Spanish food is fresh and flavorful with a strong Mediterranean influence exemplified by the frequent use of olive oil and various meats, vegetables and seafood. The most common traditional Spanish dish is called paella. Paella is a rice dish typically made with vegetables such as beans and tomato, as well as meats like chicken, rabbit or seafood. Other traditional foods in Spain include empanadas, gazpacho, tortilla de patatas and pan con tomate, which I made in a Spanish cooking class I recently took.
I have tried various types of paella, such as seafood and vegetable, as well as empanadas, which are baked or fried turnovers consisting of pastry and fillings like cheese and meat. I have also tried and prepared gazpacho, which is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. Another dish we made was tortilla de patatas, a thick omelet made with eggs, potatoes and onions. Pan con tomate, which means "tomato with bread," is common here as well. For dessert, we made a popular traditional Catalan dessert called crema catalana (Catalan cream) or crema cremada (burnt cream), which consists of a custard topped with a layer of caramelized sugar.
