Spanish Gastronomy through the Ages: The Beginnings

Exceptional Climate

The mild temperature around the Mediterranean and its distinct seasons create conditions that are suitable for plant and animal produce.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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").

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.