Spanish Cuisine is not Just About Tapas

Spanish cuisine is centuries of traditional cooking, and is characterized by the rich blend of the many different specialites from the various regions of Spain.  However Spanish cuisine is not monolithic. The country itself consists of 17 autonomous communities with diverse climates and topography. Spanish cuisine is as varied as the country itself, and is characterized by a reliance on fresh seafood and vegetables and is made of very different kinds of dishes due to the differences in geography, culture and climate. Spanish cuisine is known for its paella, which is a rice dish with seafood, chicken, and vegetables, a tortilla is an omelette with potatoes and sangriai is red wine served with fruit in it.  Spanish cuisine is of a high standard, and  is based on the healthy Mediterranean diet, and  is full of typically Mediterranean ingredients such as olive oil and tomatoes.   Preparation for Spanish cuisine is simple, and yet the soups are delicious and can be served at an elegant meal, or an outdoor picnic. 

Spanish cuisine has many centuries of traditional cooking and hundreds of regional recipes based on natural ingredients such as olive oil, lots of seafood, vegetables, game, veal, ham, and sausages to name just a few.  Spanish cuisine is dominated by fresh produce, light seasonings, and is influenced by the vast amount of seafood from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and fresh water mountain rivers in and around Spain, and reflects the country's deep Mediterranean roots.  Spanish cuisine is frequently confused with Mexican or other Latin American cooking, however, Spanish cuisine is not as spicy hot as Mexican, although it is flavorful and bright.

The dirty secret of Spanish cuisine is that, until very recently, it was not very good, and the new Spanish cuisine is more about how ingredients and flavorings are blended than the way a meal is presented.  Spanish cuisine is straightforward. A Spanish proverb says that "It should taste of what it is", but always interesting, and Spanish cuisine is not just about tapas.

A tapa in Spanish Cuisine is a small portion of almost any food, and in fact tapas date back to Spanish medieval times. They are shared in a "family style", and usually two tapas per person are enough for a meal.  Spanish cuisine is the fastest growing cuisine in popularity, with Spanish restaurants and tapas bars opening in cities all over the world. Spanish Cuisine is known for the simplicity of its dishes and a strong emphasis on fresh ingredients. In a country where eating out is a way of life, the quality of restaurant food has to be good, but Spanish cuisine is rarely pretentious.

Today, Spanish cuisine is  recommended in the finest restaurants and bistros, and demanded by millions of dining connoisseurs the world over also heralded by the most prestigious critics around the world.  In the space of a few short years, Spanish cuisine  has undergone a real revolution, which has put Spain at the forefront of international gastronomy. Spanish cuisine identified by the incorporation of quality products and by the creativity of its chefs using traditional styles as the basis, a modern, innovative cuisine has evolved and developed. Spanish cuisine is not just about tapas.