MADRID Spanish food culture has developed as part of Mediterranean cuisine. In a mild climate, vegetables, roots and fruits grow happily. Still, eating meat is still a strong tradition and has its value.
Spaniards consume 50 kilos of meat per year per inhabitant. Vegetarian eating is constantly becoming more common, especially in cities and among young people. The Spanish are aware of the health effects of a vegetarian diet.
There are fewer vegetarian dishes than meat dishes on restaurant menus. Sometimes the menu only includes potato egg tortillas, roasted peppers and risottos.
Food cooked in immersion oil and strict mealtimes
The country has surprisingly preserved its strict mealtimes. The restaurants serve lunch in the afternoon from two to four, and dinner between eight and ten in the evening. At other times, you may not even get hot food.
The inhabitant of the coasts of Spain eats a lot of fish, shellfish and vegetables. Meat is consumed the most in central Spain around Madrid and in the northern Basque Country and Aragon.
Meat, fish and vegetables are cooked in olive oil, fried and deep-fried. Also the famous potato egg tortellini is cooked in cooking oil.
At Christmas in Spain, we eat a lot of sweets, such as fig jam donuts and cookies, as well as stuffed pig and turkey.
“It’s no longer difficult to be a vegetarian in Spain”
Education student Geneva Laroda think it’s no longer difficult to be a vegetarian in Spain.
– In my circle of friends, meat consumption has decreased, but meat dishes are still valued. In the shops you can find ingredients for vegetarian and vegan cooking, vegetables, root vegetables and mushrooms. The downside is that the ingredients are not always fresh and of good quality.
Geneve Laroda comes from Segovia, which cherishes traditions. The old small town located northwest of Madrid is known for its medieval architecture and Roman aqueduct. Laroda’s favorite food is pasta.
– You can get pasta and macaroni cheaply in stores and you can combine them with different ingredients. Personally, I prefer to eat pasta and vegetables as side dishes, but I also eat meat, he says.
– The Spanish tradition is to eat together. I share an apartment with my friends. We don’t usually eat together because of the rush and the different rhythms of each day.
Gastronomically rich Spain cherishes the food traditions of the regions
Maria Mendoza prepares food for his family himself. His parents immigrated from southern Spain, Andalusia, to Madrid and brought Mediterranean cuisine with them. He emphasizes the importance of olive oil as the secret of health and longevity.
Olive oil is a central part of Spanish food culture. In addition to frying, it is used for breakfast on bread, as a salad dressing and in meat dishes.
– I prefer Mediterranean cuisine because of its healthiness. Lots of root vegetables, vegetables, chicken and white meat. When it comes to meat dishes, I especially like the traditional food of Asturias in northern Spain, fabada, a bean stew made in the oven, and Madrid’s meat stew, cocido madrileño, he says.
Living in the Valencia region of eastern Spain by Yolanda Suárez according to Spain aims to serve the needs of vegetarians. The country first opened up to international cuisine, then vegetarianism and a vegan diet came along.
– We gradually started taking influences from Italian, German and Mexican cuisine. There is a lot of talk about vegan eating. I myself go to vegetarian restaurants and some of my friends are vegans, says Yolanda Suárez.
Mother of Yolanda Suarez Rosario Juan recommends traditional dishes to tourists.
– A cheese and ham plate for starters. You can ask for seasoned chorizo sausage and Iberian salchichon salami, he advises.
Spain’s famous Ibérico pig lives free and eats acorns
One of the Spanish specialties is the black Ibérico pig, which grows free in wooded meadows enjoying the Mediterranean climate. On the meadow pasture land typical of the Iberian Peninsula, oaks and chestnut, cork and locust trees grow.
Hay plants are the pigs’ spring and summer diet. In autumn and winter, they enjoy acorns, which they gain weight by eating. This is how the characteristic marbling and white spots of the meat of Ibérico pigs are formed.
The raising of Iberico pigs is based on “montanera”, i.e. free grazing. Piglets fattened on acorns and chestnuts can eat 10 kilos of different acorns and chestnuts, as well as hay plants.
Acorn improves the quality of fat
Food research has investigated the nutritional content of Iberico pigs and analyzed their fat.
Iberoamerican Science and Technology Association of Castilla y Leon (you will go to another service) According to studies by Itacyl and the University of Extremadura, the nutritional content analysis of free-range Iberico pig meat shows that the meat is low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated fatty acids.
More than 55 percent of the fat of pork raised on acorns is monounsaturated oleic acid. The external fat of Iberico pigs is unhealthy, but due to the diet, the internal fat is less unhealthy.
It has been found to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. The fat is more heart-friendly than other animal fats. Only virgin olive oil has a higher amount of oleic acid. The reason is the pigs’ diet based on acorns and hay.