20 typical Spanish dishes you must try!

Spanish cuisine is undoubtedly one of the richest and most varied in the world. Although their most famous dish is paella, there are many more foods and flavors to explore, and all of them are delicious.

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Spanish cuisine is part of the Mediterranean diet where healthy and diverse dishes are full of vegetables and, of course, olive oil. Let's discover some of them!

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If there is a dish that everybody outside of Spain knows, it is paella. Originally from the city of Valencia, the ingredients usually are rice, chicken or rabbit meat, different kinds of local beans, and tomato sauce. However, its recipe is an ongoing discussion depending on which part of Spain you are in.

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Depending on the region, you will be tasting different versions of this stew. Usually, you will have this meal divided into three courses: first the soup, then the chickpeas with the rest of the vegetables (carrots and potatoes), and finally, the meat with chorizo and other heavy-flavored meat products.

The preferred choice for the hottest months in Spain is these two types of cold tomato soups that are originally from the southern region of the country, Andalusia. Whilst Salmorejo is a mix of tomato, bread, garlic, and olive oil with a thicker consistency, the Gazpacho is just a cold soup made out of cucumber, pepper, tomato, and garlic.

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This is a very famous dish that comes from the northern region of Asturias. Its most famous characteristic is the big white beans that are used in the stew and are cooked with chorizo, black pudding, and Spanish bacon.

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This is another classic in Spanish lunch, drinks or dinner. This special omelet with potatoes has really simple ingredients, but the way you cook it is an eternal debate in Spanish society: With or without onions? More or less cooked? Either way, it's always delicious.

Although you can find this dish anywhere in Spain, it's more traditional in the central region of the country. For this simple but warming meal, you just have to slowly fry tomatoes, peppers, and any kind of vegetables you want to throw in.

This traditional Galician seafood dish is an absolute treat. The perfectly cooked octopus is usually served with paprika, salt, olive oil, and boiled potatoes.

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Although this is something you can find in other European countries, the special Spanish touch is mind-blowing. This bechamel dough that is fried in hot olive oil can be made with Spanish Iberic ham, chicken, or even cod.

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Migas — which literally means breadcrumbs — is a dish traditionally eaten by shepherds when they were moving their cattle. The recipe is simple: You just need breadcrumbs or stale bread soaked in milk mixed with chopped meat and vegetables. Then you have to stir it up together with water, paprika, and olive oil.

Fried potatoes are universal, but the Spanish spin deserves a try. You just cube up some potatoes and drizzle some spicy tomato sauce called "brava" and aioli on top. Simply amazing.

Potatoes are a must in almost every country in Europe and are very useful to use in stews. In this case, this potato dish comes from the Spanish region of La Rioja. It is served in a pot with chorizo and dried peppers.

To continue exploring the different potato dishes of Spanish cuisine, we need to travel to the Canary Islands. There, these small local potatoes are boiled with the skin and served with just salt and a typical Canary sauce made out of peppers, called "mojo".

This spicy olive oil-cooked cod is very typical of the Basque Country. The cod is slowly cooked in the garlic and chili oil and melts in your mouth when you eat it.

Image: Still from the RTVE show 'Cocina Abierta'.

In the Basque Country, they also serve this traditional stew made of cod, potatoes, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. It's a dish most commonly cooked on the northern coast of Spain.

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And going straight to the south shore of the country, we have fried fish. You will find a variety of sorts of fish that are coated with flour and then deep-fried in olive oil.

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Spain has some of the most delicious Iberic meat products that are usually used as an appetizer, on a sandwich, and in all sorts of dishes. But the one product that stands out among all of them is the Spanish Iberic ham which, depending on its origin, has different qualities and names.

This is a typical appetizer of Catalonian cuisine which consists of toasted bread with a tomato spread, olive oil, and salt (and even a bit of garlic). This meal is usually consumed as a breakfast and you can find it in every corner of Spain. It can also be enhanced with a bit of Spanish ham on top.

But don't get fooled, in Spain, you can also enjoy great meat: Cow, pig, rabbit, and lamb meat are part of many different recipes.

Desserts are great in Spain too. For example, while churros are a world-famous sweet dish, in Spain they offer them in different varieties and serve them with hot chocolate.

This dessert is mostly prepared at Easter, but because it is so good, people like to make it year-round. Torrijas are comparable to French toast, but different. Bread toasts are soaked in milk with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest and later dunked in eggs and fried in olive oil. To finish all off, just sprinkle more sugar and cinnamon on top.

Image: Valverde Redactor / Pixabay

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