includes onions, garlic, bell peppers, oil and sherry vinegar in a tomato base.

Churros

The first correction, they are not a dessert; they are a breakfast food. The second correction, they are not overly sweet. They add salt to the dough they fry, so it is savory. And the chocolate “pudding” you dip them in contains bitter dark chocolate.

That’s it? Only five things to eat? I’m going to starve in Spain.

Hardly, but it is such an enormous subject, you have to take it region by region. Even the seafood isn’t simple. Along the Mediterranean coast, you have warm water species, while in the north, their seafood comes from the cold Atlantic. Different lobsters, shrimp, and fish.

There isn’t a region in Spain that you can not go out and have a different traditional dish every evening.

You will not starve in Spain.

A Heaping Bowl of Tapas

My Aunt Gladys hairdresser’s “friend” said I had to try the Tapas. What exactly are they? Are they fruit, cheese, meat, seafood or vegetable? Yes! What? Which one? All of them.

A Tapas is a Spanish term for finger foods or “heavy appetizers” in catering lingo. They are popular after work and originally were small plates to ward off hunger until dinner. Now you will find people having them for lunch and dinner as well.

It may be some ham, a seafood salad on bread, vegetables, or fruit with a slice of cheese. Every bar has a different selection and may offer 20 or more choices. We could be here until next Sunday just talking Tapas. They taste better when the table shares them.

Wine Whine

The wines of Spain are no easier to understand. Every region has five categories including Vino de Mesa (table wines) – These are simple, right? Like the Italian Super Tuscans, some Spanish winemakers intentionally declassify their wines, so they have flexibility in experimenting and blending. There are some excellent table wines in Spain.

Vino de la Tierra – is a general geographical designation like Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, or Levante. These wine must go through specific regulations, but they are not too strict.

Vinos de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica – is one more step up. In other words, more restrictions in the growing and producing than the Vino de la Tierra. After five years at this status, a wine can apply for DO status. 

Denominación de Origen (DO) – These are the mainstream quality-wine regions which the Consejo Regulador regulates. Does this simplify things? There are over 70 DO regions in Spain.

Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ) is a step above DO for regions with a record of consistent quality. Currently, this is simple as there are only two, Rioja and Priorat. Ribera del Duero is close.

Vino de Pago Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago) – is a niche appellation. Only individual vineyards or wine estates can apply. Currently, there are around 15 of them.

Before your head explodes over wine, here is a simple way to look at it. Remember these five regions; Rioja, Priorat, Rías Baixas (ree-ahse by-shas), Jerez (sherry), and Cava, Spain’s sparkling wine. Start with the wines from these regions, and you will have a great introduction. Then slowly ease your way into the other 65 DO regions.

There are close to 4,000 vineyards in Spain. You will not go thirsty in Spain.

For more on Spanish wine, Click Here.

Spanish Cuisine Summary.

Spain is no different from many other European countries. There is no one pure French food. There is Nicoise, Lorraine, Provençal to name a few. The same thing in Italy, there is Milanese, Romana and Florentine dishes.

In Spain, you have 17 regions to choose from including Andalusian, Basque, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonian, and Valencia. They are all Spanish cuisine.

The foods in northern Spain have more influence from northern Europe, while the south certainly reflects flavors from Asia.

With the regional cuisine, you have local wines which I think are always the best bet. You taste the locale. And don’t forget, some of the table wines are pretty tasty.

Then there is the “experience.” The locals, the setting, the music. There is no fast food service here, so don’t make plans afterward.

So do not go away thinking “I did not learn anything about Spanish cuisine”. Leave realizing you need to learn more about it, one region at a time. The best way to do that is to book a trip to Spain.

Please comment in the section below. Do Spanish cuisine and wine appeal to you? Where would you like to start in Spain?

For more information on Spanish Cuisine, Click Here.

“See Eze France” Continued on Page T3         “Taste Bergamo Italy” Continued on T4