Gazpacho
Cold soup of tomatoes and vegetables.
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Seven regions, seven ways to eat Spain
From Andalusian gazpacho to Asturian cachopo, Spain can't be summed up in a single dish. Seven regions, thirty-five specialities: enough to build a culinary itinerary as precise as your sightseeing one.
Gazpacho, paella, pintxos, cochinillo ... every region has built its own grammar of flavour, often from just a handful of ingredients. Here, region by region, are the dishes to know before you order.
Andalusia
Andalusia
A southern cuisine built for the heat: cold soups, light fried fish and a ham that needs no sales pitch.
Salmorejo
A thicker variation with bread and hard-boiled egg.
Pescaíto frito
A delicate mix of fried fish.
Rabo de toro
Oxtail slow-cooked in red wine.
Jamón de Jabugo
Exceptional Bellota Ibérico ham.
Catalonia
Catalonia
Between everyday tomato-rubbed bread and Sunday's slow-cooked stew, Catalonia blends rustic simplicity with festive dishes.
Pa amb tomàquet
Bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil.
Calçots & sauce Romesco
Sweet onions grilled over an open fire.
Crema catalana
A custard dessert flavoured with cinnamon.
Suquet de peix
A traditional stew of fish and shellfish.
Escudella i carn d'olla
A hearty, all-in-one Catalan stew.
Valencian Community
Valencian Community
Rice is king here, running from the seaside classic (arroz a banda) to the dish the whole world copies without always getting right: real paella.
Paella Valenciana
The authentic version: chicken, rabbit and beans.
Arroz a banda
Rice cooked in fish stock.
Fideuà
Similar to paella, but made with vermicelli noodles.
Esgarraet
A salad of grilled red peppers and salt cod.
Horchata y Fartons
Tiger-nut milk with a sweet pastry for dipping.
Madrid
Madrid
The capital eats hearty and late: a stew substantial enough to last all day, a sandwich turned institution, and churros to round off the night.
Cocido madrileño
A hearty stew of chickpeas and meats.
Bocadillo de calamares
The famous fried squid sandwich.
Callos a la madrileña
Tripe stewed with chorizo and pimentón.
Huevos rotos
Runny eggs over home-style chips and ham.
Churros con chocolate
The essential sweet-treat stop.
Galicia
Galicia
A cuisine shaped by the ocean and the damp green land: octopus, seafood pies, and a dessert named after Europe's most famous pilgrimage.
Pulpo a la gallega
Boiled octopus with olive oil and paprika.
Empanada gallega
A pie filled with tuna, meat or seafood.
Pimientos de Padrón
Small sweet peppers, occasionally spicy.
Caldo gallego
A comforting broth with chard and pork belly.
Tarta de Santiago
A moist almond cake.
Basque Country
Basque Country
The country's most creative food scene plays out on a wooden skewer as much as in a pot of salt cod simmered with patience.
Pintxos
Creative bite-sized snacks on a wooden skewer.
Bacalao al pil-pil
Salt cod bound in a garlic and olive oil emulsion.
Marmitako
A stew of white tuna and potatoes.
Chuletón
A thick grilled beef rib, served rare.
Pastel Vasco
A traditional Basque custard cake.
Castile and León
Castile and León
The kingdom of the wood-fired roast: suckling pig, milk-fed lamb, and a ham that rivals Andalusia's without ever imitating it.
Cochinillo asado
Wood-fired roast suckling pig, meltingly tender.
Lechazo asado
Roast milk-fed lamb with crackling-crisp skin.
Sopa castellana
A comforting soup of garlic, bread and egg.
Morcilla de Burgos
A traditional blood sausage with an intense flavour, made with rice and onion.
Jamón de Guijuelo
A PDO Ibérico ham known for its delicate flavour.
Asturias
Asturias
A mountain cuisine, generous and unapologetic: white beans that fill you up, a blue cheese that makes no concessions, and a cordon bleu on an Asturian scale.
Fabada asturiana
A local bean stew made with large white beans.
Cachopo
Two large beef cordon bleus filled with cheese.
Pastel de cabracho
A soft scorpionfish terrine.
Queso de Cabrales
A powerful, artisanal blue cheese.
Casadielles
Fried pastries filled with walnuts and aniseed.
Continue the journey
Where to taste these specialities
Two destinations to put these dishes into practice.
About the author
Nadia Elgabu
Brand Content Manager
Travel has always been my passion. After living in Japan — an experience that changed how I see the world — I've kept a strong bond with Spain, my home country. The queen of insider tips, I share my perspective and advice on my favourite regions, with the honesty of someone who really knows the country. My goal: to give you authentic advice, straight up.
Full transparency: I used AI as an assistant to translate this page and save time. Don't worry though — the content has been reviewed and verified.
