Gastronomy of Spain

Gastronomy of Spain

Spaniards are known for their love of seafood, meat and seasoning. They also like beef stew, different casseroles, cheese, garlic sauce, sweet pepper, tomatoes and spices. However, the gastronomic tastes vary according to the region.

Spain has a lot of restaurants, cafeterias and different fast-food restaurants, where you can try not only Spanish, but also Italian, Greek, American and other dishes. As one of the most visited tourist destinations, Spanish offers the cuisine to every taste and budget.

                                          Where and what to eat?

Planning their vacation, many people choose “all-inclusive” system not to worry about choosing cafes and restaurants, and get their meals right in the hotel. But, in the case of Spain (as with most European cities), it is not the most comfortable and economical option. Firstly, you’ll have to stay in the hotel all day or come back here 2-3 times a day for lunch and dinner. Secondly, the food in the hotel costs more than in the supermarkets and cafes.
Shops and cafeterias are the best options for the tourists who want to eat good without spending much money. In the local groceries you can buy bread for 36 cents, milk- for 77 cents, and a carton of egg- for 1.7 euro. 1 kg of beef costs about 7 euro, chicken– 4 euro, and fish – 10 euro. All fruits and vegetables have almost the same price– from 80 cents to 2 euro. In general, if you buy products and cook for yourself or eat in the street cars, it will cost about 15-20 euro per person. But hardly anyone wants to cook on vacation, and most people prefer catering establishments. The prices are almost equal in all cities of Spain. The lunch or dinner in a cheap café will cost you 10-12 euro. If you choose cheap and small restaurants, the dinner for two will cost you about 30-40 euro.
All the cities of Spain also have famous fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, etc., where you can eat for 4-7 euro.

                               What should you definitely try in Spain?

Even in the foreign trips, many tourists don’t want to refuse from their every day meals and prefer the fast food establishments and restaurants with the cuisine of their own country. But it is always interesting to learn what the other nations eat.
If you visit Spain, you should definitely try some of their national dishes. The most famous local dishes are paella and gazpacho. Perhaps, everyone heard about these dishes, but not all had the chance to taste them.
Paella is a dish made of rice and different side dishes. The most popular variants are seafood and chicken paella.
Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup with vegetables.
Among certain products that are very popular in Spain, but rare in Russia, we can note dry-cured ham called “Jamon”, blue cheese “Cabrales” and pork sausage called “Chorizo”.

                   What do the tourists need to know about Spanish restaurants?

– The dishes are quite big, so don’t order several portions at once. Maybe you won’t manage even one of them.

– All establishments close for lunch, which you should take into account.

– Tip is usually 5-10 % from the total account, but, of course, no one will oblige you to leave it.

– Chefs and waiters are very precise. They will cook the dish less or more than necessary, so you should understand that there’s no point in hurrying them.

There it is, the gastronomic Spain. Here everyone will find something to his/her taste. No one will be hungry!