The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of Spain

Cuisine of the Mediterranean Region. The coastal Mediterranean regions of Spain, ranging from Catalonia to Andalusia, make heavy use of the available seafood in the area, with dishes such as pescaíto frito.  Rice dishes, such as paella from Valencia and the Catalonian arròs negre are also very popular, as are cold soups like gazpacho, due to the region’s warm weather.

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  Inland or Center Spanish Cuisine. In the inner regions of Spain, such as Castile, hot, thick soups, such as the bread and garlic-based Castilian soup are extremely prevalent.  So too are hearty substantial stews, such as cocido madrileño.  Food in this region is traditionally conserved by salting, as in Spanish ham; or immersed in olive oil, like Manchego cheese.
  

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  Cuisine of the Atlantic Region. The Northern Spanish coast, including the Asturian, Basque, Cantabarian and Galician regions, feature a unique cuisine, one characterized by vegetable and fish-based stews, such asPote gallego and marmitako.  People here also enjoy the lightly-cured lacón ham.  The Northern region is best known for a cuisine relying heavily on ocean seafood, with dishes made from Basque-style cod, albacore and anchovy, or the Galician octopus-based based polbo á feira and shellfish dishes.