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 - 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.

Sweets in Spain - Madrid

- Caramelo de Violeta -

Caramelo de Violeta are small, flower shaped sweets flavoured with violet essence and is often associated with Madrid. The exact reasons as to why that is has been lost in time but what is interesting is that when one thinks of old Madrid, the image of a morning walk in the Parque de El Retiro with a bag of violeta's in hand comes to mind. However (perhaps sadly), nowadays, these are not nearly eaten as commonly or known nearly as well due to the emergence of imported/mass produced sweets.

Within Madrid, Caramelo de Violeta are further associated with the small confectioners and bakery located on the Plaza de Canalejas. They are (not surprisingly) best known for their namesake, violet sweets and were so well known that it is said that King Alfonso XIII purchased these violet sweets for both his wife and his lover.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Bocadillo de Calamares -

Sometimes the best things in life, are the simple things and there are few things more simple than Bocadillo de Calamares, succulent breaded squid rings sandwiched by a warm toasty baguette which goes especially well with a cold beer (or two). What is there not to like?

This sandwich is very popular in Madrid as it is cheap and easy to eat on the go and you will often smell its aroma when there a shops selling it, especially dotted around the Plaza Major, however, a word of warning is that to be careful of some of the restaurants directly on (facing) the concourse. While you certainly won't be unhappy with the taste of the food, the value for money isn't as good as the price is often much higher than normal (in some cases, double the amount) due to the abundance of tourists in the area coupled with higher rent. Therefore I would recommend you to instead go to Bar la Campana, which is just behind Plaza Major, tucked in one of the many side streets where one Bocadillo de Calamares only costs 2.70 euros (and is indeed the cost for any Bocadillo with your choice of meat filling).

Drinks in Spain - General

- Leche Merengada -

Leche Merengada is a very popular drink found all over Spain and is served in Heladerías (ice cream shops) and Horchaterías (the closest English equivalent would be a café where Horchata, another popular Spanish drink made from tiger nuts is sold). It is especially popular in the summer but is drunk throughout the year, however, certain shops only sell this in summer (as we found out the hard way....but more on that later).

Leche Merengada is a drink made using egg whites, milk and sugar with cinnamon often added to give extra flavour. It is served cold and the texture is somewhere between a milkshake and a granita (or akin to shaved ice drinks common to many Asian countries). While the above is the traditional recipe, nowadays, it is often adapted by adding additional flavours such as citrus or coffee, It is so popular that it is frequently sold as a flavour of ice cream in Spain.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Churros con Chocolate -

When one goes to Madrid, you must try Churros con Chocolate, which are deep-fried sticks of doughy goodness. These are thought to originate from China, with the Portuguese bringing them to Europe through their travels and trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Churros from Madrid vary from the (arguably) more well known Mexican variant, which is often dusted with cinnamon and sugar, instead, it is dipped in hot chocolate. However, this hot chocolate is probably not what you expect as it is so thick and decadent that it better resembles a chocolate fondue!