Olive Oil Spanish recipes either call for olive

Olive Oil • Spanish recipes either call for olive oil or lard, mainly olive oil. • Extra virgin olive oil is worth the added expense. • Spain is a leading producer of olive oil and olives are grown all over the south of Spain.

Ham • Spaniards take their ham very seriously and will pay a high price for top-quality ham. • There are several museums of ham, or museo de jamon. • You will see different types on menus or in supermarkets, but typically it will be jamón serrano or ham from the sierra or mountains.

Fish and Seafood • Because Spain is surrounded on three sides by water, fresh seafood is always plentiful in the markets and is eaten daily. • Everything from halibut to shrimp and even octopus is common to see in the markets and on menus.

Cheeses • Wonderful cheeses of every type can be eaten in Spain. • Spanish cheeses are made from sheep, cow, goat, milk and mixed. • Types range from aged cheeses, such as the manchego variety from La Mancha, to the soft creamy cheeses such as tetilla from Galicia and everything in between. • There are even blue cheeses that mature in limestone caves, such as Cabrales. Cheese can be eaten as a tapa as well as during meals and for dessert.

Sausage • Spanish love sausage, in particular their chorizo, a pork sausage made with paprika. • There are many types of chorizo, from fresh and soft to smoked and aged. • Every local market offers a variety and Spanish families often make their own in the winter and hang them in the cellar or the attic to dry.

Beef, Lamb, and Pork • All three meats are common and can be roasted, grilled over the coals or sautéed in a sauce. • Spanish prefer veal and suckling lamb and pig. • Roasted meats are a popular dish for holidays and festive occasions.

Eggs • Eggs are eaten daily either fried, deviled, or in a Spanish Omlet. • They are an essential part of many recipes, including desserts.

Chicken • A very popular food and is eaten regularly. • It is prepared in every way, but mostly commonly is fried, roasted or stewed

Fruits and Vegetables • Spanish eat lots of fresh fruit as snacks or as the last course to their meals. • A fresh fruit bowl sits in every kitchen. • Simple salads and sautéed vegetables are eaten every day. • Popular dishes often include eggplant and zucchini.

Legumes • Beans of all types are eaten regularly. • Beans and chickpeas (garbanzo beans) have been a staple of the Peninsula for centuries and rivaled bread as the most commonly eaten food!

Nuts • Spain is one of the top producers of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. • Almond-based and milk-based desserts are very common. • Turron, the almond nougat candy eaten at Christmas is probably the best-known. • Many recipes of Arabic origin contain crushed almonds. • Hazelnuts, not almonds are the most popular nut to be mixed with chocolate.

Herbs and Spices • Garlic, onions and herbs such as oregano, rosemary and thyme are used, but garlic more than the others.