Europe: What to eat in SPAIN

As much as I would like to deem myself as a food connoisseur, in reality, I can be quite illiterate when it boils down to discussing about the various types of cuisines. This is when travelling abroad comes handy in the learning department.

Having spent about two weeks in Spain and from travelling around different regions, I am pleased to learn that Spain is not all about tapas and jamon. Henceforth, here is a small compilation of what to eat when in Spain.

1)Valencia

Paella originated from this region and whilst there are different flavour combinations of it around Spain, it is traditionally made of saffron, chicken, rabbit and beans. Due to the size of the pan, this is a dish to be shared among 2 individuals as anything less may hamper on it's quality.

2)Toledo

It's all about the almond meal and honey concoction here, commonly known as marzipan. I have tried it before in the past but unfortunately, it did not go down well as I found it a tad too sickeningly sweet. Thankfully, I had a much more positive experience in Spain and was actually craving for more.

Our well constructed marzipan cake had layers of cream in between it to tone down the cake's overall sweetness. Bonus points for having a slightly caramelized top:) Visitors may even choose to get a box of petite marzipan sweets to bring home.

3) Seville

I am probably being biased by placing Seville at the top of my Spanish food chart, mostly because the sister and I had an excellent dining experience at a restaurant near our hotel - all thanks to our hospitable, non-English speaking waiter who took time to ensure we understood what we were ordering from the Spanish menu.

At Meson De Juan, the sister and I feasted on the following:

Solomillo al whiskey - I love how tender and juicy these pork loins were and can easily finish this entire dish myself.

Salmorejo aka chilled tomato soup, perfect way to cool down after wandering around out in the blazing hot weather.

Carrillada de cerdo - stewed meat in wine reduction, served with french fries. The sister and I were not planning to have a big meal for dinner but clearly, changed our minds after a few rounds of delicious food here.

Am still drooling at the sight of these pictures and would recommend a visit here:)

4) Cordoba

Salmorejo -I found this one to be a lighter version (in terms of taste and texture) of the one I have tried from Seville. Might not have gone to the best place to have this but it still did satisfy our hungry tummies.

Now if you are ever stuck in Spain and have completely no idea what or where to eat, fret not because jamon with bread can be your life saver here, especially if you are on a budget. One can easily head into the supermarket and purchase good quality jamon with bread - voila, a meal in the making.

Spain's Pedro Ximenez is a cross between a fortified wine and sherry - I like to think of it as Christmas in a glass due to its subtle spiciness which reminds me of nutmeg and cinnamon in a fruitcake. Commonly paired with desserts but can also be reduced into a syrupy consistency for drizzling over some ice cream. Order this if you're not keen on appearing too touristy ordering a jug of sangria;)