Spanish Cuisine
Spanish Cuisine
Introduction
Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe and is the third largest country in Europe. It boarders the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, it also has various mountainous regions. Spanish cooking differs from region to region and their traditional recipes have been handed down through generations, the cooking has been deceptively simple with huge variety due to their use of home grown ingredients. (Ham, 2014).For this assignment I will explore Spanish Cuisine. In order for me to investigate and evaluate Spanish cuisine my plan is to cook a popular two course Spanish meal.
The dishes chosen are – Spanish Tortilla and Chorizo and tomato salad.
Key features
Spain is divided by regions Galicia, the Basque country, Valencia, Andalucía and Cataluña each region brings to the table their own distinctive culinary tradition and immense variety of Spanish food recipes. In Spain the Olive is used as a prime ingredient renowned for its individual taste. Garlic, sweet and hot peppers, meat poultry, game and fish are important ingredients in most Spanish dishes. Paella a national dish of Spain mainly consists of rice, saffron and different variations of fish and meats making it a Spanish favourite. Tapas are a wide variety of appetisers and snacks and can encompass simple dishes of cheese and olives to elaborate dishes of hot potatoes-meat- fish- savoury pastries all served with various dips to accompany and add flavour.
Historical Influences
Spanish cuisine is influenced by the Greek, Roman, Phoenician and Moorish settlements. Each region of Spain had added its own variations to what these cultures have brought. In the 19th Century due to transport difficulties with importing and exporting goods the mountainous and coastal regions dictated their own variation on ingredients used in recipes. Due to vast cultures that influenced Spanish cooking this has given the cuisine its distinctive elements of
Introduction
Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe and is the third largest country in Europe. It boarders the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, it also has various mountainous regions. Spanish cooking differs from region to region and their traditional recipes have been handed down through generations, the cooking has been deceptively simple with huge variety due to their use of home grown ingredients. (Ham, 2014).For this assignment I will explore Spanish Cuisine. In order for me to investigate and evaluate Spanish cuisine my plan is to cook a popular two course Spanish meal.
The dishes chosen are – Spanish Tortilla and Chorizo and tomato salad.
Key features
Spain is divided by regions Galicia, the Basque country, Valencia, Andalucía and Cataluña each region brings to the table their own distinctive culinary tradition and immense variety of Spanish food recipes. In Spain the Olive is used as a prime ingredient renowned for its individual taste. Garlic, sweet and hot peppers, meat poultry, game and fish are important ingredients in most Spanish dishes. Paella a national dish of Spain mainly consists of rice, saffron and different variations of fish and meats making it a Spanish favourite. Tapas are a wide variety of appetisers and snacks and can encompass simple dishes of cheese and olives to elaborate dishes of hot potatoes-meat- fish- savoury pastries all served with various dips to accompany and add flavour.
Historical Influences
Spanish cuisine is influenced by the Greek, Roman, Phoenician and Moorish settlements. Each region of Spain had added its own variations to what these cultures have brought. In the 19th Century due to transport difficulties with importing and exporting goods the mountainous and coastal regions dictated their own variation on ingredients used in recipes. Due to vast cultures that influenced Spanish cooking this has given the cuisine its distinctive elements of
Bibliography: Capalbo, C., 1997. Mediterranean Cooking. Cambridge: Le Creuset UK Limited . Enforex, 1989-2014. History of Spanish food. [Online] Available at: http://www.enforex.com/culture/history-spanish-food.html [Accessed 07 October 2014]. Ham, A., 2014. Spain- Lonely Planet. [Online] Available at: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain [Accessed 07 October 2014]. Sierra, L. a. T., 2014. About Food. [Online] Available at: http://spanishfood.about.com/od/cookingtipsandbasics/a/cookmethodsmeat.htm [Accessed 07 October 2014].