We have begun a series of articles in which we journey through Spain and its foods and wines by color. We started off with an iconic color for Spain, red.
We have begun a series of articles in which we journey through Spain and its foods and wines by color. We started off with an iconic color for Spain, red. Strength, flavor, intensity, energy; alongside tradition, maturity and wisdom. This is Spain in red.
Spanish food in red
The Spanish pantry boasts a huge number of red products. Who can resist the urge to bite into a Red Delicious apple grown in Girona’s orchards in Catalonia? Or the chance to savor Andalusia’s berries, the Piquillo pepper preserves, or irresistible Spanish chorizo – all iconic ingredients in our gastronomy. Another of these is pimentón (it’s not paprika, it’s pimentón, as our culinary ambassadors José Andrés and José Pizarro so often remind us). And what of the deep red hues of finely carved slices of pure Ibérico bellota ham? There’s nothing like it.
Spanish recipes that taste of red
There are a multitude of Spanish dishes that end up “tinted” with red, like the salads made with tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper; a refreshing gazpacho, or some simple but incredibly flavorful red prawns from Huelva, shrimp from Denia, or the massive carabineros (giant scarlet shrimp) that can be savored up and down the Mediterranean coast. We love this recipe (in the photo below) from the great Spanish chef Manolo de la Osa, who is an expert at interpreting the color red through his current take on the traditional gastronomy of La Mancha.
Spanish landscapes with a red filter
Those who are lucky enough to travel through any part of Spanish wine country in month of November are treated to an unforgettable sight. The grape leaves on the vines where red grapes have been harvested only weeks before, have now abandoned their summer greens for spectacular reds. One more miracle of nature.
Red also appears in late summer and early autumn, when towns throughout La Rioja, Navarre and the Basque Country adorn themselves in their very finest, thanks to the strings of peppers that are hung from balconies to dry in the crisp mountain air. A colorful display that represents tradition, architecture and gastronomy.
Spain tastes of red, it adorns itself in red, and it exports products filled with passion, strength and energy. Will you catch red fever with us?
Text: Rodrigo García / @ICEX
Translation: Adrienne Smith / @ICEX
Photos: @ICEX