If you are going to the Spanish city of Alicante, you should definitely try some Spanish cuisine.
All following meals we have tried personally and would recommend newcomers to the city.
However, the following list of Spanish dishes suitable for attending any other city of this beautiful and Sunny country.
Undoubtedly, the first place is the famous Spanish dish
Paella (Paella, pronounced Paella)
The dish is truly Spanish cuisine, prepared from rice, which is the basis of it, saffron, meat, seafood and vegetables, all stewed over an open fire with olive oil and spices.
Paella, a Valencian dish, originating from Valencia. So it's no secret that the most delicious paella is prepared since ancient times in the vicinity of Valencia.
Varieties of paella throughout Spain there are more than hundred types and every cook has his signature recipe for Paella.
There is the classic paella, mixed meat and seafood, vegetarian, seafood black paella with cuttlefish ink and many variations of cooking that most of us have not even heard of.
We had three kinds of paella mix, marisco and cuttlefish ink. All were very tasty and exceeded expectations.
Cold Gazpacho soup (Gazpacho)
Gazpacho is a cold soup, such as our hash or beetroot.
Gazpacho is a bean or tomato. We tried tomato (grated tomatoes), pretty tasty, very refreshing on a hot Spanish afternoon. The soup, the taste of the soup incorporates a lot of ingredients, it's and lasting taste of olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar (wine) vinegar and something else, we did not understand what.
Serve gazpacho with croutons and vegetables.
Curious, but on the hottest days, in order to further cool gazpacho add ice.
Tapas and Pintxos
Tapas or Tapas (tapas is derived from the word tapa - lid), a Spanish snack that is a little sandwiches with different fillings.
Pintxos (Pintxos), a variety of hot and cold appetizers of meat, fish or vegetables. In catering pintxos spread in small clay vessels, similar to our galenica.
Tapas and pintxos are usually served alcoholic beverages (beer or wine) as an appetizer, it turns out that something like our snacks.
There are tapas with fish, meat, cheese, cakes, eggs, vegetables, herbs and all these together. In General, all that is in the fridge, put a piece of bread and Presto - tapas ready. Varieties of tapas, there are more than a thousand.
To enjoy this dish is definitely worth all the tapas is very tasty, we especially liked the smoked fish.
In Spain, there are special institutions Tapas bars which serve alcohol and tapas. These institutions spetsializiruyutsya on the tapas. Of course, tapas can be found in almost any institution of the city, but to experience the full flavor and to try many different types of tapas, we still recommend that you visit a specialized institution.
A little help! 16 June declared as "world tapas day"! World tapas day first officially celebrated in Spain in 2016. On this day, starting from 2016 onwards, every year in many regions of Spain will host the program "ir de tapas", which follows the routes of tapas bars. Also in celebration will be held in Spanish parades. And in the many bars and cafes in the country will operate special offers "tapas + drink" at a reduced price. Together with Spain this holiday will be celebrated in 20 countries around the world, and this number each year is expected to increase.
Ham (Jamon)
Jamon, Spanish national delicacy, cured pork roast (or pork leg).
There are a great many different types of jamon. The difference between their method of preparation, patience, the place where "ham" was a pig front or back leg, and even the breed of the pig and how the pig was contained and the fed. Accordingly, the higher the quality of the ham, the more expensive it is. Cheap ham you can buy in the supermarket or on the market, the price ranges from 50 to 100 EUR (euros). More expensive and high-quality produce is sold in specialty stores and shops, where the price is much higher and can exceed a thousand euros. The most valuable are the ham from the black pig's hooves.
To buy a whole leg and drag her along, of course, if you are a lover and connoisseur of cured meats, makes no sense. But to try, certainly worth it. In stores where they sell ham, you can buy it as much as you need, cut off from the legs straight in front of you. Or consider the most economical option is to buy in the supermarket in vacuum packs for 1-2 euros.
To eat ham should be wafer thin slices and cut it by hand with a special knife. In Spain there are even specially trained people - jamonero.
Eat ham by itself or with sandwiches. But the most delicious way, it's a melon. On the menu in any Spanish restaurant you will find this dish. Is about 10 euros per serving. But there is a cheaper option, buy in the store a little bit of chopped ham, market, melon, slice the melon and eat the whole thing, the taste is no different from the restaurant food, but the price is much cheaper.
Sangria
Sangria, the Spanish name sangría, from the Spanish sangre - blood, because of the red color. Sredneamgunsky is a Spanish drink based on red wine with pieces of fruit, sugar, and small quantities of brandy and dry liqueur.
Serve the sangria is definitely chilled and with ice cubes.
The taste is mild wine with a slight hint of citrus. Very refreshing.
Order a sangria at any restaurant or cafe, as in a glass for one person, and pitcher for the company.
A glass of sangria in Benidorm cost about 4 euros a liter jug for about 10 years.
Churros
Sweet fried pastries from choux paste, stick, or loop, with different toppings on top - nuts, syrups, but the bowl of powdered sugar.
Churros with a Cup of hot coffee or tea for Breakfast.
The dough of Cerros like our custard, only without the toppings. On the palate it is soft, and most importantly not too sweet, and that is moderately sweet. We loved this Spanish sweet.
Generally in Spain is very tasty pastries, by the way, tastes better than the famous Italian. Go to any bakery or cake shop, those in many cities of Spain, you will find a lot of different sweets, sweet Goodies and of course coffee. Try it, you will not regret.
Since we're talking about sour, it is recommended to try and soft ice cream. It in Spain with a surplus of different taste, color and smell, with additives and without. Ice cream is sold at every step.
If you continue, and wafers indulge yourself. Hot waffles are like Belgian, with a variety of fillings - chocolate, cream, cream, fruit.
Seafood
Another dish that is certainly worth a try in Spain is seafood. Thank God, those in Spain for every taste, this and a variety of fish and shrimp, mussels and clams, lobsters and lobsters, squid and other marine life.
We recommend you go to a restaurant specializing in seafood. In these restaurants, in shop Windows, on the ice, are the seafood. Choose your favorite, and while at the table, leisurely enjoying a Spanish evening, you will prepare and present vegetables and lemon.
Fresh fruit and seafood
The freshest and most importantly, the ripe fruit can be bought at the Central market (Mercado Central), Alicante. This exotic mango with papaya, and familiar watermelons, melons, peaches, nectarines and many more fruits.
At the Mercado Central you will find the freshest Mediterranean seafood of all kinds, colors and sizes. If your hotel is equipped with a kitchen, then you are doubly lucky, buy at the market seafood and cook in the kitchen, very tasty. Don't forget to grab a bottle of Spanish wine.
Spanish wine
Different wines and wine beverages, like the sangria in Spain hundreds of thousands, juicy thousand. Red, white, pink, sweet, semi-sweet and dry.
All of them, regardless of the prices will be decent quality. Most importantly, the country of origin on the label was Spain. Price in supermarkets ranges from 1 to 20 Euros, depending on the year of vintage.
We took a bottle of pink semi-sweet wine of the 2014 harvest for 3 euros. Tasty, natural, without impurities and odors. To blame, of course, cheese, fruit and chocolate.
Caldera or Kaldereta (Caldereta)
Kaldereta - a common name of various Spanish dishes, on the basis of preparation on steamed seafood, fish or meat with vegetables and potatoes. The name comes from Spanish caldera (a large pot) reflecting the fact that before the dish is cooked in huge cauldrons for the whole village. Now it mostly serves as a portion in clay bowls.
This dish is considered a national on the island of Tabarca, which is 20 kilometers from the city of Alicante. Will be on the island, don't miss the opportunity to try the local Caldera. In Tabarka it serves two types of lobster and langoustine. Cost helpings per person 25 euros, the minimum order for two persons.
We, being on the island of Tabarka, ordered the Caldera with lobster - roast vegetables, potatoes and lobsters. Gave us it with a slice of white fried in olive oil bread. Tasty, although a little fatty. Lobster tastes somewhat similar to our crayfish, the meat is more dense and fibrous, like a chicken compared with Turkey.
For more detail about where in Alicante, you can enjoy a particular dish you can read here.
