By Real Academia de Gastronomía
Real Academia de Gastronomía
Spain's geographical location, the different civilizations that have inhabited its lands, and the various social changes that have taken place there have all had a strong influence in shaping and developing a Spanish culinary identity. Take a look at Spanish cuisine throughout the course of history.
Crossing Cultures
Spain's location has made it a gateway for foods from Africa, and particularly Asia, thanks to its trade routes. Above all, it is also a key focal point for connections to the Americas.
Paisaje mediterraneoReal Academia de Gastronomía
Exceptional Climate
The mild temperature around the Mediterranean and its distinct seasons create conditions that are suitable for plant and animal produce.
Fishing boats in GaliciaReal Academia de Gastronomía
Riches of the Seas
Spain is surrounded by 3 seas, each different in its own way, with a variety of plankton and calm waters (especially in the estuaries), as well as waves that crash against cliffs. The result is an extraordinary range of high-quality fish and seafood from its coasts.
Everyone Has Been There!
Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs… One after the other, different civilizations arrived in Spain, leaving their mark on the country's culinary culture.
Phoenician Route MapNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The Phoenicians inhabited the North African coast and southern Europe, and a lot of products were brought to Spain from these areas along trade routes.
Oil Jar with a Woman Carrying a Basket of Offerings (470 - 460 B.C.)The J. Paul Getty Museum
The Greeks later settled on the Mediterranean coasts of Hispania, bringing with them new species of plants and innovative methods of producing and preserving food.
Olive oilReal Academia de Gastronomía
The Legacy of the Roman Empire
The Romans, who settled across the entire Iberian Peninsula, discovered the advantages of using barns for storing cereal crops.
They also developed the use of olive presses, thanks to which the imperial capital was supplied with excellent olive oils, mostly from the province of Baetica.
A Roman Feast (late 19th century) by Roberto BompianiThe J. Paul Getty Museum
The mouth of the river Ebro provided large quantities of oysters, which were transported to Rome packed in snow from the Pyrenees.
It also produced a variety of interesting fish, and with it the main fish product of the time: garum, a fermented fish sauce that became popular in Roman times (although it had previously been made by the Greeks).
Mapa HispaniaReal Academia de Gastronomía
These delicious sauces were made in Gades (Cádiz), Abdera (Adra), Sexi (Almuñécar), and Carthago Nova (Cartagena), using the intestines and trimmings of fish such as tuna, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.
Garum was sold pure ("liquamen") or mixed with wine ("enogarum"), vinegar ("oxigarum"), or oil ("oleogarum").
AzafranReal Academia de Gastronomía
Al-Andalus: The Triumph of Arab Culture
The Arabs developed important farming techniques, introduced vegetables and irrigation, and turned Spain into a potential leader in citrus production.
In terms of cuisine, they developed the beginnings of confectionary, refined customs around eating, and passed down recipes for tagine (the precursor to the Spanish "cocido" stew), "escabeche" (pickle), and meatballs. They also introduced many of the spices that are used in Spanish cuisine today.
From the Americas to Spanish Store Cupboards
America was discovered around the same time that the Arabs and Jews left Spain. Spurred on by hunger, the Spanish conquistadors overcame their initial rejection of the new produce they found there. Together with produce brought from Spain, it inspired an emerging cuisine that was adopted by the viceroyalties, especially in Mexico and Peru.
Custard applesReal Academia de Gastronomía
Spain's colonization of the Americas changed what people ate around the world. Wheat, corn, beans, chickpeas, potatoes, olive oil, avocados, papayas, apples, guavas, grapes, cherimoyas, plums, peanuts, almonds, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, coffee, bananas, and chocolate are now available on both sides of the Atlantic.
Cherry tomatoesReal Academia de Gastronomía
Introducing these new foods into Europe took time, as well as agricultural and culinary experimentation.
Hunger pushed people to overcome their prejudices, and foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and corn became part of people's diets in Spain and across the globe.
PotatoesReal Academia de Gastronomía
Spain was a pioneer in introducing potatoes into the nation's diet. Patients at the Hospital de la Sangre in Seville were the first Europeans to eat them, and they were later served up to soldiers serving in the Army of Flanders.
Bit by bit, potatoes were incorporated into popular recipes and eventually became a staple ingredient in Spanish store cupboards.
Grains of wheatReal Academia de Gastronomía
The Cereals that Changed the World
Wheat from the Mediterranean and rice from Asia (now acclimatized to cultivation in Spain), as well as American corn, are the bedrock of diets across the world and the economies of several countries. These 3 cereal crops are a clear example of the importance of different foods reaching all parts of the globe.
Text: María García, in collaboration with Ismael Diaz Yubero, Spain’s representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Advisor for the Spanish Embassy in Rome. Member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy.
Image: Foods & Wines from Spain / Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade / National Library of Spain / Horcher Restaurant / David de Luis.
Acknowledgements: Rafael Ansón, president of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy; Elena Rodríguez, director of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy; María García and Caroline Verhille, contributors to the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy.
Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy
This exhibition is part of the Spanish Gastronomy project jointly coordinated by Google Arts & Culture and the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy.
