Top five vegetables
Part of the thistle family, the artichoke reveals its flavour layer by layer, its tender heart reached by unwrapping petal-shaped bracts. Soft green and purple, this versatile vegetable can be grilled, baked, stuffed or boiled – perfectly paired with ham and a glass of fino.
Fresh and canned artichokes are considered a delicacy in Spain, with the best hailing from the east and north. The blanca de Tudela variety from Benicarlo, Castellon (Alcachofa de Benicarlo) and those from Tudela in Navarre (Alcachofa de Tudela) are harvested from mid-October to December when the frost arrives, and these winter crops are then preserved to enjoy all year round. A second budding picked between February and June is eaten fresh.
Artichoke
The flowering head of the Brassica oleracea, from the same family as cabbage, is an antioxidant-rich winter vegetable popular for its nutritional values, as it is packed with vitamins A and C, phytochemicals and anti-ageing qualities.
This cruciferous plant is delicious steamed, served tender (not soggy) and drizzled with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon, toasted almond flakes or garlicky slivers of chorizo.
Spain is the world’s third biggest producer and primary exporter of broccoli. Murcia, tucked in the southeast corner in the Mediterranean basin, is known to locals as “broccoli country”. Thanks to the quality of the product, it’s enjoying a revival among Spain’s avant-garde chefs.
Broccoli
Endive, escarole, crisp romaine, little gem, arugula, round lettuce, batavia, lollo rosso, mache (lamb’s lettuce), watercress, antioxidant-packed spinach (introduced by the Moors), chard and curly kale – just a few of a long list of wonderfully fresh, healthy greens grown in Spain.
Mostly are eaten raw in salads, sandwiches or, as with arugula, added as a garnish. Refreshing and filled with vitamins and minerals, the leaves’ flavours range from bitter to sweet. Spanish farmers in Murcia, Almeria and Alicante grow some of the best, and the fast turnaround from field to plate is a boon for consumers.
Leafy greens
Usually red or green, full-flavoured Spanish peppers have sweet notes. Once cultivated by Franciscan monks returning from the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, capsicum is a key ingredient in paella, estofados (stews) and gazpacho. Those from Najera (La Rioja) and Bierzo peppers (Pimiento Asado del Bierzo in Leon) are perfect for roasting and canning, while Galicia’s swirling rain and sudden bursts of heat yield great-tasting peppers too.
Pemento de Herbon DOP, commonly referred to as Padron peppers – and as green as the lush northwest landscape they grow in – are served sizzling straight from the pan. Though mostly mild, the heat of the occasional pepper can be eye-wateringly hot. A fun surprise when eating with friends.
Peppers
Vitamin-rich winter crucifers like cauliflower, red, purple, and white cabbage, curly kale and turnip greens – central to Spanish gastronomy – grow mostly in the country’s north and are packed with nutritional benefits. Many are available year-round in vegetable preserves.
Winter in Galicia is synonymous with dark, leafy bunches of berza (curly kale) and grelos (turnip greens) – lacon con grelos (ham with turnip greens) is a popular dish. Madrid’s favourite stew, cocido Madrileño, is served with white cabbage, while in Cantabria, cabbage is combined with white beans, potato and pork to tasty effect. A national favourite at Christmas is red cabbage, which is sautéed with apples, raisins and pine nuts.
Cabbage and cauliflower
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For more on Spain’s PGI preserved food, from fantastic tinned and canned fish fruit
and vegetables to inspiration on where it grows, where you can pick your own and meet passionate producers, visit foodswinesfromspain.com/spainfoodnation
Meet Angel Zapata
Top five vegetables
Top five fruits
Spanish delight:
cook up a storm with asparagus from Navarra, artichokes from Tudela and piquillo peppers from Lodosa
PROMOTED CONTENT
When you cook with such versatile, nutrient-packed foods as these, you're bound to get inspiration for your menus
For more on Spain’s PGI preserved food, from fantastic tinned and canned fish fruit
and vegetables to inspiration on where it grows, where you can pick your own and meet passionate producers, visit foodswinesfromspain.com/spainfoodnation
As to credits, the following– IMG -2174, IMG -2225, IMG -2080, IMG -2031, IMG -2059 should be credited to Agencia SOCIAW, photographer Marie Sjöberg
All the other images should be credited to LH Photoagency, JC de Marcos.
PHOTOHRAPHY: ©JC de Marcos/LH Photoagency
Meet Angel Zapata
Top five vegetables
Top five fruits
DISCOVER MORE
Find out more about tantalising Spanish produce at foodswinesfromspain.com/spainfoodnation
Meet Angel Zapata
TOP FIVE VEGETABLES
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Vitamin-rich winter crucifers like cauliflower, red, purple, and white cabbage, curly kale and turnip greens – central to Spanish gastronomy – grow mostly in the country’s north and are packed with nutritional benefits. Many are available year-round in vegetable preserves.
Winter in Galicia is synonymous with dark, leafy bunches of berza (curly kale) and grelos (turnip greens) – lacon con grelos (ham with turnip greens) is a popular dish. Madrid’s favourite stew, cocido Madrileño, is served with white cabbage, while in Cantabria, cabbage is combined with white beans, potato and pork to tasty effect. A national favourite at Christmas is red cabbage, which is sautéed with apples, raisins and pine nuts.
Usually red or green, full-flavoured Spanish peppers have sweet notes. Once cultivated by Franciscan monks returning from the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, capsicum is a key ingredient in paella, estofados (stews) and gazpacho. Those from Najera (La Rioja) and Bierzo peppers (Pimiento Asado del Bierzo in Leon) are perfect for roasting and canning, while Galicia’s swirling rain and sudden bursts of heat yield great-tasting peppers too.
Pemento de Herbon DOP, commonly referred to as Padron peppers – and as green as the lush northwest landscape they grow in – are served sizzling straight from the pan. Though mostly mild, the heat of the occasional pepper can be eye-wateringly hot. A fun surprise when eating with friends.
DISCOVER MORE
Find out more about
tantalising Spanish produce at
foodswinesfromspain.com/
spainfoodnation
TOP FIVE FRUITS
MEET ANGEL ZAPATA