A diverse and special cuisine requires exclusive ingredients that set it apart from the rest. In this regard, Spain has a wide variety of products in each of its regions from the vegetable fields of southeast Spain to the livestock of the north.
The way to a country’s heart is through its stomach, and the most important ingredients of Spanish cuisine play a leading role in this. Recipes are cooked with passion, tradition and local foods, capturing the essence of our culture in a single dish on your table.
Do you want to know which ingredients we’re talking about? Keep reading and discover the products that make Spanish cuisine a must in world gastronomy.
A diverse and special cuisine requires exclusive ingredients that set it apart from the rest. In this regard, Spain has a wide variety of products in each of its regions from the vegetable fields of southeast Spain to the livestock of the north.
The way to a country’s heart is through its stomach, and the most important ingredients of Spanish cuisine play a leading role in this. Recipes are cooked with passion, tradition and local foods, capturing the essence of our culture in a single dish on your table.
Do you want to know which ingredients we’re talking about? Keep reading and discover the products that make Spanish cuisine a must in world gastronomy.
5 essential products in Spanish cuisin
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is considered the purest and highest quality type of olive oil. In the culinary sector it is even known as “liquid gold”. It is manually extracted from olives without the use of chemicals or excessive heat, which helps to preserve its flavour, aroma and nutritional properties.
This product, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and healthy fats, is used both in cooking and to dress salads and other cold dishes. It is the “crown jewel” of Spanish cuisine and is highly valued by professionals.
Iberian ham
Whenever you think of Spain, a plate of Iberian ham is sure to come to mind (if possible, acorn-fed, one of the most important in the country). This product, which is highly valued in Spanish society, can be enjoyed alone or alongside other foods such as cheese, bread and wine, but also as an ingredient in other dishes such as huevos rotos, which is fried eggs and potatoes with ham.
Iberian ham is an exclusive and very delicate product that must be stored properly to preserve its quality. It should be kept in a cool and dry place and cut just before consumption to prevent it from oxidizing.
Red wine: As a drink or an accompaniment
o take the name of wine in vain would be a sin, so we prefer to tell you why it is an important ingredient in Spanish cuisine and not just a drink to accompany and enhance the flavours of your meals.
Wine is part of many dishes from our cuisine, used as an ingredient and flavour enhancer in various slow-cooked recipes such as cheeks, beef stews, meat with tomato sauce, a good jug of homemade sangria and even lentils with chorizo. A good splash enhances the flavour of any dish!
Most important spices
As you were probably expecting, countries that use native spices have a rich and colourful cuisine. In this case, Spain has various ingredients such as saffron, paprika, oregano, cumin, pepper, thyme, rosemary or bay leaf.
Don’t know how to use them correctly? Don’t worry, because they all add a special flavour to your dish if you use just the right amount, just be careful not to saturate the recipe. Give it a go!
Vegetables
There’s no denying that Murcia and Almeria are the origin of many important ingredients in Spanish cuisine, in this case vegetables; in other words, the most traditional area of “Spain’s vegetable garden”.
Spanish cuisine uses a wide variety of fresh, high-quality vegetables that are grown in the country and can be found in markets and food stores in any region, such as tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, asparagus, potatoes, green beans, artichokes, lemons and many more.
