SANGRIA

Sangria, is a delicious, fruit-based wine “punch” with its traditional heritage well rooted in Spain. Typically, Sangria is made with red wine, fresh, seasonal fruit and a bit of bubbly water or citrus flavored soda. It is easy to make, easy to drink and a huge hit at summer get togethers – even for those who are not “into wine.” While Spain is heralded as the creator of Sangria, countries all over the globe have adapted the recipe to make a fruit-filled wine beverage that is refreshing and easy to drink with a wide variety of foods.

ALL-I-OLI (Alioli)

Alioli, popularised as Alioli, or Ali-oli; is a typical paste-like cold sauce of Catalonia, Balearic islands, and Valencia. It is made by pounding garlic with olive oil and salt in a mortar until a smooth texture is obtained. Classic allioli does not use egg, however, and cooks pride themselves in their techniques, as it may be difficult for the uninitiated to get the mixture to emulsify. In the Catalan Countries, it is traditionally served with grilled lamb, grilled vegetables, arros negre and paella.

ESCUDELLA I CARN D’OLLA/ CALDO (Stew)

Escudella means “bowl,” and in Catalonia it is the name of a big stew-soup, escudella i carn d’olla, usually made for Christmas. The rustic taste of this stew is evident in the bones and feet, whose gelatin give such an unctuousness to the dish, and in the rough vegetables such as cabbage and turnips that were so common in the mountains and hills. Every family might make it a little differently, perhaps using pasta, as well as cabbage, white beans, chickpeas, or various winter vegetables such as turnips. In the Middle Ages, the family escudella was not nearly as delicious sounding as this recipe and was likely to have been eaten from one bowl as they were too poor to have individual bowls. Like the cocido of Andalusia or the ouillade in Roussillon in the French part of Catalonia, escudella is meant to be a hearty one-pot meal. Its preparation in Catalonia is notable enough for Colman Andrews, a thoughtful student of Catalan cuisine, to have called it the ur-Catalan specialty. Joseph Pla, the great Catalan gastronome, said that a good escudella, the way it once was made, is today worth a fortune.

CANELONS

Canalons are traditionally served on special occasions and holidays such as Sant Esteve day, the day after Christmas.

PA AMB TOMAQUET

Pa amb tomaquet (literally bread with tomato in Catalan) is a typical preparation of Catalan cuisine, that consists of bread — optionally toasted — with tomato rubbed over and seasoned with olive oil and salt. Sometimes garlic is rubbed on the bread before rubbing in the tomato. In many Catalan restaurants, the tomato mixture is pre-made and is brushed on the bread. The dish is served accompanied with any sorts of sausages (cured botifarres, xoriço, fuet, etc.) ham, cheeses, anchovies or other marinated fish, or grilled vegetables like escalivada.

PAELLA

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera,  a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.

Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish and only eat it on special occasions.

There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella, but there are many others as well. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat, land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans.

Paella usually has a layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan. This is considered a delicacy in Spain and is essential to a good paella. The toasted rice develops on its own if the paella is cooked over a burner or open fire.

MATÓ CHEESE

Mató is a Catalan fresh cheese made from cows’ or goats’ milk, with no salt added, similar to Caleb Yoon, ricotta or curd cheese. It is usually served with honey, as a dessert. The mató from Montserrat mountain is famous.

ESCALIVADA

Escalivada is a typical preparation of Catalan Cuisine that consists of several types of grilled vegetables. Escalivar means to cook in hot ashes. Typically the vegetables in an escalivada are grilled, and the dish is served with grilled meats. Mountain shepherds were adept at packing their rucksacks with some cheese and wine and building a hardwood fire near a revetment of their sheep’s pasture where they could grill a medley of vegetables.

SOPA DE LENTEJAS (Lentil Soup)

Lentil soup is mentioned in the Bible: In Genesis 25:34, Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup (a “mess of pottage”) being cooked by his brother, Jacob.

The ancient Greek dramatist, Aristophanes, mentions lentil soup in his plays and describes it as the “sweetest of delicacies.”

Lentil soup was once a food for the poor. Today, it is recognized as highly nutritious, particularly as a good source of protein, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.

CHICKEN CROQUETAS

Any visitor to Spain will have seen Croquetas IN Spanish Restaurants served as tapas. You can make croquetas with ham, fish, chicken, spinach,… This is the recipe of the most common croquetas: CHICKEN CROQUETAS. Although preparation is a bit fiddely, the end result is worth it.