Foods to Eat in Italy - Venice

- Mołéche -

Mołéche are Venetian soft-shell crabs and are popular as a Cicchetti, starter or as part of a larger dish. These are made using small green crabs that call the Venetian lagoon their home and are a seasonal dish as they are only available in the Spring. 

This is because they shed their shells only in Spring and speed is of the essence as within a few hours, the carapace hardens again after contact with the water. So the skill lies in identifying ones that are about to molt and indeed, this is not a easy job as there is an entire career (specialized fishermen known as Mołécanti) revolving around the identification and catching of these crabs.

Foods to Eat in Italy - Venice

- Risi e Bisi -

Risi e Bisi is a rice based Primo Piatto, or starter, which is commonly found in Venetian Trattorias (as well as the surrounding areas of Vicenza and Verona). While often translated as pea risotto, it's texture is in fact a happy medium between that of a risotto and soup, and so is more watery than one might expect if thinking of risotto, instead, think more along the lines of a thick soup (or porridge/congee). 

This is traditionally eaten in the spring as that is when the first crop of peas was harvested, and was a dish reserved for royalty as it was traditionally offered to the Venetian head of state during the the San Marco festival in April.

Foods to Eat in Italy - Venice

- Baccalà Mantecato -

Baccalà Mantecato, otherwise known as creamed codfish, is a traditional and popular Venetian dish eaten as an antipasto, cicchetti or even as a sandwich filling. Baccalà, meaning dried cod, was introduced to the Venetian people by Querini in the 15th Century. A captain that sailed the world but alas, disaster struck and he was shipwrecked in Norway, however, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, he discovered the Nordic way of preserving fish and brought it back to Venice whereby it quickly became a household favourite. Nowadays, there are more than 40 Baccalà recipes, with Baccalà Mantecato being the most well-known one.

Baccalà Mantecato is prepared by first soaking the codfish in water for at least 2 days, then poached and the bone and skin removed. Finally, it is blended (or traditionally, whipped) with olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt to reach a consistency akin to a fine mousse. It is then served with toasted bread, croutons or more traditionally, grilled polenta, which is another Venetian staple.

Foods to Eat in Italy - Venice

- Sarde in Saor - 

Sarde in Saor is a typical Venetian dish found in most osteria (small taverns) and bacari (a mix between a gastrobar and a wine bar), served as either an appetizer or a bar snack. It consists of fried sardines marinated in onions, raisins, vinegar and pine nuts, a good example of a typical Italian agrodolce dish. This refers to any dish that has a sauce that is both sweet and sour, and in this case, is produced by the raisins and vinegar respectively. You will find that agrodolce is very prevalent in Italian food but also found in cuisines the world over such as the gastrique used in French cooking or even 糖醋酱 (sweet and sour sauce) used in Chinese cooking.

Sarde in Saor came about because of the need for Venetian fishermen to keep fish fresh for extended periods of time whilst at sea and originally only consisted of sardines (or any fish) layered in oil, cooked onions and vinegar. It was not until the Renaissance period where raisins and pine nuts were also added which turned it from a simple way of preserving fish to a fully fledged dish.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid & Castilla y León

- Huesos de Santo - 

Huesos de Santo, translated as 'bones of the saint' is probably not what you imagine from the name alone, instead, it is a delicious sweet dessert that is thought to have originated from Madrid in the early 17th century. Nowadays, it is still most popular in Madrid and the surrounding region of Castilla y León. It is most commonly eaten in November for All Saints Day. While you may wonder as to the cause for this, there is no intriguing reason or interesting anecdote, they were eaten simply because almonds were harvested around this time, so marzipan was both cheap and readily available.

Huesos de Santo is made of 2 layers, the outer layer is made of white marzipan paste pressed into a hollow cylindrical shape which is then filled with a syrup made from egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice (as well as yellow food colouring). This together gives it some resemblance to bones, hence, the name.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Rosquillas Tontas y Listas -

Rosquillas Tontas y Listas are two of the most famous traditional pastries of Madrid and are normally eaten to celebrate the Fiestas de San Isidro in May thus, they are also known as Las Rosquillas de San Isidro.

The festival of Saint Isidro for some reason is associated with donuts as two further types known as the donuts of Las Francesas and Santa Clara are also commonly sold and eaten during this time. An interesting historical tradition is that when you choose what Rosquillas you want from the vendor, he/she will string your donuts up before giving it to you rather than giving it to you in a bag.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Patatas Bravas -

Almost every European country has it's own pride and joy potato dish, whether it's chips from England, Pommes Dauphine from France or Reibekuchen from Germany (to name but a few). Here in Spain, or more specifically Madrid, the potato dish of choice is perhaps one of the most well known Spanish dishes, Patatas Bravas.

Patatas Bravas is a tapas dish consisting of potatoes which are cut into chunks and fried until golden. However, it wouldn't be Patatas Bravas without the typical Bravas Sauce, which is a tomato sauce with added Pimentón peppers for that spicy kick. Having said this, with Patatas Bravas being such a versatile dish, it has been adapted by the different regions of Spain, each with their own variation of the favourite. In Valencia, the potatoes are served with a sauce based on olive oil, vinegar and peppers and in other areas of Spain, it is served with an aioli or even a combination of garlic aioli and Bravas sauce. Sometimes, even mayonnaise is added to temper down the spice and give the dish an overall creamy taste.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Gallinejas -

Gallinejas are similar to the previously mentioned Zarajos in that they are both made from sheep chitterlings and are found mainly in Madrid. However, Gallinejas varies from the latter in that it isn't just the sheep's small intestine that is eaten as the spleen and pancreas are also used (and perhaps looks even less appetising to the uninitiated). 

Its origins date back to the 1950's, to the bustling Matadero de Legazpi (the slaughterhouse and cattle market of Madrid) whereby instead of wasting the off-cuts and offal at the end of the day, it was given to the surrounding restaurants and tapas bars which used them and turned them into many of the traditional Madrilenian tapas dishes we know and love today like Zarajos, Gallinejas and Riñones al Jerez.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Oreja de Cerdo -

Oreja de Cerdo, also known as Oreja a la Plancha (Plancha meaning grilled on a hot metal surface, not over charcoals) is a common tapas dish in Madrid (and is popular in the neighbouring regions of La Mancha and Andalucía also). This tapas consists of pig's ear (which can either be marinated or grilled as is), cut into slices or cubes and grilled. 

While the general cooking procedure is much the same all over Spain, the accompaniment of Oreja de Cerdo and the way it is served varies widely across the country. Some common, popular sauces include a spicy tomato sauce (Brava sauce, the same sauce used in the popular Patatas Bravas dish) or a garlic and parsley sauce (where it is known as al Ajillo). In certain tapas bars of Madrid, it is popularly served with chopped bacon and mushroom, as well as a wedge of lemon. Another variation native to the Basque region, is a la Vizcaína, whereby it is served with a sauce made from red peppers, onions, stock and a thickening agent such as flour.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Pastas de Consejo -

Pastas de Consejo are known as a typical sweet of Madrid, though in reality, they more resemble and taste like biscuits. These 'sweets' have a crumbly shortbread-like texture (though are a bit more dense) and a lovely lemon aroma. However, somewhat surprisingly, when actually tasting it, the lemon flavour is quite muted with the a buttery flavour being more dominant.

Initially called Pastas del Senado, they were later changed to Pastas de Consejo during the reign of Alfonso XII as he liked to consume them during

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Carne al Desarreglo -

Carne al Desarreglo is a dish comprised of beef, stewed in tomatoes and white wine and is typical of Madrid or more specifically, Colmenar de Oreja. Colmenar is a municipality of the autonomous region of Madrid and is about a 45 minute drive from central Madrid. 

Carne al Desarreglo is traditionally served in the summer (as that is when tomatoes are in season) and in Colmenar, it is also frequently served with Patatas Chulas which is potato slices which are fried and is served with a dressing of garlic, parsley and sometimes vinegar.

There is an interesting tale behind the name of Carne al Desarreglo. As it is a stewed dish, preparation of this dish would take the majority of the day (especially in the past) and the men who worked in the fields

Foods to Eat in Spain - Castilla-La Mancha & Madrid

- Zarajos -

Zarajos is a traditional tapas dish of Cuenca, in the region of Castilla-La Mancha and is now also popular in the neighbouring city of Madrid. Different offal dishes are popular both across the world and within Spain as it is inexpensive and due to the 'not wasting any part of the animal' ethos, especially in the past.

Zarajos are lamb intestines (which may be a turn off for some, but I assure you, when its properly cleaned and fried, you can't tell you're eating offal) which are marinated in garlic, onions, white wine and parsley. They are then wrapped around a skewer and deep-fried (although they can also be baked in an oven or grilled). It is then normally served as is or sometimes, with a wedge of lemon to cut through some of the grease from the frying process. Alternatively, they can also be cooked in the broth made from Caracoles a la Madrileña (which I wrote about previously here).

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Besugo a la Madrileña -

Besugo a la Madrileña is a dish well associated with Madrid, which is a bit perplexing as Madrid, being far away from the coast (practically in the middle of Spain), should not really have any seafood dishes of note historically. The reason for this is because in 1739, Manuel de Herrera managed to secure a permit for the transportation of fresh fish from coastal ports (such as Santander, Vasco de Bermeo etc.) to Madrid. Even today, his legacy remains in the form of the organisation Mercamadrid, that ensures for a reliable and efficient transport network to and from Madrid.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Andalusia (Seville and Córdoba)

- Gazpacho -

Gazpacho is a soup traditionally made using the primary ingredients of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, stale bread, garlic, olive oil and wine vinegar. Most importantly, it is consumed cold and can be served with bread or garnished with a variety of foods such as green peppers, mint, oranges, almonds or even ham and eggs (which is in fact the Córdoba variation of Gazpacho).

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Bartolillo -

One thing that will become quickly obvious when you walk around Madrid is that the city is home many bakeries and each one has numerous pastries and cakes displayed in the windows. This is because of the popularity of pastries and sweets (not necessarily just confectionery) in Madrid and bakeries take great pride in their offered items.

Bartolillo is one example of a typical Madrilenian pastry, triangular in shape and normally eaten in Easter. The exact origins of this pastry is unknown with popular theories being that either they were brought to the Spain by the Roman's or it was originally an Al-Ándalus recipe (which refers to the the culture and traditions of Muslims living in the Iberian peninsular during the middle ages) which then spread to the rest of Spain. Nonetheless, the first mention of Bartolillo in Madrid still dates back to the 19th Century.