Did you know that, every year, almost seven million people choose Spain as a holiday destination because of the gastronomy? That’s a massive 12% of the 60 million visitors Spain welcomes each year!
A recent article in the travel section of one of Spain’s largest newspapers (abc.com) – using data from a Jetcost survey – revealed some interesting facts about the gastronomic preferences of travellers who visit the country, in the form of a top 10 list.
So what do you think was number one on that list? Well, you might be surprised to find out that the world-famous ‘Paella’ doesn’t hold that coveted position; that honour goes to Spain’s most famous export… ‘Jamon Serrano’!
The Mediterranean diet is well known for its health benefits and Spanish cuisine includes an abundance of fresh produce including vegetables, fish and olive oil. Whilst the ‘Top 10’ list below might include one or two items which are difficult to categorise as food (Sangria being the obvious one) it does paint an interesting image of visitor’s favourite Spanish foods.
Here’s the list:
Top 10 List of favourite foods of tourists who visit Spain
- Jamón (We assume it refers to ‘Jamón Serrano’).
- Paella
- Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Omelette).
- Olives
- Patatas Bravas (Fried potato squares served with a spicy mayonnaise sauce).
- Calamares (Squid, and probably refers to the deep fried rings found in most Chiringuitos).
- Langostinos (Prawns).
- Ensaladilla Rusa (Potato Salad… and nothing to do with Rusia!).
- Churros (The traditional, and quite delicious, breakfast treat accompanied by hot chocolate).
- Sangría (Not really a food, unless you consider the fresh fruit included in the jug, but still delicious!)
Whilst we tend to agree with many of the foods and dishes included in the above list, we thought it would be interesting to ask some of our guests what their favourite Spanish food is.
So we asked the question on our Facebook page… You’ll find the answers in the embedded post below.
A landslide victory for the ‘Paella’ amongst our guests but also a strong preference for the ‘Gambas Pil-Pil’, all washed down with a nice glass of Rioja wine!
What can’t be denied is that Spanish Food is one of the world’s favourites. Every year millions of tourists who visit our beautiful country enjoy the mouth-watering dishes on offer, whether it’s the traditional ‘Paella’ or a good plate of ‘Jamón Serrano’ these dishes all make that holiday in Spain a little more enjoyable. 🙂
By the way, if you’d like to come and taste some of the yummy food Spain has to offer, we’d be happy to welcome you to Sunset Beach Club! We’re located just 20 minutes from Malaga airport and our friendly team will be able to give you some great tips on local bars and restaurants in which to sample the best of Spanish Cuisine. For more information about our hotel and to check availability, please go to www.sunsetbeachclub.com.
