Must-Have Foods to Eat in the Culinary-Rich Country of Spain
I’m a writer and editor by both passion and trade. I also love to travel and cook, so when I find places that deliver not only a great traveling experience but also some knock-my-traveling-sandals-off food, you better believe that country is one I’ll be dreaming about going back to.
In 2021, I got an email from a tour company I went on a trip in high-school with, and they were doing a flash sale for select tours. I had already been saving up to travel to either Morocco or Spain, and low and behold, a road trip around Spain was one of their on-sale trips. By the next day, I had my sister, my fiancé (my now husband), and I booked. We went in September, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Out of all the countries I’ve been to so far—England, France, Costa Rica, Spain, and Iceland—Spain sticks out in my mind not just for its rich history and architecture, but it’s food. With Spain’s proximity to Morocco and Italy as well as its own resource-rich landscape and abundant coastlines, culinary inspiration overflowed in each city I visited. And because there’s no shortage of yummy food on any menu there, I highly recommend looking for a tapas option on the menu. Tapas, or “small plates,” are treated either as appetizers or scaled-down portions of the exact same food offered as full plates, allowing you to order multiple items for more variety. This also works if you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or aren’t as hungry. That way, you aren’t walking with leftovers in your purse.
Here are my top foods to eat in Spain, the cities I had them in, and why you should try them. If you're going to Spain soon, I highly recommend you put these on your "Must Try" list. (And if you’re not going to Spain, I’d recommend you put it on your "Travel Destinations" list).
Seafood
Calamari Sandwich
I had no idea how pescetarian friendly Spain was until I landed. Being on the Mediterranean Sea, I should’ve had some clue, but it honestly skipped my mind. The tour guide for our trip was from Galicia, Spain, and up there, she said people ate octopus like it was chicken since they had so much access to it. That being said, there’s a classic calamari sandwich, or Bocadillo de Calamares, that Madrid is famous for.
Well-fried calamari rings are smothered in pesto and put on soft bread. A squirt of lemon, and this sandwich not only brings in different textures, but bright, fresh flavors. On a vacation, I am personally worried about walking so much that I’ll get hungry and spend all my money on snack foods, mainly gelato. But this sandwich is honestly so wonderful and filling that I wasn’t even concerned about it. It was also a cleaner eat, so I still felt that I could walk around without needing to go back to the hotel and take a nap. I would’ve never known about the sandwich if our tour guide hadn’t told me (thanks, Elena!). If you’re a seafood lover, this is a must.
Ceviche
Speaking of fish, ceviche is a must. You can find this in a lot of places, but the same place that I found the calamari sandwich at—Mercado de San Miguel, an eatery in Madrid that had multiple food stalls, so there was something for everyone—is where my sister got the biggest, most heaping pile of ceviche I’ve ever seen in my life. The fish was cut in one-inch cubes, almost the side of salt-water taffy pieces here in America, and she ate it with a fork. Dense and fresh, the fish was perfection, and it was topped with some little crunchy vegetables. I honestly wish I had ordered it for myself.
After having some of hers, I cannot eat ceviche in America. Anytime I see it on a menu, it’s small, crumbled up pieces of fish on salad—80 percent leaves, 5 percent fish, and double the price of what my sister paid, which was around 8 euros for a half-pound plate. If you’re into fish, Spain is definitely flowing with seafood options that are prepared for excellence and at half the cost.
Meats
Ox tail
While I don’t eat red meat that much anymore, I’d eat this again, and again, and again. It’s a tender, fall-of-the-cartilage meat, and shreds so well. The meat is flavorful and juicy, and it breaks apart so easily that you can get the perfect bite of meat, fries, and veggies all at once. What I love aside from this dish’s taste is that it uses a part of the cow that, in America, people would typically shy away (or throw away) because it’s less-traditional.
While I can’t remember the name of the restaurant I had this at, I remember going to the Catedral de Sevilla before. The restaurant was only a two- to five-minute walk from the church, and there are many wonderful restaurants branching off from that area. In my research to find the exact location, I found that many of these places serve ox tail in the same style I had it (bed of fries, ox tail, some sautéed veggies, and a drizzle of broth). Where I ordered at, you can get it as a full meal (three ox tail pieces) or as a tapa (one ox tail). My husband and I ordered it as a tapa, since there were so many foods we wanted to try, but this one was definitely our favorite (and I think we only paid 5 euros for it).
If you like meat, this dish is a must. You can also find it in a stew, if that’s more your speed.
Blood Sausage
The name isn’t as appealing as the food itself, so trust me, once you get past that, you’re in for a real treat. Blood sausage, or black pudding, was something my husband ordered when we were looking for a lighter dinner in Valencia. Ground-up meat stuffed with spices, vegetables, rice, and yes, some pig’s blood, make for a wonderful combination of textures and flavors. The sausage is dark in color, more purple or black, and has a fun snap on the outside because of how they seared the meat. Though it was prepared and cooked inside, they actually served it cold, and on a nice summer night in Spain, a cool drink and some blood sausage tapas hit the spot.
Mix It Up!
Paella
My husband, sister, and I made tended to make lunch our biggest meal of the day. We’d walk around most of the morning, be dead tired, go to a two-hour lunch of talking and drinking, eating and laughing, then be recharged enough to go for the rest of the day. Paella is a dish built for this type of traveling, in my opinion.
This rice-based, veggie-loaded pan is a fun, family-oriented dish you can share with friends. It can come in a variety of flavors and with different meats. Traditionally, it’s made with rabbit, and while we couldn’t find a rabbit paella in Valenica, we did get one paella that was chicken and seafood, and another that was just seafood and seasoned with squid-ink. With saffron, fresh herbs, and lighter meats, Spain gives its tourists and locals another meal that can keep you full without weighing you down. There’s something for everyone— meat-lovers, pescetarian, and vegetarians alike—with this dish. The pans that these come out on are huge. We ordered two for four people and quartered them so we got to try more flavors.
Traveling tip: I’d recommend checking if the paella pans are priced per pan or per person. Ours were priced per person, so a pan that was listed for 21 euros was actually 42 euros, since it was made to feed two. It worked out okay, because between the four of us, we got two paellas, and everyone was definitely full after, but the cost threw us for a loop a bit.
Desserts
Churros and Chocolate Sauce
Another wonderful culinary experience I wouldn’t have known weren’t it for our local guide, churros and chocolate sauce is the perfect sweet treat after a long day of walking around the beautiful capital of Madrid. You can pop into a shop, get freshly fried churros that are over a foot long (take that, Subway!) and a thick chocolate sauce to dip it in. My sister, husband, and I all split a bag, and we still had some left over. The churro provides a great crunch, and the thick chocolate is luxurious. Places like this in Madrid did also sell coffee, so if you’re looking for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up versus a night-time sweet, you can always get a coffee on the side to dunk your churro in.
Marzipan
If I’m being honest, this was the dish I was most skeptical about, mostly because my mom doesn’t like marzipan. But I’m here to tell you: marzipan in the US does not compare to marzipan in Europe, especially Spain, and especially not it’s birthplace of Toledo. This tiny town that used to be the capital of Spain is where marzipan was formed. They’re also well known for knife making, so if you’re into sweets and metal working, Toledo is a great stop for you.
Marzipan is a confection made from eggs, sugar, and almonds. I’ve seen it stuffed inside bread, cookies, and even doused in chocolate. When made fresh, it’s a dense, rich desert that is chewy but dissolves easily, so nothing gets stuck in your teeth. Because it’s so sweet, it’s hard to eat a lot, so I’d suggest getting two or three pieces and savoring them.
Drinks
Sangria
When we landed and the tour group got together, I remember being in the tour group’s chat and a lot of people texting about getting a pitcher of Sangria. I didn’t think much of it. It can’t be that good.
I had a glass, looked at my husband, and with a dead-serious face said, “Oh my gosh I’m in trouble,” to which he responded, “Right!”
Not a day went by when we didn’t have sangria or a Tinto de Verano (see below) at any lunch or dinner meal. It was too good on the hot days and too delicious when it came at a good deal to ignore. The fruity, sweet, and somewhat tart beverage is a mix of red wine, brandy, lemonade, simple syrup, and fresh fruit. I’ve also heard of a white wine sangria, but I personally didn’t find one until I got back to the States. Every restaurant has their own spin on it, but personally, my favorite ones were where the added apple brandy. It complemented the red wine and fresh fruit very well. I’m happy to say that when we came back my husband spent hours perfecting his very own sangria recipe. It’s much stronger than what we had over there, but very true to the root ratios and flavors of the sangrias that we had in Spain.
Tinto de Verano
A shout out to this fun, bubbly drink! If I was getting a bit tired of the sweetness of Sangria, a Tinto de Verano was my go-to. It’s a simpler drink than sangria—just red wine and citrus soda, but it hit the spot. Most often, it’s made with a fruity red wine like Spanish grenache or pinot noir and has some fun bubbles. It’s a quick, easy order, costs a bit less than Sangria, and doesn’t need to be made in advance. So whether your sitting in a restaurant in Spain or just in your house knowing very well you have a bottle of pinot and some Sprite or Fanta, take a second, poor yourself a glass, and feel the bliss of the this bubbly sweet drink.
Moroccan Tea
I hope that when you visit Spain, you are able to see the beautiful city of Granada. With influences from both Morocco and Spain, you’ll be in store for some amazing food, vibrant markets, and finely carved architecture that will have you dreaming about the history imbedded in the streets. Though our tour group only got to stay one night there, we had a free morning. A group of us went to get traditional Moroccan tea.
The tea is loose leaf, put in a small, netted strainer and in a pot. As a non-tea drinker, I thought it was fun to see the whole chunks of herbs, spices, and fruits diffusing in my tea. I got a Moroccan mint tea. It was light and nice after all the gorging for days on delicious Spanish food. The tea here is a definite treat and really brings the rich history of Spanish food full circle.
There are so many hidden gems of food in Spain that I couldn’t name them all, but these are most certainly my tops. Quintessential dishes that are affordable, fun, and really feel like you’re eating authentically, I hope that you remember these as you prepare your itinerary for touring Spain. You won’t be disappointed.
Write on,
Sterling MZ
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