Foods You Should Try in Spain (3)
HELLOOOOO!
This is the third of a series of blog posts in which we will travel through the rich and varied culinary landscape of Spain. From north to south, from east to west, we explore the most renowned dishes, but also the lesser-known eats Spaniards go crazy about.
Without further ado, get your bib ready and let’s dig in!
Papas arrugadas (VG)
If there is one dish that represents the Canary Islands, it is papas arrugadas, a very simple yet delicious vegan recipe. There isn’t a typical Canarian restaurant that does not include this humble food on its menu, a symbol of the traditional cuisine of the archipelago. It requires only two ingredients: small new potatoes and lots of salt. Essentially, you just boil them with skin on in heavily salted water. Then you drain the potatoes and warm them on a low heat until they are dry and wrinkled. And…vioilà! All done in less than thirty minutes. Papas arrugadas are usually served with mojo picón, a favourite local sauce made with hot peppers, garlic, paprika, extra virgin olive oil, cumin and vinegar.As an interesting fact, the Canary Islands were one of the first European destinations to receive potatoes, which came from the Andes mountain range of South America. Due to the recurring shortages of freshwater, papas arrugadas were originally cooked using seawater from the Atlantic Ocean. When it evaporated, the salt remained, wrinkling the skin of the tuber, hence its name. Pretty cool, isn't it? Papas arrugadas can accompany a multitude of different dishes and/or serve as an appetiser. In 2018, world-famous Spanish chef Ferran Adrià defined papas arrugadas con mojo as a “work of art.” Personally, I cannot corroborate his words because I have not yet tried them. But I will soon!
Trucha a la navarra
I thought that this dish which I clumsily referred to as “fish with ham” was a witty invention of my mother's, but it could not have been more in the dark. It is called Trucha a la navarra, and it certainly did not originate in a messy kitchen in Sabadell a decade ago, but in the autonomous community of Navarre, somewhere around the 12th century. There are several versions, but its simplest form consists of fried whole trout stuffed with slices of jamón serrano, which is then garnished with parsley and squeezed with lemon. It is usually served as a main dish accompanied by potatoes or even as a second course if you are as hungry as a bear.
Trucha a la navarra is one of those really easy recipes that needs almost no work and that everyone will appreciate during a special occasion or a cosy dinner at home with friends and family. Trout is an abundant type of fish in northern Spain, especially in the mountain streams of Navarre, where it is one of the star products. It seems to be a popular dish among the pilgrims of the French Way who pass through the region on route to Santiago de Compostela. This unexpected combination of meat and fish may sound unusual, but it's well worth it. I swear. Be careful with the bones, though.
Source: Flickr
Churros (VE) (VG*)
Well, well, well. Like croissants in France, Churros are part of Spain’s social fabric. But Spaniards do not eat them every single day, naturally! They are usually devoured for breakfast on lazy Sundays or on special occasions during the cold winter months. They are also frequently snacked after a wild night out at 6 a.m. right before going to sleep. But what exactly are churros? A churro is basically a mixture of flour, water and salt, which is then deep-fried in stripes, curls or spirals. There can be countless ways to eat churros, although the most traditional is to dip them in a cup of hot chocolate or roll them in cinnamon sugar.
Several theories exist about its origins. What a surprise, huh? Some historians claim they are a descendant of a Chinese pastry named Youtiao, which was brought into de Iberian Peninsula by Portuguese explorers centuries ago. Another tale argues that churros were invented by Spanish nomadic shepherds, who fried a dough made of flour, water and salt in search of a substitute for fresh bread. This latter theory goes by the idea that the name of the pastry was inspired by the ridged horns of an autochthonous sheep called Churra. If we have awakened in you a craving for churros, an emblematic place is the Chocolatería San Ginés, in Madrid, which is open 24 hours a day. ¡Buen provecho, golosos/as!
Source: Pixabay
Pa amb tomàquet (VG)
Okay fellas, you've got to try this. And it's not my Catalanness speaking here, but my refined palate. Pa amb tomàquet, which literally translates as bread with tomato, is one of the simplest, most well-loved and traditional dishes of Catalonia. It consists of toasted slices of country-style bread, rubbed with garlic and tomatoes, drizzled with high quality olive oil and sprinkled with salt, in that order. Be aware that in Catalonia, it is considered sacrilege to prepare pa amb tomàquet as if it were an Italian bruschetta. DON'T YOU DARE. Tomatoes are tenderly rubbed, not randomly thrown on top.
You can enjoy this modest delight with any meal as a side dish, or as a tapa accompanied by cold cuts, cheese, anchovies or tortilla, among others. It is customary to consume Pa amb tomàquet in calçotada feasts, which are held throughout the region from December to April. In fact, if I may generalise, nothing is more Catalan than having calçots and pa amb tomàquet in one meal. As to its origins, its first written record dates from 1884, following a plentiful tomato harvest. It is believed that some country folks rubbed tomatoes on dry, stale bread in order to soften it for eating. Unwittingly, they invented what I consider to be the greatest Catalan food item of all time.
Pulpo a la gallega
The origin of this well-known gastronomical treat, however, lies outside Galicia, more specifically in the neighbouring region of Castilla y León. Before the advent of modern refrigeration systems, octopus and other foods were dried to be transported and preserved without spoiling. It is thought that nomadic traders bought the dried octopus almost for nothing that the Galicians despised and imported them to the Maragatería area, in the province of León. Then they rehydrated the food with olive oil and paprika. This is how this recipe really emerged and quickly returned to Galicia, becoming popular at festivals, pilgrimages and fairs. So, is it Galician or Leonese? I'm certainly not entering there, HAHA.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
That’s all for today. Stay tuned for more articles on Spanish cuisine. Hope you have enjoyed it :-)
(VE) Vegetarian
(VE*) It can be made vegetarian
(VG) Vegan
(VG*) It can be made vegan
Bernat, OLS Community Manager – Spanish