Savouring Spain
food
I
squint at the menu in the low light of the restaurant at Hotel San Antonio el Real in Segovia, in central Spain. When I read the description of Cochinillo Asado, I know instantly what I’m having for dinner. The whole roast suckling pig is a Segovian specialty, and is cooked in a huge wood-fired oven. My plate arrives with a large
piece of pork shoulder, with a golden brown, crispy and flavourful skin, and as I sink my fork, the insides are soft and juicy. Segovia is less than 100 kilometres from the capital city of Madrid,
Pintxo are the Basque variation of tapas: a small snack served on bread
Tortilla de patatas is a popular Spanish breakfast
Vermouth is a wine traditionally drunk before breakfast in Spain
Jennifer Korich
Pepe Nieto
Prachi Joshi
but it seems like a world apart when it comes to food. The cuisine here is more rustic and hearty, and generously portioned. Apart from the roast pig, I also have a helping of Judiones de la Granja, a warming stew made with the large white butter beans available locally. And a large slice of Ponche Segoviano, a light sponge cake layered with cream and encased in marzipan (I am glad I am wearing stretchy pants!)
Savouring
Spain Go beyond the tapas and paella to discover regional Spanish cuisine. From Catalonia to Andalusia, the
Paella is a staple Sunday lunch in Valencia
Slicing Jamon Iberico (Iberian ham) is an art
guaranteed to delight any gourmand.
Pepe Nieto
Prachi Joshi
country’s gastronomic variety is
By Prachi Joshi Prachi Joshi
Sausages for sale
My mission is to eat my way around the sunny Iberian country, and my next stop is Valencia, home of the famed paella. NonSpaniards may consider paella a national dish of Spain, but it’s really a regional specialty from Valencia. And no other dish shows how great the Moorish influence has been on Spanish cuisine. The Moors were people of Berber and Arab descent from northwest Africa who reigned over the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th century till they were driven out in the late 15th century. They brought rice to Valencia, flavoured it with their favourite Arabic spice, saffron, and threw in
The bar at Quimet y Quimet in Barcelona sells hundreds of montaditos (food served on a slice of baguette) every evening
The Leela Magazine
Churros con chocolate make for a decadent breakfast in Madrid
| 48 | Spring 2017
the traditional version of paella contains rabbit and chicken, and the
Spanish Tourism Office
Prachi Joshi
wild game meat, especially rabbit and foraged snails. Even today, more well-known seafood paella is merely a nod to the bounty of the long Spanish coastline. Paella, named after the wide, shallow pan in which it’s prepared, is usually cooked for Sunday lunch, and almost always by the men in the family.
Spring 2017
| 49 | The Leela Magazine
Spanish Tourism Office
The Leela Magazine
Further south in the pretty, whitewashed, flower-festooned
usually eaten at a local bar. I promptly
Andalusian town of Córdoba, I get a taste of salmorejo, a variant of the
get on board with it, and order a grilled
more familiar gazpacho cold soup. Unlike gazpacho (which also contains
botifarra de perol sandwich, which is a
onions, bell peppers and other ingredients), salmorejo is a simple three-
typical Catalan pork sausage served in a
ingredient soup — just a cold puree of tomato, bread and garlic, with a bit
bread roll of sorts. I wash this down with a
of oil drizzled in. It’s thicker and creamier than gazpacho, because of the
glass of cava, the Spanish sparkling wine
bread; and minus the distractions of other ingredients you can actually
made from grapes grown in Catalonia.
taste the sweetness of the tomato cut by the sharp garlic.
There are no pretensions attached to
In an evening spent trawling the bars of Madrid, I get my first taste of
cava, unlike Champagne, and I have
Spain’s famed jamón ibérico on a food tour with Devour Madrid. Taberna
seen the Spaniards drink it at all times,
Real (Plaza de Isabel II, 8) is a small, family-run bar set in a place that was
including at breakfast! Another filling
used by the Royal Palace for culinary tasks that couldn’t be performed
breakfast option for la merienda is the
inside the palace. As I eat the thinly sliced, deep red, cured ham and take
tortilla espanõla or the Spanish omelette,
in its rich, savoury taste, my guide Luke tells me about jamón ibérico,
a thick, almost cake-like omelette made
which comes from the black Iberian pigs, which are native to inland Spain.
with eggs and potatoes.
The pigs are fed barley and maize, and later allowed to roam free in the
If you want to drink like a local, get
woods, where they graze on herbs and grass and acorns. The acorns give
a glass of vermouth, the fortified wine
the ham its characteristic earthy, nutty taste. The ham is cured for at least
flavoured with herbs, spices, roots, etc.
one year, though sometimes the curing time could be as much as four
Every bar makes it differently, and at 1
years. And, like it is with wine, the longer the curing, the better the taste.
The whole roast suckling pig is the piece de resistance at the dinner table in Segovia
The 100-year-old Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid houses tapas bars, and stalls selling cured meats, cheese, and other gourmet delights
p.m. or la hora del vermut (the vermouth hour), I find myself in Bodega C’al
in the northern Basque Country of Spain is a true gastronomic delight,
Another city, another food tour — this time with Devour Barcelona,
Pep (Carrer Verdi, 141) in Gràcia for a taste of the aperitif. The old-school
boasting of Michelin star restaurants and humble bars — all of which serve
exploring the bustling, former Catalan village of Gràcia, now a district of
bodega is packed with locals, including a large group of particularly
some of the best cuisine in Spain. I spend my time pintxo-hopping in San
Barcelona. Gràcia still retains its community feel, and is dotted with family-
argumentative senior citizens who are apparently regulars here. Rafa, the
Sebastián (yes, it’s a thing). Pintxo (pronounced pin-cho) are the Basque
run eateries and shops. At Can Tosca (Torrent de l’Olla, 77), I’m initiated
owner, brings us small shot glasses filled to the brim with the dark red
variation of tapas, a small snack served on bread, and usually skewered
into the Spanish ritual of a second breakfast. It’s 10 a.m., and I’m a bit
drink; it’s sweet, spicy and a bit heady, and goes perfectly with the fuet
with a toothpick (hence the name pintxo, which literally means a thorn
surprised to see that all the tables are occupied. My guide Renee tells me
(thin pork sausage cured in pork gut) and the pickled anchovies.
or spike). San Sebastián’s Parte Vieja or old town is a maze of cobbled
that most Spaniards eat a light coffee-and-toast breakfast at home, and
After spending two weeks travelling around Spain, if you’d ask me
alleys where I find myself at mealtimes, moving from bar to bar, taking my
then meet friends or colleagues for la merienda — the second breakfast
for foodie pick, it would undoubtedly be San Sebastián. This coastal city
pick from a dazzling array of pintxos — anchovies, sardines, lobster rolls,
| 50 | Spring 2017
Spanish Tourism Office
While the traditional paella is made with rabbit and chicken, seafood paella has also become very common in Spain
Spanish Tourism Office
In Segovia, the suckling pig is slowly cooked in a wood-fired oven
Spanish Tourism Office
Spanish Tourism Office
An evening with friends at a tapas bar is de rigueur in Spain
Spring 2017
| 51 | The Leela Magazine
The must-dos Top restaurants and bars • Quimet y Quimet (Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, Barcelona). This standing-room only bar serves some of the best montaditos (small open sandwiches) in the city. Try the salmon and Greek yoghurt topping, generously drizzled with truffle honey, or the sweet red pepper, Brie and artichoke topping. • Bodega Cala del Vermut (Carrer de les Magdalenes, 6, Barcelona). A tiny bar in the back alleys of the Gothic Quarter that serves its own brewed sweet and spicy vermouth on tap. Spanish Tourism Office
• La Casa del Abuelo (Calle de la Victoria, 12, Madrid). A lively bar serving fabulous gambas al ajillo (freshly fried garlic and chilli shrimp). • El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 40, Seville). The oldest bar in Seville (dating back to 1670), for the sheer atmosphere and a glass of cold Cruzocampo Glacial beer. • Bar Txepetxa (C/ Pescaderia, 5, San Sebastian). For a taste of txakoli, the Basque dry, sparkling white wine, and a variety of anchovy pintxos. • Bar Zeruko (Arrandegi Kalea, 10, San Sebastian). For some avant-garde, experimental pintxos like rosa de bogavante (lobster served over a smoking shot of rosewater).
Markets • The historic La Boqueria, just off La Rambla in Barcelona, is a foodie’s delight, though its raging popularity means you will be Spanish Tourism Office
jostling tourists and their selfie sticks. Instead rub shoulders with the locals at the intimate community market L’Abaceria Central in the Gràcia district. It’s smaller and less atmospheric than La Boqueria, but the quality of produce is unmatched. • Madrid’s covered 100-year-old Mercado de San Miguel is also very touristy; instead head to the smaller, neighbourhood markets called vecinos. Both the Mercado de San Fernando in the city centre and Mercado de Antón Martin in Lavapiés are
(From Top) A food tour in Madrid is a great way of experiencing the city’s buzzing tapas bars; La Boqueria is a historic public market in Barcelona, chock-full of local produce (and tourists)
worth a visit. Pro tip: Hit the markets early in the morning to get the best out of
stuffed sweet red peppers, croquettes and more, all washed down with
them; avoid the afternoons when many stalls may be closed for lunch
local beer or a young white wine called txakoli.
followed by siesta.
On my last day in Spain, I make my way to Chocolatería San Ginés (Pasadizo San Ginés, 5) in Madrid for one last chocolate con churros.
Food Walks
This 24-hour chocolaterie dates back to 1894, and in its green panelled
A food trail with Devour Spain is a great way of experiencing
environs, you can find some of the lightest churros — deep-fried, crispy
authentic Spanish food in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Malaga.
long ‘doughnuts’ served with a decadently thick and dark hot chocolate.
Details at devourspain.com
I break off a churro, dunk it into the chocolate, and enjoy its sweet-salty flavours — lingering over it the way the Spaniards do, slowly savouring each bite.
The Leela Magazine
| 52 | Spring 2017
I
squint at the menu in the low light of the restaurant at Hotel San Antonio el Real in Segovia, in central Spain. When I read the description of Cochinillo Asado, I know instantly what I’m having for dinner. The whole roast suckling pig is a Segovian specialty, and is cooked in a huge wood-fired oven. My plate arrives with a large
piece of pork shoulder, with a golden brown, crispy and flavourful skin, and as I sink my fork, the insides are soft and juicy. Segovia is less than 100 kilometres from the capital city of Madrid,
Pintxo are the Basque variation of tapas: a small snack served on bread
Tortilla de patatas is a popular Spanish breakfast
Vermouth is a wine traditionally drunk before breakfast in Spain
Jennifer Korich
Pepe Nieto
Prachi Joshi
but it seems like a world apart when it comes to food. The cuisine here is more rustic and hearty, and generously portioned. Apart from the roast pig, I also have a helping of Judiones de la Granja, a warming stew made with the large white butter beans available locally. And a large slice of Ponche Segoviano, a light sponge cake layered with cream and encased in marzipan (I am glad I am wearing stretchy pants!)
Savouring
Spain Go beyond the tapas and paella to discover regional Spanish cuisine. From Catalonia to Andalusia, the
Paella is a staple Sunday lunch in Valencia
Slicing Jamon Iberico (Iberian ham) is an art
guaranteed to delight any gourmand.
Pepe Nieto
Prachi Joshi
country’s gastronomic variety is
By Prachi Joshi Prachi Joshi
Sausages for sale
My mission is to eat my way around the sunny Iberian country, and my next stop is Valencia, home of the famed paella. NonSpaniards may consider paella a national dish of Spain, but it’s really a regional specialty from Valencia. And no other dish shows how great the Moorish influence has been on Spanish cuisine. The Moors were people of Berber and Arab descent from northwest Africa who reigned over the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th century till they were driven out in the late 15th century. They brought rice to Valencia, flavoured it with their favourite Arabic spice, saffron, and threw in
The bar at Quimet y Quimet in Barcelona sells hundreds of montaditos (food served on a slice of baguette) every evening
The Leela Magazine
Churros con chocolate make for a decadent breakfast in Madrid
| 48 | Spring 2017
the traditional version of paella contains rabbit and chicken, and the
Spanish Tourism Office
Prachi Joshi
wild game meat, especially rabbit and foraged snails. Even today, more well-known seafood paella is merely a nod to the bounty of the long Spanish coastline. Paella, named after the wide, shallow pan in which it’s prepared, is usually cooked for Sunday lunch, and almost always by the men in the family.
Spring 2017
| 49 | The Leela Magazine
Spanish Tourism Office
The Leela Magazine
Further south in the pretty, whitewashed, flower-festooned
usually eaten at a local bar. I promptly
Andalusian town of Córdoba, I get a taste of salmorejo, a variant of the
get on board with it, and order a grilled
more familiar gazpacho cold soup. Unlike gazpacho (which also contains
botifarra de perol sandwich, which is a
onions, bell peppers and other ingredients), salmorejo is a simple three-
typical Catalan pork sausage served in a
ingredient soup — just a cold puree of tomato, bread and garlic, with a bit
bread roll of sorts. I wash this down with a
of oil drizzled in. It’s thicker and creamier than gazpacho, because of the
glass of cava, the Spanish sparkling wine
bread; and minus the distractions of other ingredients you can actually
made from grapes grown in Catalonia.
taste the sweetness of the tomato cut by the sharp garlic.
There are no pretensions attached to
In an evening spent trawling the bars of Madrid, I get my first taste of
cava, unlike Champagne, and I have
Spain’s famed jamón ibérico on a food tour with Devour Madrid. Taberna
seen the Spaniards drink it at all times,
Real (Plaza de Isabel II, 8) is a small, family-run bar set in a place that was
including at breakfast! Another filling
used by the Royal Palace for culinary tasks that couldn’t be performed
breakfast option for la merienda is the
inside the palace. As I eat the thinly sliced, deep red, cured ham and take
tortilla espanõla or the Spanish omelette,
in its rich, savoury taste, my guide Luke tells me about jamón ibérico,
a thick, almost cake-like omelette made
which comes from the black Iberian pigs, which are native to inland Spain.
with eggs and potatoes.
The pigs are fed barley and maize, and later allowed to roam free in the
If you want to drink like a local, get
woods, where they graze on herbs and grass and acorns. The acorns give
a glass of vermouth, the fortified wine
the ham its characteristic earthy, nutty taste. The ham is cured for at least
flavoured with herbs, spices, roots, etc.
one year, though sometimes the curing time could be as much as four
Every bar makes it differently, and at 1
years. And, like it is with wine, the longer the curing, the better the taste.
The whole roast suckling pig is the piece de resistance at the dinner table in Segovia
The 100-year-old Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid houses tapas bars, and stalls selling cured meats, cheese, and other gourmet delights
p.m. or la hora del vermut (the vermouth hour), I find myself in Bodega C’al
in the northern Basque Country of Spain is a true gastronomic delight,
Another city, another food tour — this time with Devour Barcelona,
Pep (Carrer Verdi, 141) in Gràcia for a taste of the aperitif. The old-school
boasting of Michelin star restaurants and humble bars — all of which serve
exploring the bustling, former Catalan village of Gràcia, now a district of
bodega is packed with locals, including a large group of particularly
some of the best cuisine in Spain. I spend my time pintxo-hopping in San
Barcelona. Gràcia still retains its community feel, and is dotted with family-
argumentative senior citizens who are apparently regulars here. Rafa, the
Sebastián (yes, it’s a thing). Pintxo (pronounced pin-cho) are the Basque
run eateries and shops. At Can Tosca (Torrent de l’Olla, 77), I’m initiated
owner, brings us small shot glasses filled to the brim with the dark red
variation of tapas, a small snack served on bread, and usually skewered
into the Spanish ritual of a second breakfast. It’s 10 a.m., and I’m a bit
drink; it’s sweet, spicy and a bit heady, and goes perfectly with the fuet
with a toothpick (hence the name pintxo, which literally means a thorn
surprised to see that all the tables are occupied. My guide Renee tells me
(thin pork sausage cured in pork gut) and the pickled anchovies.
or spike). San Sebastián’s Parte Vieja or old town is a maze of cobbled
that most Spaniards eat a light coffee-and-toast breakfast at home, and
After spending two weeks travelling around Spain, if you’d ask me
alleys where I find myself at mealtimes, moving from bar to bar, taking my
then meet friends or colleagues for la merienda — the second breakfast
for foodie pick, it would undoubtedly be San Sebastián. This coastal city
pick from a dazzling array of pintxos — anchovies, sardines, lobster rolls,
| 50 | Spring 2017
Spanish Tourism Office
While the traditional paella is made with rabbit and chicken, seafood paella has also become very common in Spain
Spanish Tourism Office
In Segovia, the suckling pig is slowly cooked in a wood-fired oven
Spanish Tourism Office
Spanish Tourism Office
An evening with friends at a tapas bar is de rigueur in Spain
Spring 2017
| 51 | The Leela Magazine
The must-dos Top restaurants and bars • Quimet y Quimet (Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, Barcelona). This standing-room only bar serves some of the best montaditos (small open sandwiches) in the city. Try the salmon and Greek yoghurt topping, generously drizzled with truffle honey, or the sweet red pepper, Brie and artichoke topping. • Bodega Cala del Vermut (Carrer de les Magdalenes, 6, Barcelona). A tiny bar in the back alleys of the Gothic Quarter that serves its own brewed sweet and spicy vermouth on tap. Spanish Tourism Office
• La Casa del Abuelo (Calle de la Victoria, 12, Madrid). A lively bar serving fabulous gambas al ajillo (freshly fried garlic and chilli shrimp). • El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 40, Seville). The oldest bar in Seville (dating back to 1670), for the sheer atmosphere and a glass of cold Cruzocampo Glacial beer. • Bar Txepetxa (C/ Pescaderia, 5, San Sebastian). For a taste of txakoli, the Basque dry, sparkling white wine, and a variety of anchovy pintxos. • Bar Zeruko (Arrandegi Kalea, 10, San Sebastian). For some avant-garde, experimental pintxos like rosa de bogavante (lobster served over a smoking shot of rosewater).
Markets • The historic La Boqueria, just off La Rambla in Barcelona, is a foodie’s delight, though its raging popularity means you will be Spanish Tourism Office
jostling tourists and their selfie sticks. Instead rub shoulders with the locals at the intimate community market L’Abaceria Central in the Gràcia district. It’s smaller and less atmospheric than La Boqueria, but the quality of produce is unmatched. • Madrid’s covered 100-year-old Mercado de San Miguel is also very touristy; instead head to the smaller, neighbourhood markets called vecinos. Both the Mercado de San Fernando in the city centre and Mercado de Antón Martin in Lavapiés are
(From Top) A food tour in Madrid is a great way of experiencing the city’s buzzing tapas bars; La Boqueria is a historic public market in Barcelona, chock-full of local produce (and tourists)
worth a visit. Pro tip: Hit the markets early in the morning to get the best out of
stuffed sweet red peppers, croquettes and more, all washed down with
them; avoid the afternoons when many stalls may be closed for lunch
local beer or a young white wine called txakoli.
followed by siesta.
On my last day in Spain, I make my way to Chocolatería San Ginés (Pasadizo San Ginés, 5) in Madrid for one last chocolate con churros.
Food Walks
This 24-hour chocolaterie dates back to 1894, and in its green panelled
A food trail with Devour Spain is a great way of experiencing
environs, you can find some of the lightest churros — deep-fried, crispy
authentic Spanish food in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Malaga.
long ‘doughnuts’ served with a decadently thick and dark hot chocolate.
Details at devourspain.com
I break off a churro, dunk it into the chocolate, and enjoy its sweet-salty flavours — lingering over it the way the Spaniards do, slowly savouring each bite.
The Leela Magazine
| 52 | Spring 2017
