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Paella, French snails and pasta are three famous western dishes.

There are several theories about the origin of Paella. There is a saying that the word Paella comes from a small seaport called Valencia on the east coast of Spain. In the local language, Paella means pot. The cargo workers in the local seaport used to set up a big pot on the bonfire, throw rice and ingredients into it to cook together, and then use wooden spoons to eat directly from the pot.

Another way of saying it is that it is said that in the15th century, Columbus was attacked by a hurricane when he was sailing, and he escaped to an island. Local fishermen made a hodgepodge of seafood and rice, saving Columbus' life from hunger and cold. Later, after Columbus returned to Spain, he told the king about it. The king ordered the court chef to go to the island to learn how to cook paella. Later, paella was used to entertain the most distinguished guests in the palace. In this way, paella moved from the fishermen's table to the king's banquet, and from then on, paella became Spain's "national meal".

The raw material of paella is mainly glutinous rice, which is easier to absorb the taste of ingredients, and the spice saffron is used to bring out the bright color. The side dishes will change according to the season and regional changes. Paella doesn't always contain seafood, but sometimes it contains chicken, snails or other game. A typical paella will be cooked in a flat-bottomed shallow-mouthed round double-ear pot.

It is worth mentioning that the taste of paella rice is not the same as that of Chinese people. Spaniards prefer to cook rice to a "hard core", which is what we call raw rice. If you don't like this taste, remember to remind the store to cook for a while.

In addition, Barcelona also has cooking courses for tourists to consult, and shallow pans and saffron seasonings can also be bought in local supermarkets, and the prices are not expensive. In other words, you can buy the core seasoning and make an authentic paella for your family as a souvenir.

Cuttlefish rice Arroz? Negro

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This is a well-deserved "dark dish", and its practice and shape are similar to paella, the only difference is that cuttlefish rice uses squid juice and rice.

It is said that hundreds of years ago, when Spain's Armada was fighting in Central and South America, once the cook had run out of saffron and could not buy it for a while, so the cook simply replaced the yellow powder with the cuttlefish juice that he was going to throw away. After the black paella is cooked, even the chef himself can't believe that its taste is so beautiful and fresh. The soldiers who had been hungry for a long time swept away the black rice, and the cook was rewarded. Since then, paella with cuttlefish sauce has not only been written into the traditional recipes of Spain, but also been improved by chefs from all over the world to become more popular.

People who like this dish are flocking to it, while people who don't like it are avoiding it. After eating cuttlefish, their mouth and tongue will be dyed black, and they need to rinse their mouths and wash them with water.

Spanish ham Jamón

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Ham is the most important thing in the Spanish diet. Because of its good taste and high nutrition, ham is often paired with Tapas and fine wine, and it is the first choice for traditional festivals in Spain.

In restaurants, they are usually put on a plate as thin as cicadas, with sliced bread, tomato juice and red wine as appetizers. In the supermarket, you can buy a whole ham.

Spanish ham can be divided into Jamón serrano and Iberian ham from raw materials. Serrano ham is made from common white-hoofed pigs, which are common in markets and restaurants. Iberian ham is made from Iberian black-hoofed pigs with scarce production, and it is more exquisite and of course more expensive.

Another thing to note is that Jamón is made of pig's hind legs. If it is made of pig's front legs, it is called Paleta. After ham products are produced, the words Jamón (hind leg) and Paleta (front leg) will be printed on the packaging to facilitate consumers' distinction. Because the pig's front legs are relatively meaty, and the meat is hard, while the pig's back legs are fatter and more meaty, the ham made is better.

Although it is translated into "ham" in Chinese, the Spanish "Jamón" (sound "Harmon", translated into "Spanish ham" in Chinese) is not the same as the "ham" in China's food culture. China ham will use smoke or fire to process pork in the manufacturing process, but Spanish ham is salted and air-dried, not cooked meat, and a special method is adopted.

There is also a ham experience store in Barcelona, where you can taste different types of ham food and buy your favorite gift.

Tappas Tapas

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Tapas is the quintessence of Spanish cuisine. Tapas are found in almost big restaurants and small restaurants. The side dishes taste a little sour and cream cheese, and most of them taste good.

Tapas are said to have several origins. First, tourists have no time to have a formal meal, so they have a meal at the restaurant door or by the carriage, usually a dish with a piece of bread.

There is also a legend that a long time ago, the king of Spain was ill and could not eat a big meal. He just wanted to eat some light meals. So the chef made several specialty snacks, and the king enjoyed it very much, so he ordered the bar to serve such snacks during the Happy Hour (usually from 6 pm to 8 pm) for the whole people to share.

Because Tapas is very random, there is no conclusion about what Tapas must contain. What's in the kitchen, what the chef wants to do, the chef's craft characteristics and so on can make the finished products of each bar very different, which has our concept of "private cuisine".

In today's Spain, the popularity of a bar usually means that the Tapas they produce are good or not. The fun-loving Spaniards often string four bars between two or three hours after work and formal dinner, and each bar has a glass of wine and a Tapas.

Sangria fruit wine Sangría

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Sangría can be regarded as Spain's national wine, which is mainly based on wine, soaked in seasonal fruits, and blended with some lemonade, rum or brandy.

Similar to Tapas, it has no fixed formula, and all bars and restaurants have their own flavors with whatever flavor and fruit they like.

Although it contains alcohol, its alcohol content is not high, because it will be mixed with fruit juice, soda water or carbonated drinks to reduce the alcohol content. When making Sangria, sliced fruits such as apples, peaches, oranges, lemons, etc. are often added, and sometimes even some spirits or cinnamon are added to make it more delicious.

Its popularity, you can find people enjoying Sangria on the table in any restaurant or pub in Barcelona. Summer is cold, sweet and refreshing; Winter is warm, sweet and warm.