Wonderful food in Spain

Spanish food is characterized by:

• Succulent seafood in the North from the Atlantic and Cantabrian Sea, meats from the Basque and Galicica regions, beans and other vegetables from the Asturias region, Lamb and Pig from the Navarra and Aragon regions,
• A Mediterranean Diet to the east with one of the best known Spanish specialties, Paella,
• Rice, oranges, olives and spices introduced by the Arabs in the south,
• Lots of wild game in Central Spain. In this city, gastronomy is culture, leisure and business.
• Wonderful island specialties in the Canary Islands and Balearic's

Clearly, there is a vast range of culinary delights to sample. With these ingredients, you can find traditional dishes and new, innovative ones as well.

Specialties of Madrid - Tapas

Most of you will be in Madrid for part of your trip, so let's look at some of the specialties found there. Going out for tapas is one of the most enjoyable traditions of Madrid. Here are a few items you will find.

Cocido Madrileño 
A wonderful stew consisting of chickpeas, vegetables and various cuts of pork, Cocido Madrileño is served in two portions, first the soup and then meat and vegetables.This dish began as a Jewish dish that provided a hearty meal during the Sabbath. However, religious persecution led to changes in the dish as Jews were persecuted and sought to proved their
Christian roots by incorporating pork and pork products into the dish.

Chocolate con Churros

This famous fried dough, served with the thickest hot chocolate you will ever see, can be found all over Spain, but nowhere does it better than Madrid. This is to die for!

Cochinillo Asado (Roast Suckling Pig)

A regional specialty from Castilla that is hard to get done properly due to its long preparation time. This dish should be so tender that it can be cut with a plate. Look for a restaurant that is known for this dish and is constantly preparing it so that it always has fresh Cochinillo Asado on hand.

Bocadillo de Calamares
A Madrid classic sandwich is squid rings dipped in battered and fried  then served in a fresh, crusty roll. Make sure this is fresh. If the squid sits too long, it can get chewy. I recommend you pick a restaurant that does a booming business and clearly fixes its Calamare on site.

 

Callos a la Madrileña

Well, the Spaniard have a use for everything and here is proof. This is a tripe stew. Although callos a la madrileña is the best known preparation, tripe is eaten all over the Iberian peninsula. Callos was established as a typical Madrid dish over 200 years ago. This typical Spanish dish is served in many bars and restaurants of Madrid and is normally accompanied by chorizo and blood sausage. Despite being a very simple recipe, it is still highly revered and many people and many restaurants claim to have the best recipe. It might be a good idea to ask the locals in Madrid where the best callos a la madrileña are served.

RESTAURANTS WITH 100 YEARS OF HISTORY

Gastronomy has always played an important part in the life of Madrid, as can be seen from the number of restaurants in the city that have been serving traditional local dishes and the region's wine for over 100 years. Don't leave the capital without having dined in one of them and enjoy the marvelous wine.

Enjoy!