Most authentic Spanish recipes per region - The ultimate Spanish Food tour - The Solivagant Soul (2024)

If there is something that is exceptional in Spain is Spanish food. When you are abroad and people talk about Spanish food there are mostly two topics discussed: Tapas and Paella. Truth be told, that is not even the top of the iceberg. It is more like the fly on top of the iceberg. In this post you will learn about the best and most authentic Spanish recipes per region.

Friends who have been living in Spain have come back and told me how amazingly diverse our culture is. Not only in terms of food but of character. And that is because we Catalans are very different from people from Andalusia, and natives of Madrid are very different from Galicians. This translates in very different cultures living together, each one of them providing their special touch and point of view. Although currently this is also cause of some political friction, the reality is that it is also one of the reasons why Spanish food is so good. We retain our individuality while improving with the others. To be honest, maybe we should consider to expand our love for our gastronomy to politics. Everybody would be happier.

In any case, here you have the best food in Spain, separated per region so that you can create your own food-itinerary.
Disclosure: Typical Spanish food is not for you if you are vegan or vegetarian.
Disclosure 2: Sorry for the VERY long post!

Food in Catalonia

We are starting with Catalonia not because it is my home region (that’s a lie), but because it does have some of the best Spanish food (ok, yeah this is true). The most typical food in Catalonia, would be Pa amb tomaquet. And it is actually one of the most authentic Spanish recipes while being very simple. It is mostly bread rubbed with tomato covered by some drops of high-quality olive oil and salt. Ideally, the bread will be toasted and the olive oil strong. And if you want to take it up a notch, you can rub some garlic before starting with the tomato. Funny thing about “pa amb tomaquet” is that it literally translates as bread with tomato. For a while, outside of Catalonia, asking for this would end up with a piece of bread and slices of tomato. Interestingly, in the last few years, this has changed. Our fantastic “pa amb tomaquet” has finally crossed borders!

Something else we are proficient at doing are cured sausages. Far from the coast, in the area right before the Pyrenees, there is a hidden gem. You can call it Ripoll, or Camprodon, or everything in between. All around this area there are many different small producers that make some fantastic sausages. even though they are all real and authentic Spanish recipes, each one of them is unique. Look for “fuets”, “secayona” or “llonganisses”. These are small variations of the same thing but with very distinctive taste. They are awesome. Period.

Food in Comunitat Valenciana

Everybody knows what is the Spanish food by excellence. Or don’t you? Yes, you are right that would be paella, of course. And before start, let’s get something clear. Paella is not pronounced as pae-la but pae-yeah. That said, this amazing dish is rice based and it can have seafood, rabbit or chicken or a little of everything. Don’t get it confused with risotto. Where a risotto is creamy, a good paella must have separate rice grains, while not being dry. It is a delicate combination, but awesome when made right. And if you ask any Spaniard where to find the best paella, we will all answer the same: at our mother’s house!

Food in Balearic Islands

In these islands you can find some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. I visited most of them while I was on a boat cruise a few years ago, and I could go back there many more times. In fact, I have visited these islands more than five times. In addition to these beaches, they also have amazing food.

I could write pages about their cheeses, one of my obsessions, but because I want to write a whole post on the Spanish cheeses, I decided to focus on sobrasada. This type of Spanish food is a bit complicated to describe. Imagine a chorizo, but one you can spread. It has this rich flavor and nice texture. Usually, it is consumed with bread and you can roast it. It has a high content of fat and when you warm it up it partially melts. Simply ambrosia. The best type is the one made out of “black pork”, a type of pork original from these islands. There is also more on sobrasada on this post that I dedicated to it. You see there the level of my devotion.

Another thing extremely popular in the Balearic Islands are Ensaimadas. This is one of the most authentic Spanish recipes featuring sugar while not being a desert. This type of sweets are flat dishes of very fluffed pastry covered with powdered sugar. And they are also prepared with pork fat. Yes, there is a common theme in our food.

Food in Andalusia

This region is one of the richest regarding Spanish food. There are amazing fresh soups like gazpacho, salmorejo or ajoblanco. Or fried fish and seafood. And there are also some of the most amazing and huge prawns of the world. While gazpacho and salmorejo are both tomato based, their taste is pretty different. Where gazpacho tastes of fresh pepper and onion, salmorejo retains the tomato taste and hints of olive oil. I think both are really authentical Spanish recipes but each one has its uniqueness. Also, gazpacho is usually eaten with chunks of crudites while salmorejo is enjoyed with pieces of ham and boild egg. Something completely different is Ajoblanco. This is an almond based cold soup with touches of garlic. Hence the “ajo” part. It is really good and usually enjoyed with white grapes.

Another amazing food of this region is the fritanga. It includes seafood lightly battered and deepfried. Often served with lemon. It is so, so good. And also typical are huge prawns. To be honest, going to Andalusia it is impossible not to enjoy an outstanding food experience.

Food in Extremadura

This is an often-overseen region in Spain. It is one of the poorest but it houses the best pigs in the country. Some of these are only fed acorns since the day they are born. And that makes up for the best and most expensive ham in the world. Jamón iberico de bellota. Translates as Iberic ham of acorn. I know most people say they have tried Spanish ham. Believe me, this is no ordinary ham. You can pay more than 100€ a kilo. But it is so very worth it… If you ever come across it, splurge on it.

Another very interesting Spanish food from this region is a Torta del Casar. This is a type of cheese (yes I know it is a recurrent topic) that it is often warmed up in the oven for a little bit. Then, the top of it is cut off and a completely molten center can be enjoyed. It has a stronger flavor than a normal fondue and it is one of the lesser known Spanish delicatessen.

Food in Castilla la Mancha

The most well-known food of Castilla la Mancha is by far the Manchego. This type of cheese is a cured, hard and salty cheese that is considered one of the best cheeses in the world. There are many different types of manchegos, but if you ask me, they are all awesome.

Another type of Spanish food not that well known and typical from Castilla la Mancha are migas. This word actually translates as “breadcrumbs”. Curiously, this may be one of the oldes and most authentic spanish recipes out there. Even though breadcrumbs are part of their ingredients, pork fat (yes, again) and chorizo are just some others. It is a popular dish famous because, like most of the previous, they were made out of leftovers, and so, available for the poorest part of the population centuries ago.

Food in Canary Islands

I will just comment that there are some types of cheese that are unique from this region. Moving on, there is a typical dish in the Canary islands that it is fantastic: Pollo canario con papas arrugas y mojo. Now, there are three typical dishes in this sentence alone.

Starting with the “pollo canario”. This is a type of chicken that is native from the islands and has a very specific taste. Along with it are the papas arrugas. This translates as wrinkled potatoes. They are normal potatoes but prepared in a very specific way that wrinkles their skin (I cannot give you the how, because I do not know it). Finally, the last interesting part about this dish is the Mojo. This is a type of pepper-based sauce with other spices that can be red (red pepper), green (you know from which type of pepper). Perfect complement to the chicken and the potatoes.

Food in Madrid

The capital of the country has many hearty dishes. A very typical one are callos. This is a stew made with the intestins of the pork. And cooked to the condensation of flavour reaches amazing levels. A similar dish is the famous Cocido madrileño. With chickpeas and plenty of cooked meats, it is the definition of a homey dish and without a doubt one of the most authentic spanish recipes out there!

For some reason that a local will be able to explain better than me… a very typical dish from Madrid is a deep-fried squid sandwitch. I have heard that it is quite unique and nice, but I have never tried. I only go through Madrid to get the airport and I have never had the chance to try this. It is on my list though.

Another typical Spanish food especially good in Madrid, are Churros. It is yet another example of food that has crossed borders. The most typical thing you can do after a night out is going with friends to get some churros with hot chocolate for breakfast. Just delicious. If you want to try and to them yourself, here you have one of the many authentic spanish recipes for this treat.

Food in Castilla y Leon

Ok there are many fantastic dishes from this region. Part of my family comes from here and I know this cuisine from a privileged perspective. Even though their chorizos are fantastic, two things are exceptional. The first one being cecina and the second one being botillo. Cecina is a type of cured meat that resembles iberic ham… but that it is made out of beef. It is similar to the american version of dry beef but it tastes more like meat. Botillo, on the other hand, is this pork stomach filled with small pieces of pork very seasoned. It is usually boiled with cabbage and potatoes. It has many bones inside, small ones, and bigger ones. And it is common to find the pig’s tail in it too. It is quite unique!

Another very typical dish of the region is Cochinillo al horno… I think this could translate as roasted piglet? Traditionally its skin has to be so crispy that you can cut the whole thing using a plate. And then you have to throw the plate. It is a very curious tradition! Yes, I know it sounds weird, but there are even videos demonstrating the whole thing.

Food in Galicia

For some other Spanish food experts… Botillo is also typical from Galicia. It is quite similar to the one in Castilla y Leon, but it is nice anyways. In this region, they also have some of the best beef in the country. It is our small Argentina. But to be honest this is not the best part of the region. That would be their seafood.

Galicia has the best seafood in Spain and it is ridiculously cheap. It is possible to prepare with them from the most authentic Spanish recipes to the most modern ones. Also, you can eat there until you drop and die happy. They have very nice crabs (centollos), and some specialties that are mostly unique to the region (such as percebes).

Food in Asturias

Within Spain, one the most authentic Spanish recipes may be, after paella, Fabada Asturiana. This dish is a type of stew with beans, chorizo and pieces of pork. Cooked for hours, it is a very heavy and rich dish. Traditionally, grandmas are the experts in this type of dish.

Food in Euskadi or Basque country

Euskadi, or the Basque Country is famous for their pintxos. These are what everyone else in the world know as tapas. Even though they are not the most authentic Spanish recipes, they allow people to be as original as they can. In general, they are a range of one-or-maybe-two bites that can have anything you can imagine. They can range from exquisite and exclusive caviar and gold leaves to fried chorizo in an omelet. Obviously the most common are the latter. But do not get me wrong, day to day produce doesn’t make for boring pintxos, they are as awesome.

Food in La Rioja

I mean, Rioja wine… Should I say anything else?

What do you think is the best Spanish Food ? and the most authentic Spanish recipes?

Have you ever been to Spain? Did you try something else that I have forgotten about??

Because this post is already massive, I will try to make smaller subposts about specific regions to give you more details and cover the regions I have not mentioned!