When you have finished this lesson you will be able to...

• Name different food and groups
• Say what you eat and do not eat
• Say you are allergic to something

Spanish cuisine is heavily influenced by regional cuisines, the geography and climate had great influence on cooking methods and available ingredients. Most of the dishes are based on vegetables, pork and fish. We will list some of the most typical dishes of each region:

ANDALUCÍA: Gazpacho and “pescaíto frito“.

ARAGÓN: ternasco aragonés and bacalao arroajiero

ASTURIAS: Fabada and chorizo a la sidra

ISLAS BALEARES: Frito mallorquin and ensaimada

ISLAS CANARIAS: papas arrugás and mojo picón

CANTABRIA: cocido montañés and sobaos pasiegos

CASTILLA-LA MANCHA: pisto manchego

CASTILLA Y LEÓN: cochinillo asado

CATALUÑA: calçots and crema catalana

EXTREMADURA: migas

GALICIA: vieiras a la gallega and empanada gallega

LA RIOJA: bacalao y las patatas a la riojana

MADRID: cocido madrileño and huevos rotos

NAVARRA: pimientos rellenos de bacalao and chicharro al horno

PAÍS VASCO: bacalao al pil pil and pintxos

MURCIA: caldero del Mar Menor and arroz murciano

VALENCIA: paella and horchata

Vegetables in Spain

In Spanish cuisine, vegetables play a very important role. Spain is a major producer of fruits, vegetables and vegetables that exports throughout Europe. The most used vegetables in Spanish cuisine are the onion, garlic and pepper that form the basis of almost all traditional dishes, from Valencian paella, to cocido madrileño or Asturian fabes.

Common vegetables used in the North of Spain

Common vegetables used in Southern Spain

In the southern areas of Spain the most used vegetables for cooking are aubergines, artichokes, beets, spinach and asparagus. In addition, due to the difference in temperature with the north of Spain, there are plenty of salad dishes in which different types of lettuce, endive or endive are used, which are always dressed with olive oil of the best quality.

Common vegetables used in the center of Spain

The most used vegetables in central Spain, include cauliflower and cabbage, Swiss chard, as well as leeks and pumpkins and courgettes. Green beans are also traditional in the cuisine of central Spain and are accompanied with potatoes, eggs, sausages and even added to stews and rice dishes.

Common vegetables used in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands

The Mediterranean diet is traditional of the Balearic Islands and on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Eggplant and zucchini, as well as artichokes or asparagus are among the most commonly used vegetables.

The vegetable that is most used in the Canary Islands, unlike in the Peninsula, is the thistle. Besides being used to prepare stews, it is also used to make the delicious and tasty cheeses.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

Choose the correct audio and drag it to the corresponding word and click "answer" when you have finished all.

When you want to say what you eat and do not eat, say:

A sentence always gets a completely different meaning by using an adverb:

If you are allergic to something you can say:

When you sit down to eat, it's common to thank the hosts for the food:

Once you already tried the meal you can say:

When there is one olive left on the plate, one piece of cheese or one slice of ham, then it gets left on the plate.

Noise is key to any good family meal in Spain. Although this may seem somewhat shocking to you, Spanish conversations at mealtime are filled with intense debates, talking over one another and broaching topics that might seem off-limits or personal.

Allow the more senior members of your to enter rooms ahead of you. Do not presume to seat yourself. The seating arrangement is usually predetermined, before sitting ask politely where can you sit. Spanish people typically wait until everyone is served, regardless of the course.

“Buen provecho” (coloquial) or “Que aprovechen” (formal)

When you have finished eating it is courteous to say "thanks for food."

If you come in where people are sitting and eating, it's polite to wish that it should be good for them: