1
Olives
The youngest and most astringent, greenish-yellow olives have a strong bitter citrus flavor and the astringency of walnuts, and are one of the most bite-sized.
Spanish cured olives come in all shapes and sizes, the most common being green and black, but there are also dark rose, reddish date, gradient or ochre-yellow, depending on the ripeness and functionality of the olive. The youngest and most astringent greenish-yellow olives, with a strong bitter citrus and walnut astringency, also have the most bite, and take a relatively long time to cure, and can be cured with ingredients that match its flavor, such as lemon, thyme, those who go along the route of the aroma of the ingredients will enhance the green olive's astringent flavor, while the equally popular red olives will be softer and more flavorful, due to the gradual ripening of the flesh. The red olives are also popular, as they mature and become softer and more flavorful, so they are marinated with garlic, oregano and vinegar, which makes them particularly rich and soft, making them a perfect accompaniment to wine, while the black olives, which are the most ripe, are marinated in salt as a simple sublimation of the pure flavors of their nature, and are usually found in kitchens or dishes because they are no longer as complex.
2
Tapas
Tapas
Iberian ham, octopus in Seville, Spanish omelette and braised tripe in Madrid and crumbled tomato bread and pan-fried baby cuttlefish in Barcelona would basically be a ten-question, ten-recommendation dish in the region.
Tapas is a formality in the minds of Spaniards; it is not a dish, but a habit and culture that has grown in depth, and is very much like the popular Tasting menu, where dishes are reduced in size in order to satisfy the notion that diners should try as much as possible.
Often, Tapas is Spain's most taste to reflect the local characteristics of a form of Seville's Iberian ham, octopus, Madrid's Spanish omelette and braised tripe and Barcelona's crushed tomato bread, fried small cuttlefish, basically will be the local ten ask ten recommended dishes, when you go to any local bar or restaurant to eat Tapas, you first! When you go to any local bar or restaurant to eat tapas, you will first of all in the bar and the restaurant's conspicuous place to see the day they are most proud of the dishes and the freshest ingredients, in addition, in the chalkboard will be densely written today's recommended tapas, and in the menu will be in the name of the dish next to the labeling of the big, small, and Tapas. the Spaniards will be happy to eat in the East, and then go to the West to continue eating. This behavior, called "tapas fly", happens all the time in Spain. This kind of wild and unrestrained character from their original heart is Tapas.
3
Roasted Suckling Pig
Roasted suckling pig is a specialty of the old city of Segovia not far from Madrid, and the roasted suckling pig there is the most authentic. For the best roast pig in Segovia, head to the famous local restaurant Meson de Candido.
Opened 222 years ago in 1786, this restaurant is famous in Spain for its roast pig, which is prepared using a unique recipe. Patrons have included Spain's King Carlos and Queen and celebrities such as Jackie Chan.
The restaurant is said to have started as a shack where Roman soldiers and officers used to sit around drinking and eating roast pork. Over time, the shacks have evolved into grand restaurants.
Spanish roast suckling pig belongs to the central Spanish cuisine. Unlike the crispy skin of Chinese suckling pig, the skin is soft and tough, making it difficult to bite through, but the meat is extremely juicy and tender. This is a handmade dish, 1.5 kilograms of piglets are coated with butter, rosemary and garlic, and then baked in the oven for one and a half hours, during which time wine and pepper should be poured in continuously. The piglet comes out with its fat baked into a semi-melted state, melting in the mouth, sweet and fragrant, with a hint of vanilla, more fat and tender than Chinese roasted suckling pig, but it is easy to get tired of eating a few pieces of it.
According to industry insiders, the restaurant's suckling pig is supplied by a specialized pig farm and features two dishes before and after. The first is roasted pork skin, suckling pig skin is charcoal grilled orange, taste and fragrant and crisp, coupled with the restaurant's special seasoning, guests often taste the first bite after the mouth is full of praise; the second is roasted pork, suckling pig's most tender meat in the inner legs, but because of the piglets, even the thighs only a small piece of fresh meat.
The restaurant also has photos of former U.S. President George W. Bush Sr. and Texas governor, U.S. superstar Schwarzenegger and many other celebrities. Whenever a celebrity arrives, the owner of the restaurant must make a personal appearance to show his welcome. But the owner's welcoming ceremony is not just a few words and a pat on the back, his welcoming ceremony has a lot of fun.
The boss appears not before the guests eat, but in the final dish on the grand finale, which is the famous Spanish roast suckling pig.
Spanish suckling pig is based on the "three-three rule": the pig is selected strictly from cubs that are three weeks old (during which time they are only allowed to drink breast milk), slow-roasted in the oven for three hours, and then enjoyed by the diners for another three hours.
The owner pushes a freshly roasted suckling pig on a delicate cart to the customer, then holds a porcelain plate and cuts three "knives" into the crispy suckling pig, one horizontal and two vertical, cutting the pig into six pieces. After cutting the meat to the guests in the plate, and then the porcelain plate high up, and then violently towards the ground a smash, "bang" sound, the plate was smashed to pieces, the boss turned away.
The crushing sound of the plate replaced the boss's "welcome" sound. The whole process is over in 30 seconds, and it's clean. This is the boss's unique welcome ceremony. All can get smashed plate welcome guests are not celebrities. Once, the famous Chinese movie performers Sun Daolin and Qin Yi, who came to Spain to visit, enjoyed the "smash plate" reception specifications.
4
Sherry
Faced with the vicissitudes of life, sharp-eyed old bartender did not say a word, picked up the whale baleen and sterling silver made of the wine collector, from the back of the black barrels out of the mention of the FINO, such as the matador like a magnificent turn, the golden liquid in the air across an arc, fell into a special sherry glass.
Sherry is a unique brewing method of fortified wine, the Spanish called "Vino de Jerez". By law, it can only be produced in the Sherry Triangle in the Andalusian region of southern Spain. Along with flamenco and bullfighting, sherry is an essential part of the Spanish experience and a perfect accompaniment to the national dish of ham.
Sherries can be divided into 10 categories, depending on how they are made and how sweet they are. Fino and Manzanilla, which are the lightest and most bone-thin in flavor, are almost impossible to match with the tapas in Spanish taverns. The mellow, rich and slightly sweet Oloroso is perfect for roast suckling pig and stews, while the sweet and silky Cream is the perfect after-dinner drink, and the PX liqueur is thick enough to be eaten as dessert. Without exception, the sherries are all above 15 degrees, and the special wheatgrass flavor due to the hops makes them a hit with those who like them. But what Spain is most proud of is the sherry brandy they make in casks that have been brewed with syrup-like PX, enough to surpass any previous imaginings of brandy.
Spain's most influential sherry brands are Tio Pepe (Gonzalez Byass), La Ina (Domecq), and DrySack (Williams&Humbert), which are almost universally known. If purchased, the high-quality Venerable PX (30-year Bedloe? Simeones), Sibarita Oloroso ('30 Oloroso), Capuchino Palo Cortado ('30 Palo Cortado) are very good. Cortado) are very classic choices. Of course, sherry is now also available within China, such as Rio Viejo Oloroso, Venerable PX (30 years ) and LUSTAU.
5
Wine
Spanish wines are undoubtedly the best value for money of the old world wines, and even top quality Rioja Gran Reseva It's not ridiculously expensive, and is considered a pragmatic choice.
Spain is an old-world wine-producing country that has been overlooked by the world, and for many years Spanish wines have been pushed under the weight of French wines. When people talk about old-world wines, they seldom think of the Duero and Rioja, which are the pride of Spain, as well as the CAVA sparkling wines. In fact, Spain is the world's third largest producer of wine, and, given the prices, Spanish wines are undoubtedly the best value for money in the Old World, with even the top-quality Rioja Gran Reseva not being prohibitively expensive, making it a pragmatic choice.
Charming CAVA sparkling wines, the representative boutique of sparkling wines, are fully comparable in quality to French Champagne, but at a price that is far different from that of Champagne, Spanish wines are waiting for us with more affordable prices and more consistent quality.
Spain's premium wines can be categorized into two levels: Denominaciones de Origen (DO) and Denominaciones de Origen Calificada (DOC). Among them, there are 55 DO classifications***, while the DOC class is now limited to only one appellation, Rioja Rioja. There are also strict distinctions on the labels, with the better "Reserva" requiring a minimum of 3 years aging, including at least 1 year in small oak barrels. For white wines, the minimum ageing time is 2 years, with a minimum of 6 months in small oak barrels. The best "Gran Reserva" is the one that is only made in a few very good years, and to make a "Gran Reserva" you need to get a license from the local authorities and age it for a minimum of 5 years, of which A minimum of two years in small oak barrels is required.
In Spain, there are widely accepted wineries such as Torres in Catalonia, Marques de Riscal in Rioja and Codorniu, the oldest CAVA winery in Spain, as well as Vega-Sicilia and Pimiento, which are top quality and price. Sicilia and Pingus. Vega Sicilia winery is located in the Duero Valley (Duero), producing wines known as Spain Lafite, its masterpiece "Unico" is known as Spain's best red wine. Pingus in Spain, known as Patrus, is the representative of the new school of wineries, including the 2004 vintage of Pingus was given a perfect score of 100 points by the wine critic Parker, the price is also as high as 600 euros a bottle.
6
Madrid risotto
Madrid risotto is Madrid's most iconic dish, a mixture of peas, potatoes, carrots, celery, or cabbage, with beef, pork, or other meats simmered for a long period of time until the vegetables and the meat are not separated and become a thick broth, which is very tasty.
This dish is easier to cook, just throw all the vegetables into the pot is, is also a "lazy food".
7
Squid ink paella
In the paella series there is also a squid ink paella. The Spanish locals call it seafood black rice. The reason for the blackening of the rice is due to the use of black squid ink.
It is said that hundreds of years ago, Spain's invincible fleet in the war in Central and South America, once the cook has run out of yellow powder, and a moment can not be purchased, the cook simply put the original ready to throw away the cuttlefish juice to replace the yellow powder. After the black paella is ready, even the chef himself can not believe that its flavor is actually so beautiful, fresh. Early hungry soldiers will be black rice swept away, the cook also received a commendation. After that, the cuttlefish juice paella not only written into the traditional Spanish menu, but also through the improvement of chefs around the world to become more popular.
A professional paella chef told reporters that the black juice of the cuttlefish is used by the cuttlefish to fight against its enemies, whenever the cuttlefish feel that it is going to be violated by the enemy when it will be black ink spray as a smokescreen, to find time and opportunity for their own escape.
The chef said that if the cuttlefish does not have a sense of crisis it will not spray ink, and over time the ink will not be fresh, and the ink produced 10 minutes after the cuttlefish sprays ink once is the freshest and tastes the best.
Therefore, the factory that processes squid ink makes the squid caught squirt out the stale ink, and then cuts off the juice bag of the squid after 10 minutes, and then removes the black juice to be processed and made into seafood ingredients. Over the centuries cuttlefish juice rice has become a bright landscape in the Spanish menu.
8
Hot chocolate fritters
The Spanish city of Villajoyosa has been associated with chocolate since the 18th century, when it began importing cocoa beans from Venezuela and Ecuador. The chocolate industry still thrives in the region today. Home to Spain's oldest chocolate brand, Valor (founded in 1881), Villajoyosa is also proud of its Chocolate Museum, which shows not only the history of chocolate production in Villajoyosa, but also how the popular local varieties are made.
Bars dipped in chocolate sauce are a popular food in Spain and are very popular with the locals. Spaniards generally like to enjoy this delicacy during their afternoon snack time. Chocolate fritters are simply made by heating chunks of chocolate and milk in a saucepan to form a paste to go with the fritters. The fritters have a slightly salty flavor and the chocolate sauce is slightly sweet, making for a great meal.
9
Paella
Along with French escargot and pasta, paella is a simple, easy, and endlessly enjoyable dish. Each grain of rice is interspersed with fresh seafood flavor, which requires that the ingredients must be fresh, and even the rice has certain requirements and standards.
10
Beans boiled with sausage
Beans boiled with sausage is a unique regional dish in Barcelona, a delicacy made with a type of small white bean unique to the region and sausage. The beans are boiled, seasoned with a variety of spices and served with grilled sausage. The dish is not only colorful and flavorful, but also very nutritious.
11
Liberian Ham
Liberian ham, a proud Spanish specialty, is an indispensable ingredient in many Spanish dishes for its savory flavor and lip-smacking taste.
The authentic Liberian ham is not easy to make, it is made from a specially bred piglet, which has black skin and red flesh and eats only a kind of locally produced fruit. The piglets are slaughtered when they are only two years old, so as to ensure the tenderness of the meat, together with some secret seasonings, and then air-dry the legs, the delicious ham is made.