About Spanish Cuisine
During the reign of the Roman Empire Spain was invaded by Rome, conquered and was left with some lasting legacies. The Roman Catholic religion (a cornerstone of Spanish way of life), olive trees (from which Spanish olive oil was first made in 210AD) and its name. As with most countries, Spain was made up of different regions with no main link. The Romans found that rabbit was so common that they name the country Hispania – from which the modern name is derived.
Spain also has many other traditions which have made a significant impact on its cuisine.
After unsuccessful quests for a route to East Indies, Christpher Colombus found spices and other exotic items in his travels. These included hot and sweet peppers; tobacco; exotic fruits and the cocoa bean, which did not become useful until 1528 when Hernan Cortes returned to Spain with Aztec chocolate making equipment.
So Colombus helped introduced capsicum (or pimento as it is locally known) and chocolate. The Spanish use chocolate in a number of different ways, not just as a sweetener. They use it as a bitter flavour to add to some dishes, one of the most famous being Prawns in Chocolate sauce and Chocolate Chicken.
Paella which is another local Spanish dish. It was invented by “commoners” in times of drought and food shortages, made by placing rice with whatever was abundant within their region. This is the main reason Paella can vary in its ingredients, because different regions abundant in different types of food made different recipes.
The other well known aspect of Spanish cuisine is its Tapas.
Tapas means lid or cover. It is thought to get its name from the days when a slice of bread covered with ham or cheese was placed on top of a wine or sherry glass to keep flies out while serving weary travellers on horseback.
They are tidbits of food for nibbling with drinks while chatting with friends. It has been said that the Spanish eat all day and part of the night. Most urban workers start with a light breakfast and continue to eat and snack all day until they finally sit down to an evening meal, which can be as late as 10pm.
“Eat when you drink, Drink when you eat” is the philosophy behind Tapas. One Tapa per person and a different one with each drink is the idea, then everyone enjoys tasting and sharing.
Tapas are one of the most pleasurable aspects of Spain’s cuisine, and there is always an amazing array served in every village, town or city. Tapas can be made from seafood, meat, poultry, eggs and vegetables – and they can be served hot or cold.
Magnificent seafood dishes form a large part of Spain’s main course, but Spaniards are great meat eaters too. Locally produced wine will always accompany a main course. Most meals are finished off with a dessert of fresh seasonal fruit and yoghurt.
Spanish cooking is simple and delicious and the basics are easy to master.