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SpainSpain is a country with many culinary traditions stemming from its rich cultural history and unique geography. The Iberian Peninsula was a crossroads for numerous cultures, especially throughout the period of Al-Andalus, when Muslim, Christian and Jewish citizens “cohabitated” in the region. Arab culture introduced rice to the peninsula, while the Muslims contributed the traditions of tea houses and smoking rooms, still popular today in southern Spain. Less prosperous times brought about the invention of simple and inexpensive dishes which nonetheless proved their culinary worth and became staples of the Spanish diet, like Gazpacho and its Andalusian variation “salmorejo,” which is made primarily from day-old bread. Other foods, such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggs were also easy to come by, cheap and satisfying. As a result, they are the main ingredients in many of the most authentic recipes used in Spain.Meat dishes in Spain are some of their most praiseworthy contributions to the international repertoire of culinary delights. The geography of the peninsula is advantageous for finding fresh seafood, as any Spaniard will tell you; the seafood dishes are incomparable. Paella, a rice and seafood medley, is probably the most well-known Spanish recipe ever to be adapted to foreign menus. Fried and marinated bite-size fish called bocarones are also a special treat when visiting tapas bars in Spain. Regardless of the location, the seafood is always impressive. The geography of Spain is not only conducive to accessing fresh seafood, but also to raising pigs and growing grapes for wine. Spaniards frequently incorporate pork into their diet, and they treat it like a delicacy. In fact, their famous jamón (comparable to prosciutto) can be very expensive, depending upon the way the pigs are fed. The best jamón is a product of pigs that are exclusively fed acorns. It has a rich, unique smell and flavor, a buttery texture and melts exquisitely on the tongue. Washed down with a good Spanish wine, it is an extraordinary flavor that can be experienced no where else!
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