Food and travel: the best regional dishes from Spain

The variety of Spanish cuisine

Spain has one of the most varied cuisines in the world, and just like the landscape of the country - from the verdant north to the arid south - each region has something distinctive to offer. Here are the top mouth-watering dishes served in 12 dominant regions. Buen Provecho!

Andalucia - Gazpacho

Originating in Andalucia but popular all over the country, Gazpacho is a blended raw vegetable soup, always served chilled during the hot summer months.

Aragon - Ternasco

One of the jewels of Spanish cuisine, Ternasco is smoothly textured lamb with soft fat, marinated in red wine, and slowly roasted for maximum flavour.

Photo: Natalia Gusakova / Unsplash

Asturias - Fabada

Fabada, the warming signature dish of Asturias, is a rich butter bean stew, often served with morcilla, and designed to stave off the cold.

Balearic Islands - Sobrassada

Found all over the Balearic Islands but particular to Majorca, Sobrassada is a soft, spreadable chorizo, packed with paprika and bursting with flavour.

Basque Country - Changurro

Changurro is the meat of the European Spider crab. A delicacy of sorts, this well-flavoured crustacean is a staple of Basque cuisine.

Photo: Mael Balland / Unsplash

Canary Islands - Ropa Vieja

Ropa Viejo translates as ‘dirty clothes’ but don’t let that put you off. Popular across the Canary Islands, this simple Latin dish is a flank beef and tomato stew with a sofrito base.

Photo: Senuscape / Pexels

Catalonia - Calçots

Traditionally grown around the city of Valls in Tarragona, Catalonia, Calçots are a type of green slender onion with a special designated status. Sweet, nutty, and truly unique, only calçots from this region can be considered ‘true’.

Madrid - Cocido

Cocido Madrilena is Spain’s ultimate comfort food. Simple but effective, several types of meat are stewed with winter vegetables - garbanzo beans, potatoes - then set aside to cool. The strained broth, mixed with vermicelli noodles, cleverly provides the first course too.

Galicia - Pulpo Gallego

A popular tapa all over Spain, this moreish dish of chopped, boiled octopus served with potatoes, olive oil, and sweet paprika originates from the northwestern shores of Galicia.

Photo: Mecej Gerszewski / Unsplash

Navarra - Menestra de Verduras

A classic Spanish dish often served in La Rioja and Navarra, Menestra de Verduras is a panache of seasonal vegetables and Jamon Iberico, cooked in stock and served with battered vegetables.

Photo: Jacobo Maiarelli / Unsplash

Valencia - Paella

Perhaps the dish that most typifies Spain, Paella is a rice-based people pleaser that originates from Valencia but transcends being a regional specialty. Whether made with seafood or rabbit (never chicken and chorizo!) it’s a communal experience, where every grain gets scraped from the pan.

Photo: Armando Brenlha/Unsplash