Hola (Hi) !! : Que Hay En El Menu (What's On The Menu)?

Hola (Hi) !! : Que Hay En El Menu (What's On The Menu)?

Think Spain and what comes to mind is, paella, sangria, flamenco dance, FC Barcelona,  La Tomatina and also Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara …. Ahh yes !! Spain … a sunny country with a mild climate and distinct seasons.  

Speaking from a food lovers PoV, the gourmands and gourmets who would also know that the universally ubiquitous potato is one of the best exports from Spain. Spanish food lovers will often have these Spanish food/drinks to talk about. 

Spanish Tortilla

  …  Tortilla de Patatas or Tortilla Espanol as the locals call it, the Spanish Tortilla is a hearty, filling omelet made with eggs, potatoes and onions. It is lightly spiced and pan-cooked. The Spanish Tortilla takes a fair amount of skill to transfer the cooked side of the tortilla onto a plate and put the undone side back on the pan to cook. 

In Spain, it is often eaten as breakfast, while for lunch it may take the shape of a sandwich, while at dinner, it could be served as tapas. The best feature of the Spanish tortilla is that it tastes best even if it's served hot, lukewarm or cold. 

Can be had by itself or along with a salad or any of the local breads such as molette, or on a slice of cornbread. Torrijas as an accompaniment would be great too.

Paella Marinera

With a vast coastline spanning across thousands of kilometers, Spain has a vast variety of options in seafood. Topping the list would be paella, (supposedly) the peninsula’s national dish. Paella is a classic rice preparation with lots of seafood, poultry and even vegetables. Loosely speaking, it may be called the Spaniards’ seafood biryani with sausages. The mildly-spiced rice preparation with an overload of meat even has a hint of saffron. 

Spanish Croquettas

Spanish Croquettas or Spanish fritters is an interesting dish. The perfect idea for a party snack as a finger food. Made with Bechamel sauce,  a unique white sauce, Spanish Croquettas are a quick, crunchy snack made with ham. Surprised to know that it does not have potatoes, right? Yes, the croquettes don’t have potatoes or cheese. As the stuffing has a sauce and to ensure that the croquettas turn out well without crumbling when frying, do refrigerate them for a few hours. This will help the firm up and not cause the croquettas to break when frying. 

Sangria  

After the foods, comes the drink .. Sangria, a red wine-based beverage is yet another offering from Spain and Portugal. As per the EU regulations, only these two Iberian nations are allowed to label their products as sangria. Sangria is an interesting serve, a wine punch, that also has fruits, other ingredients or spirits. Interestingly, sangria can be served chilled or at room temperature. 

While red wine sangria particularly goes well with steak and tapas, white sangria with brie and rich, creamy pasta makes for a great combo.

Churros

Did you know that the Spanish have a very interesting breakfast staple? Any guesses? Ok, it's not non-veg… It’s Churros served with warm chocolate sauce ..Wooww … Yess..  Churros are fried sticks of dough, dusted with castor sugar and dunked in chocolate sauce. Tastes fabulous when served hot. Locals and tourists queue up to pick their favorite brekkie … What a way to start a day ?!

Hope you enjoyed the culinary round-up of some amazing Spanish fare !! Adios !!