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