Essential Products for the Perfect Spanish Picnic

When it comes to enjoying the great outdoors, few experiences rival the joy of a good picnic. And what better way to elevate your picnic game than by celebrating the wonderful flavors of Spain?

In this article, we’ll embark on a delicious journey to uncover 12 foods for a memorable Spanish-themed picnic that will absolutely delight your taste buds. Even better, all of these iconic ready-to-eat delicacies are available in small packages, which makes it super easy to just pop them in your picnic basket.

Spanish Classics

The first indispensable food is Spanish tortilla de patata. This classic dish made with eggs, potatoes, and onions is delicious at room temperature and is available in small, ready-made packages. A slice of tortilla, and perhaps a chapata bread, are all you need to enjoy this traditional food. Palacios makes a delicious mini-tortilla while La Cocina de Senén offers a gourmet version from the chef behind Sagartoki restaurant.

Acorn-fed Ibérico ham is another picnic must-have. As it’s typically sliced paper thin and separated individually, it’s very easy to pack, plus its melt-in-the-mouth texture and exquisite flavor are always a hit. Cinco Jotas and Joselito, two iconic Spanish producers, offer individual packets, which make it easier than ever to enjoy this specialty when you’re out and about.

Fuet sticks are a wonderful snack you can take with you, and Campofrío offers authentic Spanish flavors in small packages, including chorizo, fuet, fuet with cheese, and turkey sticks. Argal offers similar options, as well as longaniza, fuet and breadsticks, and ham bites.

No Spanish picnic would be complete without some delicious cheeses, so don’t forget to bring that travel charcuterie board with you for your Iberico ham and cheese. Pastovelia has a small format PDO Torta del Casar cheese, a silver medal winner at the 2022 Cheese Awards, and Finca Pascualete has a wonderful set of 3 mini cheeses: Miniretorta, Minicumbre, and Pastura with truffles.

Cooler, lighter fare

If the weather is especially warm, a refreshing gazpacho must be a part of your culinary adventure. This chilled vegetable soup is an excellent low-cal, healthy, vegan, and gluten-free addition to your picnic. La Salmoreteca offers small bottles in a range of daring flavors (traditional, orange and mango, and avocado, apple, and basil), while Santa Teresa has a larger but still manageable option which was also named Best Gazpacho in 2021.

Let veggies make another appearance at your picnic in the form of escalivada. This typical Catalan roasted vegetable medley (red pepper, eggplant, and onions) is a great light addition to your meal. Ametller Origen has a small portion packaged in plastic for easy transport, while Adolfo Sábada offers a similar version in a jar.

Spreadable goodness

Since you probably already have a freshly baked baguette in your basket, a selection of patés would be another great addition to your picnic. Iberitos has a wonderful bucket that comes with a selection of 5 different tinned patés, from cream of cured pork loin with pimentón to cream of patatera ibérica from Extremadura.

Products in vinegar and brine

Spanish olives are a quintessential ingredient in Spanish cuisine and no picnic would be complete without them. Their briny, tangy, bitter flavors make them a must-have item, and as they are pre-packaged in small cans, they’re easy to bring along. La Española has a spicy version stuffed with japapeños, which received a Flavor of the Year label in 2021, while El Faro offers a more traditional option: Manzanilla olives stuffed with anchovies.

The olive’s cousin, the banderilla, should also make an appearance at your picnic. These vinegar-flavored skewers, by Las Toreras and Sarasa, feature a pearl onion, a gherkin, an olive, a bell pepper, and a chili pepper, and they come in a small jar or plastic container, ideal for eating on the go.

Bring the flavors of the sea to dry land with a selection of tinned products, one of Spain’s specialties. Galician company Frinsa has an extensive offering of everything from fresh scallops, razor clams, cuttlefish, and octopus, while La Real Conservera Española has an exquisite can of sea urchin roe as well as cockles, mussels, sardines, and clams.

On the sweet and salty side

Olive oil torta is another product that is representative of Spanish cuisine, and famed sweet torta maker Inés Rosales sells these delights in packs of 6. These crispy, flaky flatbreads have been eaten in Spain for the last 100 years, as the locals enjoy their unique crunchy texture and aniseed and sesame flavors.

Would your picnic be complete without Spanish potato chips? Definitely not! But don’t take any generic chips with you, especially when there are gems like San Nicasio’s multi-award-winning potato chips made with extra virgin olive oil and pimentón, or Bonilla a La Vista’s mini tin option.

It’s clear that you need not head to a Michelin-star restaurant, or any Spanish restaurant for that matter, to enjoy delicious Spanish cuisine. Traditional favorites are now more portable than ever, so pack that basket, find the perfect spot, and dive into the deliciousness that awaits!

Perfect pairings

You’ll need to have something to quench your thirst on your day out, so don’t forget to pack a small bottle of wine or cava. An extensive selection of mini wine bottles from brands as Ramón Bilbao (Rioja DOCa), Codorniu (Cava DO), Marqués de Riscal (Rueda DO), or Jaume Serra (Penedès DO) will pair perfectly with your food, or bring a few cans of wine from Zeena. Alternatively, you can pack mineral water from the mountains of Asturias, by Agua Nea; or a Vichy Catalán water. 

It’s clear that you need not head to a Michelin-star restaurant, or any Spanish restaurant for that matter, to enjoy delicious Spanish cuisine. Traditional favorites are now more portable than ever, so pack that basket, find the perfect spot, and dive into the deliciousness that awaits!