Culinary Delights – The Unusual
Spain has some amazing culinary speciality and are worth trying, restaurants from different regions across the country bring their local delights to most of the main cities. Besides the usual tapas, olives, manchego cheese or a plate of yummy Spanish bravas (fried potato with a spicy tomato sauce), here are a few foods you certainly shouldn’t leave without at least trying!
Gazpacho
Well this tricky to pronounce dish is in fact cold tomato soup! It has claimed space in many supermarkets around the world, but the tinned version of gazpacho does not compare to the real Spanish dish, it is tangy, refreshing and gives a kick. It is usually eaten as an appetizer – and sometimes straight from a bowl or glass – its thickness is derived from blending a whole heap of fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and a variety of herbs.
Pulpo a la gallega
This octopus dish is macerated with paprika, rock salt and a drizzle of olive oil – tempting your taste buds yet? It’s a signature Galician dish, and you’ll find it on the menu in many restaurants all around Spain. It’s usually served with a creamy potato or two, on top of a wooden platter.
How to Re-Create the Traditional Dishes
Now this dishes are great to try if you are going to Spain, but if you fancy bringing a little bit of Spain to your home then why not try the traditional, easy to make Paella or omelette?
Paella
An authentic seafood and chicken paella that boasts some of Spain’s finest ingredients, from calasparra rice to chorizo. To get the traditional taste, fry chorizo and pancetta first with garlic, onion and pepper, then add chilli flakes, calasparra rice, and stir until all the rice is coated. Now add paprika to taste and some dry white wine, chick thighs and chicken stock and let bubbles for 10-15 minutes – infuse all the lovely smells! Add the clams, squid and prawns to the dish (facing down) and gently simmer for 10 minutes – serve warm and finally, enjoy!
Omelette
I won’t bore you with how to make an omelette, as I think most of us know and if you don’t then you can Google everything nowadays, so you won’t have trouble finding a recipe. However, a traditional Spanish omelette contains…potatoes! I know what you are thinking, but in Spain they don’t set omelette’s to just be for breakfast, they regularly have them for dinner, therefore they need to be of some substance in order to fill you up.
Summer is coming…
The summer of 2015 is soon approaching and if you haven’t booked any holidays yet, why not! The prices are low, the food is tempting with a few months of glorious sunshine ahead…the gloomy January day shave never looked so dull.
Go Wild
Why not go crazy this holiday and enjoy a Spanish activity holiday! Yes you read that right, an activity holidays is a great way to keep fit, enjoy activities, socialise and make new friends. If you have loads of energy to burn and find that sitting on a beach everyday can get tiresome and boring then a tennis break may be the perfect idea, combine your love of the great outdoors and the glorious sunshine.
Go Relax
Or do you fancy a more relaxing week away? When the stress of work is just too much, think about a yoga holiday, with all the advantages of the hot weather, the golden tan, you will also receive teaching hours, meet new friends who are likeminded and truly feel relaxed and calm upon return. There are a variety of different yoga retreats you can try, whether you are going particularly for fitness or just for relaxation, there will be a retreat with you in mind.
