A languid dining pace
Deep rumbles of laughter from a man with wrinkles and a weather-worn face as his youngest granddaughter squeals in delight. Two sisters at the edge of the long table whispering close together over clinking wine glasses. The matriarch in the centre of the table with an easy grin painted across her mouth as she passes a small plate piled with crumbling cheeses across to her son.
Dining in Spain isn’t constrained by the ticking hands of a clock or the rush of returning home after picking up a quick bite. It is fuelled by a slower pace where every minute is filled with good conversation, spicy-sweet ingredients and even better wine. And the longer the meal lasts, the more memories are etched into your personal story.
Fresh ingredients sourced from local farms and waters
Olive oil
For your tastebuds' entertainment, contrast the taste and texture of each olive oil discovered as you roam through various cities and towns on a Back-Roads Touring small-group tour. Perhaps you can put pen to paper about your findings, sketching and writing your way through the journey inspired by this fresh ingredient that spans thousands of years.
Seafood
Chunky, pink octopuses, regal king prawns and chewy squid with an added crunch, there’s plenty of life under the sea off the coast of Spain. Unfortunately for them (but fortunately for you!), they’re plucked from the seabed and served as traditional Spanish dishes with tastes that linger long after you’ve returned home.
Traditional Spanish dishes rich in flavour
Paella
Along the east coast of Spain lies a city called Valencia. It is here where the classic paella dish had its humble beginnings as an easy-to-make dinner for farmers and labourers alike. These days, it would be rude not to try the smattering of sensational Spanish ingredients at least once during any Spain tour.
Ingredients:
- bomba rice
- chicken broth
- chicken
- rabbit
- green beans
- garrofón (Valencian white beans)
- tomatoes
- olive oil
- saffron
- salt
Gazpacho
A dish best served cold, gazpacho’s tomato-infused scent has lingered across the realms of Spain since the 8th century. As the world evolved, mixing new traditions and cultures into a cauldron of simmering foods, histories and peoples – gazpacho evolved along with it.
Ingredients:
- tomatoes
- green pepper
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- vinegar
- croutons
Pulpo a la gallega
Would you believe us if we told you this Spanish seafood dish began its story at a cattle fair? Its setting: the 16th century at the Monastery of Oseira in Ourense, Galicia. Now, chefs around the world lay claim to their own style of pulpo a la gallega. Will you join them?
Ingredients:
- octopus
- potatoes
- coarse salt
- smoked paprika
- extra virgin olive oil
Small-group culinary experiences
A crucial ingredient of the rich recipe Back-Roads Touring expertly crafts for each tour is a selection of culinary experiences. Our Spain tours are no different...
Crafted for those ‘León’s sip and sample’ moments on A Tase of the Camino: Porto to Bilbao.
Compare and contrast León’s rich reds and crisp whites over a homecooked lunch made by a local inside an atmospheric wine cellar laced with history.
Crafted for those ‘rolling up your sleeves’ moments on Highlights of Northern Spain.
Prepare fresh asparagus or pochas, cod seasoned with garlic and paprika and a light, crumbling dessert during an expert-led cooking class.
Crafted for those ‘fresh as can be ham’ moments on Iberian Inspiration.
Taste freshly cured jamón ibérico deep in the cellars beneath a local farm where pigs happily roll in mud surrounded by the vast fields of Sierra de Aracena.
Where will your tastebuds and other senses lure you along your Spanish path of discovery?