A regional Mediterranean cuisine of jamón, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and small-plate tapas culture, with seafood at its Atlantic and Mediterranean edges.
What it is
Spanish cuisine fractures into autonomous regional kitchens — Galician seafood, Basque pintxos, Catalan modernism, Andalusian Moor-inflected cooking, Valencian rice — each fiercely defended. The Mediterranean diet, recognized by UNESCO, has Spain at its center alongside Italy, Greece, and Morocco.
How it tastes
Olive oil is the universal medium; pimentón gives most stews their reddish smoke; cured pork sits in cold cuts on nearly every counter. Sherry vinegar brings acidity; saffron crowns rice dishes; garlic and tomato form the base of countless sauces.
Signature dishes & techniques
Paella — born on the rice paddies outside Valencia — is the global ambassador, with regional fights over what belongs in it (chicken, rabbit, snails: yes; chorizo: do not). Tortilla, gazpacho, and patatas bravas anchor the daily tapas counter. Spain is also home to one of the most influential modernist restaurant movements of the 21st century, led by El Bulli and the Adrià brothers.
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Spanish starts with S and ends with H. Browse other cuisines along the same letter.
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