Eating your way through Spain, region by region

Published November 26, 2022.

All images are courtesy of the Spain Less Traveled team, unless otherwise stated.

Spain’s rich gastronomic culture

Besides its beautiful landscapes and gorgeous cities full of history and art, one of the main reasons a lot of travelers come to Spain is to experience its world famous gastronomy. From Michelin starred restaurants to small bars and taverns, you won’t have enough time to taste it all… but the Spain Less Traveled team will make it easier to you with this guide to the best food in Spain.

What is the best food in Spain?

The basics:

There are many common Spain travel mistakes that revolve around eating, so be sure to check out our tips about how to avoid those too!

You will see that food in Spain varies from one region to another, but there are some staple dishes that you’ll find almost everywhere with good quality:

• Tortilla de patatas - Spanish potatoes omelette. This you’ll find everywhere, with some variations from one place to another. More creamy in some, more dry in others. it’s the food most Spaniards crave after returning home from abroad.

• Cocidos - Stews. Every region has a cocido, a rich stew with legumes and meats. The base legume is normally white beans or garbanzos (chickpeas), with some vegetables and many different meats.

• Calamares fritos - Fried squid. You would think that this dish is more common in the coast, but you’ll find it everywhere… Actually it’s most popular in the place in Spain furthest from the sea: Madrid. It’s also known as: calamares a la romana.

• Croquetas - croquettes. A favorite snack all over the country. The most popular are those with ham, chicken, or cocido meat.

• Embutidos - Pork is a main ingredient in Spanish cuisine. It’s main presentation is as cured cold meats: Jamón, chorizo, lomo, salchichón, morcón, fuet, etc… can feed you for days without turning on the stove.

• Churros - the favorite Spanish breakfast, found everywhere but specially in Andalusia and Madrid, with a local thicker sister named: porra.

• Cochinillo and lechazo - You’ll find in restaurants and asadores all over Spain roasted cochinillo (suckling pig) or lechazo (suckling lamb). This comes from Castilla y León. The meat is super tender and delicious with a very simple preparation. it’s specially popular in Castille, in famous restaurants like Casa Botín (Madrid) or Mesón de Cándido (Segovia).

Many of these dishes you can get as “tapas”. Tapas is a way of serving food in small portions to share that has become wildly popular around the world. They are very popular also in Spain, but Spaniards have their main meals sitting in a table, eating from their own plates and chatting for hours afterwards.

And pro-tip, the central market of each city is always a great place to sample some of the local culinary delights!

What is the best food in Madrid?

As Spain’s central capital filled with art and history, Madrid is an obvious choice for travelers looking to experience authentic culture, including the best food in Spain. One unique aspect of the food culture in Madrid is that it combines many Spanish regional foods. This is in part due to the mass migrations of various communities to the city, dating as far back as the 16th century. 

Popular local dishes include the likes of:

• Cocido madrileño - a special type of beef stew with chickpeas, veggies, and sausages served over three courses

• Callos a la madrileña - cow tripe served with a spicy sauce, and sometime chickpeas

• Oreja a la plancha - grilled pork ears, often served spicy, with garlic, or in the Basque regional style

• Gallinejas - sheep entrails fried in their own fat

• Bocadillo de calamares - a baguette-style sandwich filled with fried squid rings

  What you’ll commonly find in Madrid is that many custom foods require you to step outside of your comfort zone and eat unconventional animal parts. 

  This is especially true when it comes to la matanza (pig-killing) - which is a unique process deeply rooted in Spanish culture. It’s normal in Spain to use the entire animal in an effort of sustainability.

  Madrid is also home to unique desserts, such as: rosquillas tontas y listas. These are donuts topped with dry meringue, almond dust, and other sweets) which coincide with the Feast of St. Isidore the Laborer - the patron saint of Madrid - in May.

  Other seasonal sweets are torrijas, (a very sweet type of French toast served in Easter), or huesos de santo (literally saint’s bones), a marzipan delicacy served by All Saints Day (November 1st).

  And when it comes to local beverages, Madrid’s famous beer is Mahou.

  For travelers, a fun way to kick off their time in Madrid is with a food tour from our friends at Walk and Eat Spain.

What is the best food in Basque Country?

Basque Country is renowned for the best food in Spain (and some of the best in the world!)

Many consider this city to be one of the food capitals of the world, and it is true that Basque Country upholds its reputation for the best food in Spain. Most notably, since San Sebastián is located on the northern Basque coast, the city incorporates many Basque foods and cultural elements. Basque food is one of the most unique kinds in the world, drawing from fresh seafood from the Cantabrian Sea and fresh produce from local farms. Another reason we love traveling in Northern Spain.

Pintxo bars, in particular, make up a rich part of the city’s culture, serving Basque-style tapas with chorizo, breads, mushroom croquettes, and more. 

One aspect of the food culture in San Sebastián that draws people in is the custom of eating from place to place and trying a variety of foods. When you eat a pintxo, it often comes on a stick so you can pay at the end of the night when you get your sticks counted. 

You’ll also find that foods in this region vary seasonally. In the summertime, you see an influx of sardines and guindilla peppers, whereas the springtime brings flavors like artichokes, Idiazabal cheese, baby broad beans, and suckling lamb.

Specialty meals of San Sebastián include:

• Calamares en su tinta - Baby squid cooked with its own black ink

• Besugo al horno - Baked sea bream

• Centollo - Boiled spider crab

• Angulas - Or baby eels… Considered one of the most expensive dishes in the world. You’ll only find it in very select places, in the rest you’ll find the artificial version: Gula

• Kokotxas de merluza - Hake cheeks and hake koxkera (regional fish dishes)

• Almejas a la marinera - Clams marinière (a staple of San Sebastián Day festivities)

• Bacalao - Codfish cooked in two popular ways: A la vizcaína (Biscaye style, with tomato and peppers sauce) or al pilpil (a cream made with garlic, parsil and the codfish’s own fat)

If you are looking for the best food in Spain, without a doubt you need to add Basque Country to your Spain travel itinerary!

What is the best food in Barcelona and Cataluña?

Catalan food and culture are at the focal point when it comes to Barcelona. Featuring traditional meals from the Catalonia region, this food culture includes fresh Mediterranean veggies like artichokes, eggplants, tomatoes, and garlic. 

It also incorporates flavors from sardines, anchovies, tuna, and other seafood. It’s not as heavy on meat, but when meat is incorporated, you’ll often find lamb, beef, and pork.

Popular Catalan dishes to try while visiting Barcelona include:

• Pà amb tomaquet - Everywhere you go in Catalonia, they will start every meal with some toasted bread loaves with crushed tomato and oil.

• Arròs negre - black rice flavored and colored by squid ink, often served with aioli

• Calçots - a type of green onion that are most in season in January, February, and March. Spaniards look forward to the season as they consider calçots to be some of the best food in Spain.

• Esqueixada - a cold salad with codfish, tomato and black olives

• Bacallà amb samfaina (salted cod) - a popular Catalan dish often served with tomato-veggie sauces and bread

• Canelons - typical Barcelona meal of stewed meat inside of pasta tubes topped with béchamel sauce

• Botifarra amb mongetes - staple dish in Barcelona of haricot beans and sausage

• Escudella - the local cocido, with chickpeas, sausages and meatballs

Then, you also have special dishes that aren’t served as regularly, like ànec amb peres (sweet and savory cooked duck with pears). You might find this dish served during Barcelona’s festivities such as the Cruilla music festival or Grec Festival. 

Of course, don’t skip dessert. Crema Catalana is popular all over Spain, but this crème brûlée-like sweet orginated in Cataluña. It is normally flavored with lemon and orange peels as well as cinnamon.

And of course, Barcelona is home to traditional beverages like wine from the Pénedès region or local beers like Moritz or Estrella Damm. You may even stumble upon beguda de pobre (“drink of the poor”) from the Lleida plain just outside of Barcelona. 

What is the best food in Valencia?

(Hint: not just paella!)

Valencian food culture is primarily Mediterranean in nature. Many Valencian recipes incorporate sauces like picada (nuts and oil) or alioli (thick sauce of garlic, egg, and oil). The region’s signature flavors are seafood, meat, and veggies. 

Paella is one of the most signature dishes you’ll find here, which many consider to be a native dish of the south of Valencia. It’s a basic dish of chicken and rabbit with rice or seafood (sometimes snails) with rice. 

Paella’s historical roots are tied to Valencia’s historical rice production. Once a dish reserved for farmers and laborers and eaten straight out of the pan, Paella is now known worldwide as a signature item you have to try when visiting Valencia. Talk about eating the best food in Spain exactly where it comes from!

You might also find a signature dish called fideuà, which is a typical Valencian dish of seafood and pasta that has origins in Gandia.

Other popular Valencian traditional dishes, desserts, and drinks include:

• Arròs a banda - It’s one of the most papular variation of paella, with the seafood on a side rather than mixed with the rice.

• Suquet de peix - potato, eel, garlic, and fish stew (also found in Catalonia)

• Coques - local to Valencia and ancient in origins, these are salty pastries

• Sang amb ceba - Coagulated blood in blocks sauted with onions, only for the very adventurous

• Fartons - pastry fingers dipped in orxata

• Pastissets - sweet pastries with potato or almond fillings, these are thought to have Arab origins

• Arrop i tallaetes - dessert of fruits dipped in sweet syrups made of grape must

• Orxata - also known as horchata, a drink made by submerging rice or other products in water for a long time (Orxata de Xufa made of tigernuts and Orxata d'Ametlla made of almonds are most common)

What is the best food in Andalucía?

Read on for food traditions from Spain’s beautiful south.

Also known as Andalusian cuisine, the food from Andalucía is a culture of its own set of traditions found in Southern Spain. Fish, dry-cured ham, gazpacho, and sherry wines are some of the staples found in this area. Their food has a rich history dating back to the 14th century. 

Pork has a significant meaning in Andalusian food, since Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella once dubbed pig as the meat choice for the faithful (Christians). It was a way to determine if Jewish and Muslim families did not convert after the reconquista.

Tapas also take on a new meaning in Andalucía, where plates of free food are served with every drink in bars across Granada and other provinces, like Almería.

Common dishes in this region include fried foods, seafood dishes, desserts, beverages, and staple meals, such as:

• Serranito (pork lion topped with jamón, tomatoes, and peppers, served as a sandwich, a signature dish from Seville)

• Espetos fresh from the grill best enjoyed at a chiringuito (beachfront restaurant) (sardines in every other part of the country, but in Málaga city and widely throughout the larger Málaga province they are called espetos and are very famous)

• Soldaditos de Pavía (‘Soldiers of Pavia’ - fried cod marinated in lemon juice and paprika, wrapped in roasted red peppers)

• Pescado en adobo - It’s basically fishmeat in cubes marinated with vinegar and spices, passed by flour and deep fried. The fish most used is cazón, a school shark

• Flamenquines - a roll made of ham and cheese, breaded and deep fried

• Tortillitas de camarones - these small cakes made with shrimp are very popular in Cadiz

• Berenjenes con miel de caña (fried eggplant drizzled with honey, a specialty of Córdoba province)

• Gazpacho (a cold tomato soup with roots in Andalucía) and its cousin salmorejo (a cold, creamy tomato soup blended with bred, a signature dish from Córdoba province too). There is another popular cousin from Málaga named ajoblanco, made with a lot of garlic and seved with grapes

• Torrijas (found across the region during Semana Santa, this deep-fried bread is topped with sugar, honey, or sweet milk)

• Piononos - a delicious sweet from Granada

Andalusian olive oil is considered to be liquid gold. And while every Andalucian province has an olive-oil producing region, Jaén province takes the prize for this. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is staple ingredient that is used all over the country and in just about all of the best food of Spain! Not only will most dishes be made with EVOO, but in many olive producing regions, travelers can do an olive oil tasting!

And for wine, Andalucía has several regions, the most famous being the sherry triangle centered around Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz province.

What is the best food in Asturias?

Asturian cuisine: hearty food, different from the rest.

If you visit Asturias, you’ll find that the food culture is colored by seafood (fresh squid, sea bass, shrimp, crab) and salmon caught in the Sella River. The Spanish region is also widely known for its cheeses - especially the pungent Cabrales varieties.

If you want to experience authentic Asturian culture, since it is the “land of cheeses”, you should look out for:

• Afuega'l pitu (local unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese)

• Casín cheese (full-fat cheese from Asturian Mountain cows)

• Gamonéu cheese (fatty Spanish cheese from its namesake village)

• Cabrales cheese (a pungent blue cheese made in the Cabrales area in the Picos de Europa mountains)

Aside from its cheeses, Asturias is also a great place to eat the famous regional dish called fabada asturiana. This is a local stew with white beans, pork, chorizo, saffron, and other ingredients. A very famous variation is fabes con almejas, with clams.

Another popular meaty dish is cachopo, basically a ham and cheese sandwich with two filets of veal serving as bread.

Meals can be accompanied with tortos, a fried type of bread made with corn flour.

Arroz con leche (rice pudding) is popular all over the Northern coast of Spain, but is considered an Asturian delicacy in the rest of the country.

You should also try the unique dry ciders of Asturias called sidra (a natural alcoholic apple cider). Pay close attention to how the sidra is poured!

Those who like hearty food will no doubt say that Asturias has some of the best food in Spain!

What is the best food in Galicia?

Galician food is as unique as it is - which is notably autonomous. Here, you will find delicious empanadas, as well as alcoholic drinks like ribeiro wines, albariño wines, and orujo liquor. Staple ingredients include potatoes, maize, dairy, pork, sheep, and pan gallego (high-quality Galician bread). 

Some interesting dishes in Galicia that make the list for best food in Spain include:

• Lacón con grelos - Roasted pork meat with greens and paprika

• Polbo á feira - a traditional Galician dish with boiled octopus served sliced with ‘cachelos’ (potatoes) and sprinkled with papikra and olive oil

• Tetilla cheese - Galician cow’s cheese in the shape of a breast (hence the name!)

• Empanada - it’s a big pie made with bread dough and stuffed with many different things. Codfish, or octopus, or chorizo.

• Caldo gallego - a traditional Galician soup with green broth

• Bica (sponge cakes)

• Filloas - Galician crêpes

• Torta de Santiago - an almond cake dating back to the Middle Ages, it’s the cake of St. James, traditionally has an imprint of the Cross of Saint James on the top

If you are interested in making some of the Galician specialties at home, be sure to check out the cookbook Tastes of the Camino by Yosmar M. Martinez. It is the perfect way to sample some of the rich foods of Northern Spain from the comfort of your home!

What is the best food in Murcia?

Murcia: Spain’s up and coming culinary region.

While few would say that Murcia has the best food in Spain, it is one of Spain's up-and-coming culinary regions with varied food influences. It's by far one of the best places to eat your way through Spain. It has roots in Manchego cuisine (Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain) and is also known for its fruits, most specifically lemons. Many dishes in this region are served with the ajo cabañil sauce, which is used with meat.

When you visit Murcia, the popular dishes to try are:

• Perhaps the trademark dish of Murcia is the pisto murciano, which resembles a ratatouille with its peppers, onions, tomatoes, and eggplant.

• Zarangollo - scrambled eggs with potatoes, onion, and zucchini (local to the Murcian countryside)

• Berenjenas a la crema - similar to an eggplant lasagna.

• Pipirrana - salad of onions, tomatoes, green pepper, and cucumbers (sometimes with meat, fish, or boiled eggs)

• Baked octopus

• Cocido murciano, similar to the one in Madrid but served with big meatballs, or ‘pelotas’

• Paparajotes - One of the funniest things you’ll ever eat. it’s basically big lemon tree leaves battered, deep fried and sprikled with sugar. You only lick the leaf when eating the dough, but don’t eat it

• Wine from Jumilla, Yecla, and Bullas areas

Give it a few years, and we believe that Murcia will appear on Spain travel itineraries of foodies who are in the know that Murcia has some of the best food in Spain!

What is the best food in Canary Islands?

The Canary islands belong politically to Europe, but geographically to Africa, with a particular climate that defines its gastronomy, a bit more spiced up than the one in the peninsula.

You will find there delicious dishes:

• Papas arrugadas con mojo - the most famous dish from the islands, basically boiled unpeeled small potatoes served with a sauce, or mojo. This can be verde (green with lots of parsley) or picón (spicy with paprika).

• Puchero canario - The islands have their own stew of cocido, similar to the one in Madrid but with extra ingredients like pumpkin, green beans, or corn.

• Conejo en salmorejo - rabbit meat with a sauce made of garlic, cumin, paprika and herbs. Served of course with papas arrugadas.

• Fish - of course you can have great fish dishes in these islands, like pescado encebollado (with onions), sancocho (boiled fish with vegetables), or cazuela de pescado.

• Goat cheese - You will find goats all over the islands. Don’t miss queso a la plancha, fresh goat cheese slices broiled. And be sure to try almogrote which is a spread made of grated goat cheese, garlic, paprika and oil.

• Gofio - it’s a type of corn or wheat flour, the base for many local dishes. You can find it as escaldón (similar to Italian polenta), or amasado (a pastry similar to marzipan).

So yes, you can find some of the best food in Spain on a chain of islands off the African coast!

Vegetarians and even vegan fear not!

Let’s face it, being vegetarian in Spain can be difficult. But it is not impossible and is getting easier and easier by the day as more vegetarian and vegan restaurants spring up all over the country.

Spain is also home to plenty of vegetarian options, including cheeses and specialties like Salmorejo (protip: be sure to order it without garnish of eggs or jamón if you are vegan or vegetarian. That is a popular garnish), Tortilla Española (for vegetarians, not vegans), and Gazpacho. You’ll also find traditionally vegetarian dishes in different regions, such as:

• Samfaina (Catalonian ratatouille-esque dish)

• Gachas (a basic Spanish soup of olive oil, flour, water, salt, and garlic)

• Pisto (fried veggie dishes found in various regions, including Castilla-La Mancha)

• Escalivada (Catalan/Valenciano/Murciano dish with grilled aubergine, bell peppers, and other veggies)

• Pimientos de Padron, (Galician dish of freshly grilled and salted mild peppers)

And of course, just about every place will have patatas bravas, potatoes in a “spicy” sauce. This is a staple of Spanish food! (If you are a strict vegan or vegetarian, check to be sure the sauce is not meat-based)

And to try some of the best food in Spain for vegetarians and vegans, use apps such as Happy Cow and Google Maps to find some of the trendiest and newest vegan and vegetarian restaurants in each city. Creative vegan and vegetarian cuisine is becoming more and more common (and trendy!) in Spain.

For vegan and vegetarian clients of Spain Less Traveled, we have an updated list of these all over Spain that we can recommend!

Christmas treats

Spain is traditionally a catholic country, so Christmas is celebrated big time. And like just about everywhere, the main ingredient for every celebration is food.

The most distinctive element is sweets. Spanish turrones or mazapanes are famous worldwide, with different variation in Latin America. The main ingredient for Spanish Christmas sweets is almonds.

These are some of the main delicacies you can try during the holidays:

Turrón - the king of Christmas sweets in Spain. There are endless variations from the traditional to the experimental. The oldest ones are: Turrón de Alicante or ‘duro’, with full or chopped almonds, and Turrón de Jijona or ‘blando’, with ground almonds.

Polvorón - it’s a baked mass made of flour, eggs, almonds, cinamon and sesame seeds. The name comes from polvo (dust), as it crumbles when you touch it.

Mazapán - you can have the Spanish marzipan all over the year, but it’s more usual to eat it in Christmas. it comes in big block or figurines. It has a cousin named mantecados.

Almendras rellenas - It’s a waffle in the shape of a big almond, stuffed with turrón blando.

Roscón de reyes - unmissable in every Spanish home for Día de Reyes (Epiphany Day). It’s a big cake with a donut shape. It’s decorated with sugar coated fruits. There is a small figurine in every one, that brings luck to the family member that finds it in his or her portion.

Come to Spain during the holiday season and you can satisfy your sweet tooth with some of the best seasonal foods in Spain!

Ready to come sample the best food in Spain?

As you can see, food is a very important part of Spanish culture. A way to socialize, celebrate and show love. And it should be an important part of your trip too.

Looking for more help designing the Spain travel gastronomic itinerary of your dreams? Want to try the best food in Spain, making every meal count and avoiding the tourist traps? Let us help you customize your dream Spain trip based on your unique interests and timeframe. 

No matter which level of service you choose, we can help make your trip to Spain special, ensuring that you get to eat all of the best food in Spain!

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