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FOOD AND DRINK

14 unusual foods you won’t believe are eaten in Spain

Spain is well known as a gastronomical destination famous for its jamón, tortilla and paella, but it is also home to a few stranger foods that you might not have heard of.

Published: 5 July 2023 16:17 CEST
Updated: 7 August 2024 09:12 CEST
14 unusual foods you won't believe are eaten in Spain
It's hard to know what to eat when it comes to goose barnacles. Photo: Cofradiadecangas/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
 
Callos – Tripe stew
 
Callos, which can also mean calluses in Spanish like the ones you get on your hands and feet, is an animal tripe stew served up in many Madrid bars (where it’s called callos a la madrileña) and contains chickpeas, blood sausage, tripe and peppers.
 
Nothing is spared when it comes to callos in Spain. Photo: Javier Lastras/Wikipedia (CC BY 2.0)

 
 
Calçots – Catalan green onions
 
Catalan-speciality calçots are more unusual for the way they are eaten than for how they taste. You ingest these giant spring onions by peeling the charred outer layer off first, dipping them in a sauce and then holding them up in the air before lowering them slowly into your mouth.
 
When Catalans gather to eat calçots, they have a ‘calçotada’. Photo: Silvia Martín/Wikipedia (CC BY 2.0)

 
 
Percebes – Goose barnacles
 
Percebes are a delicacy in Spain that can cost up to €150 a kilo. You eat these creepy crustaceans by sucking them out of their shell, and they are particularly popular in Galicia and the Basque Country in northern Spain. 
 
Expect to pay a lot for percebes in Spain because goose barnacle fishing is a dangerous job. Photo: José Antonio Gil Martínez/Wikipedia

 
 
 
 
Oreja de cerdo – Pig’s ear
 
Oreja de cerdo is a very popular tapa in Spain. The chewy cartilage is served roasted or boiled in a cocido or stew, or it can also grilled or fried (known usually as oreja a la plancha) in spices until it is slightly charred.
 
Pigs’ ears in tomato sauce. Photo: Tamorlan/Wikipedia (CC BY 3.0)

 
 
Migas – Breadcrumbs
 
Migas, or breadcrumbs in English, is a popular meal across Spain, particularly in the south. In Extremadura, the dish includes day-old bread soaked in water, garlic, paprika and olive oil. In other parts of the country, migas are cooked with bacon or chorizo for some much needed flavour.
 
Migas is a pretty bland dish considerable all strong tastes present in Spanish cuisine. Photo: Pedrosefarin/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 
 
Morcilla – Blood sausage
 
Those who gag at the thought of eating British black pudding are in for a pleasant surprise. Morcilla, as it is known in Spain, is everywhere, offering the best blood a pig can offer. Morcilla de Burgos is the most famous of all, which is made with rice.
 
Morcilla is very tasty, especially if you don’t stop to think what you’re eating. (Photo by CESAR MANSO / AFP)

 
 
Caracoles – Snails
 
The Spanish and the French have their differences, but one thing they do share is their love of caracoles. Snail dishes are popular in Catalonia, the Valencia region and Andalusia, where the gastropods have long been wild harvested.
 
Snails are eaten in a number of countries, including Spain. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP)

 
 
Criadillas – Testicles
 
If you’re squeamish and new to criadillas, eat first and ask what they are later. Otherwise there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay a quick visit to the toilet – after you find out they are in fact bull’s testicles (or any other animal’s testicles for that matter). A 2022 article in Catalan daily La Vanguardia asked “Why have we stopped eating testicles?”, we think we know the answer already.
 
Goat’s testicles. Photo: Tamorlan/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 
 
Angulas – Baby eels
 
Angulas (also referred to as gulas) may look like white and grey spaghetti but in fact they are shredded baby eels that are two to three years old. Gulas are popular in northern Spain and because their fishing is restricted, they tend to be fairly expensive. 
 
Gulas are often cooked in garlic along with prawns. Photo: Juan Mejuto/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Crestas de gallo – Cockscombs

Crestas de gallo are the red rubbery part of a cockerels’ head crests and typical of Castilla y León and the Madrid region, particularly Zamora and Cuenca. With a gelatinous texture similar to mushrooms, they are usually stewed with vegetables and spices. 

They are very typical of Castilla y León and the Community of Madrid.

Cockerel combs, for those who have grown tired of delicious chicken breasts. Photo: Tamorlan/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 2.5)

 

Cabezas de cordero – Sheep heads

Roasted sheep heads are traditionally eaten in Aragón in northeastern Spain, where they are called cabezas de ternasco. Nowadays sheep heads are only popular with the older generation, as young people find them rather off-putting and you have to know how to remove the meat from the head. 

The best way to eat ternasco is to apparently break the head with your own hands before biting off the meat. Diego Delso/Wikipedia

And a few more honourable mentions…

Lamprea en su sangre – Lamprey in its own blood

Simply put the lamprey is half fish – half snake, and because it feeds on other fish it is often called ‘the marine vampire’ in Galicia, where it is fished in the waters of the Miño river. In this northwestern region it is usually cooked in its own blood, which gives it a dark and disgusting appearance, even though it’s meant to be delectable. 

Filloas de sangre – Blood pancakes

Filloas de sangre, known as Galician blood crepes or pancakes, are made with pig’s blood. They are usually eaten during the autumn and winter months, and are particularly popular around carnival time because this is the usual slaughter season.

Burro – Donkey

Not to be confused with burrito, the Mexican-style wrap. Burro (donkey) is apparently similar to veal, and very typical of Granada. Spaniards say it also has great health benefits, protecting against asthma and pneumonia, among others.

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FOOD AND DRINK

OPINION: Why Spanish cakes and desserts aren’t among the best

Traditional Spanish baked goods and puddings just don't seem to be as good or as well-known as their European counterparts from France, Italy, the UK and Portugal, do you agree? Read on to discover the reasons why this might be.

Published: 20 September 2024 10:07 CEST
OPINION: Why Spanish cakes and desserts aren't among the best

Spain is known throughout the world for its cuisine – olive-oil drizzled plates of tapas, fragrant seafood paellas and delicate Basque pintxos, so many people come here ready to be wowed by the cakes and desserts too.

Unfortunately, they sometimes leave disappointed by the sweet offerings here in Spain. Foreign British residents often complain about the standard of pastries and cakes compared to back home, while other foreign residents such as Swedes, French and Portuguese tend to set up their own bakeries or prefer to shop at those owned by their fellow countrymen.

Firstly, it’s not that Spanish cakes and puddings are bad, it’s simply that they are not as delectable as those found in some other European countries. They are not as famous either when compared with Italy’s tiramisu and gelato, England’s Bakewell tarts and hearty fruit cakes, Portugal’s pasteis de nata or Sweden’s cinnamon buns.

READ ALSO: Taste your way around Oviedo – Spain’s Capital of Gastronomy 2024 

Firstly, while Spain does have a lot of cakes and pastries there’s not much variety to them. For example, the Roscón de Reyes over Christmas, the Mona de Pascua at Easter and Catalan cocas eaten for Sant Joan are all essentially the same – sweet bread, perhaps with some candied fruit on top. Other traditional sweet bread include ensaimadas from Mallorca.

The Spanish Roscón de Reyes is typical Christmas dessert. Phtoo: Zarateman / Wikimedia Commons

Secondly, Spanish cuisine is celebrated for its simplicity – produce is the star of the show without much adulteration or mixing a lot of ingredients into one dish. Cakes are like that too – they don’t go in for elaborate cakes with lots of fillings and toppings like in the UK, they are simpler and often just filled with cream.

Cakes and pastries are usually quite plain in flavours too – you won’t often find Spanish coffee cakes, carrot cakes, lemon or ginger or the cardamom and cinnamon buns typical in northern Europe.

Usually, it’s just plain vanilla and maybe Nutella chocolate spread in some of the pastries. The exception of this is almond and aniseed, often used by nuns in their biscuits. But again, it’s not a very strong almond flavour like Italy’s amaretto cookies, it’s very subtle. Magdalenas, Spain’s version of a muffin, are again usually only found in one plain flavour – perhaps with a very subtle hint of lemon.

READ ALSO: 14 unusual foods you won’t believe are eaten in Spain 

It may seem odd because Spain has a lot of really good fruit, nuts and other produce that would taste great in a dessert, but Huelva’s strawberries, Extremadura’s figs, Valencia’s oranges and Asturian apples rarely feature in desserts, with the exception of ice cream, which Spaniards actually do really well.

People would rather eat these fruits on their own – unadulterated and without added extras like much of their other ingredients such as meat and seafood.

Even chocolate isn’t used a lot in desserts or cakes – apart from churros con chocolate or just the use of Nutella spread on top.

The next reason why Spanish repostería (confectionery and pastry-making) is not as elaborate as other European countries is that many of the most traditional pastries, biscuits and cakes were invented by nuns in Spain. This partly explains why they are so simple and often use up left over ingredients such as eggs. The nuns didn’t want to make overly complicated puddings that would take up a lot of time in their busy day. If you go to Andalusia, you can still buy many of these traditional biscuits and cakes from the nuns themselves in working convents.

Traditional almond cookies that were made by nuns in Spain. Photo: Dioni Santidrian / Wikimedia Commons

Desserts in Spain may be slightly better than the cakes, but again there’s not a lot of variety or different flavours, most of them are custardy or creamy concoctions made with eggs and milk. These include arroz con leche – Spain’s version of rice pudding, which is arguably better than its UK counterpart and does also feature cinnamon, crema Catalana (like France’s crème brûlée) and flan (like crème caramel). Bienmesabe again, whether the Canarian or the Antequera versions are made with egg yolks and almonds. Flan is probably the most common option for a menú del día dessert all around the country and is rather uninspiring, when it comes to sweet treats. 

READ ALSO: Where can you get free tapas in Spain? 

Also, dessert can be even more simplified, for example a piece of fruit or a yoghurt is often offered as a pudding when it comes to the menús del día in Spain. As mentioned, fruit isn’t used much in desserts, it’s seen as a perfectly good dessert in itself. Why mush up a strawberry to put in Eton mess (an English pudding made with strawberries, cream and meringue), when you can have it in its purest form?

In fact, if you go to any of Spain’s big multicultural cities, it’s the international bakeries and dessert places which are the most popular, rather than the local ones. In Barcelona for example there’s the Swedish Manso’s Café, the Jewish-inspired Lady Babka and Demasié which offers American-style cinnamon buns and cookies.

There are of course exceptions, Baluard being one of the best Catalan-owned bakeries, but even here, breads and pastries and have a decidedly French taste to them.

Having said all that, sweet treats do tend to improve the further north you go – the Basque Country and Galicia being some of the best. Could this be to do with the influence from nearby France and Portugal?

Galicia produces arguably one of Spain’s best cakes, loved by almost all international residents and Spaniards alike – the tarta de Santiago.

Originating in the city of Santiago de Compostela, it’s a dense almond cake – similar to a frangipane or Bakewell tart minus the pastry and the jam.

Galicia’s tarta de Santiago is one of Spain’s best cakes. Photo: Katrin Gilger / Wikimedia Commons

The Basque Country too excels in its desserts more so than the rest of Spain. It’s baked burnt cheesecakes have become world famous. Again though, they’re very simple – they don’t have any fruit toppings or added flavours – they don’t even have a biscuit base like the New York counterparts.

They are, however, delicious and should be sampled whenever you find yourself in that part of Spain. La Viña in San Sebastián is often said to do the best Basque cheesecake in Spain and it’s not just about the hype, their cheesecakes really are that good.

Torrijas are another Basque exception, which are delicious. This is Spain’s version of French toast and is a thick slice of brioche style bread soaked in milk and egg and then deep fried. They’re often flavoured with cinnamon and lemon peel and are slightly caramelised.

But whether or not Spanish sweets and treats stack up against a British sticky toffee pudding, an American pumpkin pie or a French tarte tatin is entirely down to personal opinion.

What do you think? Are Spanish cakes and desserts better than some people think, or do you agree with this article? Have your say below in comments section.

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