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2000s: A journey through Spain via its food
A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain
What you need to know before your trail
What do you think of when you think of Spanish food? There are many dishes that come to mind such as paella and gazpacho but there are many more besides and the best food is not necessarily found in the chic restaurants in Madrid and Barcelona.
There’s more than one way to experience the food of the country of course – how about going to the annual pig slaughter or something just as gruesome?
But then there’s the historical and cultural link to food. How was pork important in Moorish Spain? What does Franco have to do with lunchtimes? Why does the Basque country have some of the best cooks in the country?
Travel Guide
Spain travelled via its dishes
A culinary journey around Spain and its regions. Spain is a country of so many regions and food that differs so much between each one. Starting from the coast and working your way inland – from fish dishes to something all together more rural.
More than anything, the cooking of rural Spain is a collective response to the realities of climate, weather, organised religion … and, above all, the need to provide the body with the calories needed for hard physical work.
As well as the food and the taste of it, there is a huge cultural and historical legacy to the food eaten today. Franco had a huge influence in ensuring that people started to eat a large meal at lunchtime (Menu del Dia) Much of the food experimentation started in the Basque country and Catalonia due to their proximity to the sea. Regions too where there were many explorers and history of sea fairing ways.
And you will never see pork in the same way again….fascinating.
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain
Author/Guide: Paul Richardson Destination: Spain Departure Time: 2000s
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