Elena Fernández · 04 Feb, 2022

Gourmet Food in Spain

Gourmet Food in Spain

When we look for an ideal place to have lunch or dinner, we usually come across establishments that call themselves "gourmet food restaurants". Something similar happens when buying food products in supermarkets, as we can see that some have the legend "gourmet". But do you know what exactly this designation means? Next, we will take a tour through gourmet food in Spain to learn about some of the most distinguished products at an international level. In this way we can better understand what the designation "gourmet food" refers to.

What is gourmet?

In simple terms, gourmet food includes products related to haute cuisine, that is, with the most sophisticated and succulent dishes that exist. These are foods of unsurpassed quality characterized by their attractive taste and appearance. In that context, it is not allowed to use medium quality products, since the resulting food would no longer have the required quality.

For a meal to be considered gourmet, only the highest quality products must be used in its preparation. In this sense, it is expected that all the ingredients used have the best smell, texture, and color, providing an incomparable flavor to the meals. With this idea in mind, let's talk about the most important gourmet products in Spain.

Most important gourmet food in Spain

There are different products made in Spain that are recognized for their gourmet quality. This is the case of some cured meats, among which the salchichones, the Iberico Bellota ham, the chorizo, and the gourmet red meat stand out. It should be noted that the gourmet sausages are made with pork, wild boar, and deer meat, specially raised and fed for this purpose.

On the other hand, gourmet food in Spain is also famous due to its wide variety of cheeses. Made with cow, sheep, or goat milk, they are subjected to unique processes to achieve some of the most famous cheeses in the world. According to certain reports, some 150 varieties of cheese are manufactured in Spain, including some 30 that have the Protected Designation of Origin seal. Some of the most famous cheeses are the Torta del Casar Virgen del Prado, the old Manchego, and the cured Mahones.

Something similar happens with the wide variety of high-quality wines produced in the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, Spain has the largest extension of vineyards in the world dedicated to the manufacture of high-quality products from the vine, that is, gourmet wines. Among others, the Protected Designations of Origin of Jerez, Rioja, Ries Baixes and Ribera del Duero stand out. The variety is so wide that white, rosé, and red gourmet wines are produced. Both the wine, the cheese, and the sausages are an excellent mix to create the best gourmet food in Spain.

In addition, there are other famous gourmet products throughout the Iberian Peninsula. On the one hand, there is the highest quality seafood. Extra virgin olive oil is also recognized throughout the world, with the Designation of Origin of Spain.

As you can see, the variety of gourmet products is very wide throughout the Spanish territory. It is interesting to note that these products are governed for their preparation by the regulations in force in Spain and by the regulations of the European Union. This guarantees the purity of the products, managing to preserve their distinctive quality traits.

If you want to consume gourmet food in Spain, you can search for the products of your interest in specialized online stores. There you will find the best selection at the best price.