Alright sausage: the joys ofchorizo
Few countries are on their sausage game quite like
Spain. And as per a good proportion of meat in these
parts, they prefer them cured.Chorizois the world-
famous favourite, produced pretty much nationwide.
It comes in various forms, but the common factor tends
to be a deep red colour born of seasoning with chilli and
paprika.The rest of it is a mix of roughly chopped fatty
pork, garlic and whatever other bits of the pig local
tradition calls upon (it might be best not to ask). Variety
is the key – there are thousands of differentchorizos
across Spain, varying from the sweet to the devilishly
spicy, and the cured to the cooked.
The grain in Spain
Spain enjoys two main forms of bread:pan de barra,
which is long, thin and short-lived – rather like a French
baguette, andpan de chapata, a heavier loaf-style
bread that can last a few days. Castile is the country’s
breadbasket and grows vast quantities of high quality
wheat.The Castilianpanadero(baker) rises early to
make three types of bread:colín(bread sticks),pan
candealand a distinctive round loaf. But every region
has its speciality: Catalonia and the Balearic Islands
favour a tomato bread calledpa de pages; in Andalusia
look out for the highly decoratedpiquito; and in Asturias
a cornbread calledborona, sometimes stuffed with
meat, is popular.
Eat your greens Spain
Spaniards love salads – vegetarians take note, this may
be your only refuge – and serve them at almost every
meal.The most popular combo isensalada mixta, full of
leafy lettuce, tomatoes, onions and olives. It’s usually
tossed in a simple dressing made with olive oil, lemon
juice and salt.
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- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
The first Spanish bakers’
guild dates from 1395.
In the Middle Ages not
all baking was done at
home: for a small fee a
communal oven could be
used.
Thebocadillo(like a long
sandwich) originated as
a snack for the poor to be
eaten in the fields
between meals. Today,
they’re eaten nationwide
and at any time of day.
It is not considered bad
manners to mop up the
juice of a meat dish with
bread.
Bread essentials
