Spanish Food

Personally I grew tired of the 'best cuisine in the world' theory a long time. I think such a theory is a reflection on an unadventurous nation of people, few of who ever travel beyond their nearest coastline. There's a lot of very poor food in Spain, especially along the Mediterranean coast and in the south in general.

When I moved south from Madrid a friend whose wife is from León in the north asked me what we eat in Andalucia having visited the region and struggled to find much of quality. At the time his question surprised me but now I understand where he was coming from. There are good restaurants throughout Spain but they're much harder to find in the south than elsewhere.

In Madrid and north the quality and selection of food is way superior to the south. Quality restaurants abound in Barcelona and Valencia has seen an upsurge in its fortunes thanks to the construction of the City of Arts and Sciences there along with its role as host of the 2007 America's Cup. It is now a modern city which attracts a lot of tourists and a large number of new restaurants have appeared to satisfy the tastes of the new arrivals.

But it's to the north I'd like to suggest you go if you want the best of Spanish food. San Sebastian has more Michelin stars per capita than any other city in Europe and neighbouring Bilbao has some top notch restaurants. Located on the Atlantic coast with the fertile mountains inland there is no shortage of fresh ingredients from which young innovative chefs produce the finest quality fish and meat dishes.

My personal favourite places for Spanish food are in Galicia and Asturias in the very north west of the peninsula.'Pulpo a la gallega' (boiled octopus served with boiled potatoes and seasoned with olive oil and paprika) is one of my favourite dishes and is common all along the Galician coast. 'Lacon con grelos' (pork shoulder with turnip heads) is another one to look out for. And in Ribadesella on the Asturian coast as well as in the villages of the Picos de Europa their 'fabada' (hearty bean stew) and beef dishes are to die for. You'll also discover some outstanding Spanish wines in the north.

Madrid has plenty to offer the gourmet diner thanks to the high quality meat from the nearby Sierra de Guadarrama and the lorry loads of fresh fish arriving every morning from Galicia. Such is the demand for fish that Madrid has the world's second largest fish market after Tokyo. A day excursion to Segovia is a great idea if you like roast lamb or roast suckling pig as it's the speciality of this Roman town. Alternatively, just stay in Madrid and visit Botin's Restaurant for the same dishes in what is documented as being the world's oldest restaurant.