Spanish cuisine has been influenced by Celtic, Moorish and Jewish traditions, as well as Mediterranean and American gastronomy. Some proclaim that Spanish cooking would be impossible without potatoes, beans, tomatoes and peppers. Spain produces about 44 percent of the worlds’ olives, and so the Spanish bake, fry and season with olive oil, as well as with garlic and onions. The Spanish usually eat bread and drink wine with their meals, and light desserts are preferred, made with fruit or dairy products.

The autonomous community of Extremadura, in western Spain, features a vegetable stew called Olla porrida, made of snails and pieces of meat. The region is also famous for its cheeses, such as Torta del casar, made from sheep’s milk, which also exists by another name in neighbouring Portugal. Navarra, in northern Spain, boasts excellent dry red claret wines, and Valencia is famous for their rice dish, paella, made also of meat, vegetables or seafood and served as a family meal. In the province of La Rioja, also in northern Spain, light vegetable soups are frequently served and traditional dishes usually include pepper and potatoes, with wine. The region of Murcia, south of Valencia, boasts rich and varied salads, with wine from the Jumilla wine region in Murcia.

One of Spain’s national dishes includes Madrid’s Cocido Madrileno (Madrid Stew), a mixture of different types of meats with vegetables and rice stewed all day. Madrid is also famous for its juicy fruits, namely melons and strawberries. The largest community in Spain, Andalusia, where the largest city and capital Seville is situated, features Sherry wines and seafood prepared in many ways, one of which includes fired fish and shrimp. Basque Country chefs are highly skilled in the culinary arts, offering such regional dishes as Txangurro Releno (stuffed spider crab). Galicia, in northwest Spain, also is well known for its seafood, where octopus and Bacalhau (dried salted cod) are commonly served, as well as Caldo Gallego soup, made with beans, ham and chorizo.

One of the most emblematic features of Spanish cuisine are tapas, appetizers commonly found in bars served warm or cold and usually include a mixture of different types of seafood, chilies, vegetables and cheeses. The best tapas bars can be found all over Barcelona and Madrid. Though Spain is full of modern supermarkets and shops with all kinds of products, as well as fast food chains, locals still prefer to buy their bread from the baker on the corner and tomatoes from the greengrocer. If a service charge is not included in restaurant bills, a tip of up to 15 percent is acceptable, and 5 to 10 percent in bars and cafes.