Spanish Dishes
A. Gazpacho: This zesty, chilled tomato soup has claimed space in supermarkets and on menus around the world, but few compare to refreshing Spanish gazpacho made with full-flavoured Spanish tomatoes. Usually eaten as an appetizer - and sometimes drunken straight from a bowl or glass - this thick soup is made from blending a whole heap of fresh tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onions, vinegar and herbs. It’s the perfect Spanish food for summer, as well as a low calorie and healthy dish. Salmorejo is a very similar Andalucian version combining pureed bread, tomatoes, garlic and vinegar - also served cold and sometimes varied with a bit of ham or egg slices on top.
B. Paella: This rice-based dish is well known internationally, although in Valencia you will find many authentic variations that equally vie for attention. They claim you can eat a different version of this dish every day of the year, but let’s stick with the most traditional version for now. Ingredients for paella Valenciana include chicken or rabbit, saffron, runner beans and butter beans. But the all-important element is the rice, ideally the bomba or calasaparra varieties grown on Spain’s east coast, which are particularly good for absorbing all the flavours. The most traditional Valencian paella is a mixture of chicken or rabbit, but seafood is also common, where you can find an array of seafood suprises among the flavoursome rice, such as calamari, mussels, clams, prawns, scampi or fish, depending on the type you order. For the adventurous, a black rice stained by octopus ink is a must try (arroz Negro), and if you find paella with less common ingredients such as eel (anguila) or duck (pato), don’t miss the rare chance.
C. The Spanish Omelette: Eggs, potatoes, and onions. That’s it, and some purists even consider that adding onion is a gastronomic crime of the highest order. The Spanish omelette is so much more than the sum of its parts, and everyone has an opinion on how to cook it. The potatoes and onions are slow fried in olive oil then mixed with the beaten eggs for the flavours to mix before cooking. It’s a great starter for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and no doubt you’ll come across many Spanish potato omelettes during your time in Spain. The best ones come from slow-cooking caramalised onion and potato in olive oil, which later creates a soft-sweet centre once egg is added and it is cooked into a thick omelette, almost like a cake.
D. Patatas Bravas: Whilst the Spanish are keen on spices, they’re not so hot for spicy food. One of the few exceptions to the rule is the nationwide favourite, patatas bravas. Here a fiery red sauce, varying in composition from province to province, accompanies humble spuds which have been peeled, cubed, and fried. Perhaps the most ubiquitous of tapas, patatas bravas vary quite a bit around the country, but all versions involve chunks of fried potato. In Madrid, bravas sauce is made with sweet and spicy pimenton, which is Spanish paprika, olive oil, flour and stock, but never tomatoes. Some people add garlic, some a dash of fino sherry, while others selfishly insist of keeping their secret ingredients to themselves.
1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. A Explanation to be done.