Spain has a more cosmopolitan culinary ancestry than any other country in Europe. The Romans brought olive oil, the Moors brought rice and aubergines, and returning conquistadors from the Americas brought chocolate. In this entertaining and informative guide, Sterling explains how this mouth-watering mixture came about, and how best to indulge in it.
Spanish cuisine is straightforward--a Spanish proverb says that "It should taste of what it is"--but always interesting. As well as the culinary "trinity" of bread, oil and wine, there are irresistible hams, fish and seafood, and wonderful red wine. There are also less appetising dishes, such as bull's testicles and goat's brains, but even these are integral to Spain's culinary identity.
In addition to its useful tips on where to eat and shop, and language section, Lonely Planet World Food: Spain is full of insights into Spain and Spanish cooking, from an account of the process of curing ham or distilling olive oil, to Sterling's observation that pork is so popular in Spain because eating it at the time of the Inquisition allowed converted Jews and Moors to assert their Christianity. On reading this book, you understand how indelibly dependent the Spanish soul is on its culinary heritage, and it becomes impossible to look at tapas in the same way as before: "Tapas are an expression of a people and their unique way of living. They are not things to eat, but a way to eat them." --Toby Green