The seven wonders of Spanish gastronomy

Reel off three dishes which automatically pop into your head when you think of Spanish cuisine.

Global insurance company Allianz have just run an initiative in Spain to find out what people consider to be the seven wonders of the country’s gastronomy. Each person was allowed three votes from a list of 21. Working my way through the culinary ‘nominees’ made me realise once again just how rich and diverse Spanish gastronomy is.

Amongst the obvious dishes, the ones you probably visualised at the start, and those we’d scoffed in various locations around Spain, were plates we hadn’t encountered previously.

Some dishes you tend to find across Spain, others are connected with specific areas.

This is the full list:

Alcachofas con almejas (artichoke and clams) from Navarra
Cochinillo asado (suckling pig) from Segovia
Cocido Madrileño (chickpea, meat and vegetable stew) from Madrid
Crema Catalana (custard based dessert) from Catalonia

Ensaimada Mallorquina (floury pastries, sometimes filled) from Mallorca
Fabada Asturiana (bean and meat stew) from Asturias
Gazpacho Andaluz (cold tomato and vegetable soup) from Andalucia
Jamón Ibérico (cured ham) found across Spain

Marmitako (tuna, potato and veg stew) from the Basque Country
Migas extrameñas (an dry stew made with breadcrumbs, chorizo, panceta and peppers) from Extramadura
Paella Valenciana (rice with meat, green beans, tomato and saffron) from Valencia

Paparajotes Murcianos (sweet fried pastries) from Murcia
Papas arrugadas (speciality, salty, wrinkled potatoes) from the Canary Islands
Patatas a la Riojana (chorizo, potato and paprika stew) from Rioja
Pisto Manchego (tomato, courgette and pepper stew) from La Mancha

Pollo al chilindrón (chicken in an onion, tomato and red pepper sauce) from Aragon
Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus, potatoes and paprika) from Galicia
Quesada pasiega (milk pudding) from Cantabria
Tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) from across Spain
Turrón (almond, honey and sugar cake) from Jijona and Alicante

And the top seven gastronomic wonders of Spain are…

Papas arrugadas, Jamón Ibérico, pulpo a la gallega, paella Valenciana, tortilla de patatas, quesada pasiega and paparajotes Murcianos.

Incidentally, the three dishes which came into my head were paella, gazpacho and jamón ibérico, only one of which I voted for.

Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+