Intro to Spanish Cuisine 20+ Traditional Recipes ( Vocab!)

Intro to Spanish Cuisine 20+ Traditional Recipes ( Vocab!) Suzy S. How much do you know about traditional Spanish dishes? Learn about the food culture in Spain, and the recipes to salivate over, in this post The cultural aspects of any language you learn are just as important as its grammar and pronunciation. Especially, when were talking about Spain, with its vibrant traditions and unique style of life! If youre used to having only three meals a day and eating your food in a hurry, Spaniards will teach you how to appreciate every dish.  Locals usually have five mealtimes a day rather than just three! El desayuno (breakfast) is the first meal; its  generally eaten at home and doesnt take too long. It often includes café con leche (coffee with milk), toasts with jam and butter, and magdalenas   freshly baked lemony cupcakes. Magdalenas Time to cook: 30 min Difficulty level: easy Main ingredients: egg, sugar, butter, flour, lemon, milk After working for a few hours, many people  take a break for el almuerzo (mid-morning snack). The typical foods  are all kinds of tapas and bocadillos (sandwiches). Its a very important meal, and one that many people use as networking time with coworkers.  So, if you hear coworkers  say  â€œVamos a tapear!”, grab your jacket and get going. You can also hear the same phrase later in the evening when Spaniards go to their favorite tapas bars. Tortilla española Time to cook: 35 min Difficulty level: easy Main ingredients: egg, potato, onion La comida (lunch time) in Spain can last for up to three  hours. Some office workers prefer to have their lunch at home and most of the time is spent on the commute. Restaurants and cafes will often have a menu del dia that consists of three  or four  courses. You may be offered sopa de ajo (garlic soup), paella de marisco  (seafood paella), and flan  (custard with caramel sauce) for dessert. Paella de marisco Time to cook: 40-50 min Difficulty level: medium Main ingredients: rice, chicken, shrimp, mussels, squid, fish broth If you get hungry at the end of the working day (6pm), you might  have an  afternoon snack called la merienda, to fill the meal gap between lunch and dinner. Its often something sweet, like a pastry, but could also be something savory, like a sandwich. Churros  are a very popular option. If youve never tasted them  before, churros  are fried pastries served hot, similar to  donuts. Muy delicioso! Churros Time to cook: 20 min Difficulty level: easy Main ingredients: flour, water, sugar, oil After work, most people spend the  evening relaxing with friends and family. You might  stay at home and cook something or invite your friends to go out for tapas.  Tapas   smal portions of food that are shared are very popular, and there are dozens of options to suit your cravings. In general, there are no typical dishes for la cena (dinner), but you can expect  smaller portions at this time. Its also served much later than Americans are used to eating dinner think 10pm! Keep Learning:  Check out more Spanish phrases for dining, or learn more about the Spanish culture in our other blog posts! Even More Traditional Spanish Dishes Beyond these, there are many popular dishes that come directly from Spain.  While the origin of churros, for example, is unclear, the 20 dishes listed in the infographic below have strong historical ties to Spain specifically. Follow the numbered guide to see which area the dish is linked to. Which of these traditional Spanish dishes sounds good to you? Here are some links to recipes around the web: Magdalenas, via The Tapas Lunch Company Churros, via The Food Network From the infographic: Caprese empanadas with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, via Laylitas Recipes Tortilla española, via The Kitchn Fabada asturiana, via My Kitchen in Spain Cocido madrieleño, via Devour Madrid Food Tours Paella de marisco, via La Tienda Pulpo a la gallega, via Cool Food Valencia Turron de Alicante, via Serious Eats Pisto, via Spanish Sabores Pa amb Tomàquet, via Back2Spain Cooked egg with jamón ibérico, via  NY Times Cooking Arroz negro, via The Food Network Pork skin chicharron, via  Mexico in My Kitchen Pizza Española With Chorizo and Manchego Cheese, via Enjoying Spanish Recipes Patatas bravas, via May I Have That Recipe Zarangollo, via Native Spain Pringá, via Foods and Wines From Spain Mojo Picón Sauce with Potatoes, via Your Spanish Recipes Arroz a la Cubano, via About Food Ropa vieja, via Arousing Appetites Pinchos Morunos  (Pinchitos), via Spanish Fiestas Your turn share or link to your favorite recipes for Spanish food  with a comment below! Guest Contributor: Martha Simons Martha is a writer and editor at Translateshark, a translation service. She enjoys writing articles on learning languages and translation, reading, and traveling, as a  way to free  her  mind and relax. Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher