It’s often said that you can tell a lot about a country from its cuisine. All too often when we think of Spain we make automatic associations with paella or Spanish omelets. Worse still, many travellers don’t venture beyond the expat-heavy tourist resorts located along the Spanish costas where full English breakfasts and a ‘chips-with-everything’ attitude dominate. But like most countries, Spain is a treasure trove of delicious traditional and regional cuisines where the ingredients, flavors and styles of dishes often depend upon the ingredients that are locally plentiful. For those who want to tantalize their taste buds whilst topping up their tan in beautiful Spain, here’s our guide to the best places in which to do both.

The northernmost regions of Spain, whose shores stretch along the Bay of Biscay, benefit from an abundance of seafood and fish and nowhere is this more evident than in Galicia and neighboring Asturias. Although often referred to as ‘green Spain’ thanks to verdant countryside and areas of dense woodland, there is no shortage of sun and sand to enjoy in the many fishing villages and resorts along the coast. Besides stunning medieval cities such as Santiago de Compostela with its magnificent cathedral, northern Spain boasts walking-country that begs to be explored. Galicia presents an array of seafood with goose barnacles, cod, calamares and many shellfish among its specialties. A hearty white bean soup, caldo gallego, is also traditional.

Heading eastwards, the region of Asturias is particularly famed for its haricot beans which provide the base for a popular stew – fabada asturiana – and for its artisan cheeses which include the strongly-flavoured queso de Cabrale. The cuisine of neighboring Cantabria is typified both by the easy availability of plump fresh sardines, but also by tender meats such as lamb and suckling pig. Lush grasslands and a temperate climate have led to comparisons with British countryside, and are the perfect conditions for raising livestock and growing excellent vegetables. To the south of Cantabria lies the small province of La Rioja. With no fewer than seven rivers flowing through it, La Rioja is extremely fertile and is Spain’s most famous wine producing region. Besides drinking fine Spanish wine there is much to enjoy on a visit to La Rioja. The mountain ranges here provide a host of outdoor activities including skiing, climbing, horse riding, bungee-jumping, fishing and hiking. Appetites thus worked up will be sated by La Rioja’s plentiful cured hams, chorizo sausages and traditional pepper and potato dishes.

Enclosed by mountain ranges and boasting a dramatic landscape, a Mediterranean climate prone to extremes of temperature and nine individual provinces each bursting with fascinating and historic towns and cities to discover, the vast region of Castile and León in northwest Spain is a must for lovers of natural beauty and spectacular architecture. More fine wines and cheeses originate here, whilst specialties include Morcilla – a spiced black pudding, garlic soup, a host of traditional sausages, the ever-popular suckling pig and roast lamb and Jamón de Guijuelo, another of Spain’s many fine cured hams. Pork is at the head of the menu in the region of Aragon in the northeast, an area popular both in summer and winter thanks to the activities offered by the Pyrenees Mountains. Aragon is also known for its snails (caracoles picantes a la aragonesa) and for many sweet Spanish delicacies including various turrones (types of nougat often made with honey), marzipans, and almond cakes.

Washed by the Mediterranean Sea, Catalonia’s Costa Brava has become synonymous with tourist-heavy holiday resorts but the region also encompasses Barcelona and a host of other historic cities. Traditional Catalan cuisine is considered to be among Spain’s finest and whatever your reason for visiting the region you shouldn’t miss out on specialities such as the simple but delicious pa amb tomàquet – toasted bread flavored with tomato, garlic, olive oil and salt. The combination of rice and seafood is at the forefront of Catalan cuisine; not only in the classic paella but also in dishes such as arros negre – rice coloured black using cuttlefish ink. Catalonia has its own interpretation of the pizza, here called the coca, which can be either savory or sweet and a version of crème brulee called crema Catalana. If these dishes aren’t enough to tempt you away from the British-style stodge offered by the average Costa Brava tourist restaurant, then surely Catalonia’s outstanding traditional sausages, cured hams, roast beefs and tapas are.

Bordering Portugal, Extremadura is billed as one of Spain’s last remaining unspoiled regions. Rich in medieval and Roman ruins and, in Guadalupe, a monastery that is a World Heritage Site, Extremadura offers visitors an insight into ‘real’ Spain. A National Park, plus scenic mountains, valleys and rustic villages combine to provide a travel experience unlike any other in Spain.  Removed from the coast, fresh fish is not Extremadura’s forte although dishes featuring salt cod are popular. More so is cocido extremeño, a rich and robust stew of chickpeas, lamb, sausage and vegetables. Other specialities of the region include pollo al padre Pero which is chicken braised in a pepper and tomato sauce and el frite; lamb fried in garlic, onion, lemon and paprika. Extremadura’s regional neighbour is Castilla la Mancha, the location of Spain’s vast central plains. Toledo is the region’s historic capital city, but Spanish heritage abounds in cities such as Guadalajara, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Albacete. Beautiful Moorish architecture is abundant, as are castles and the windmills made famous by Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Castilla la Mancha is generously steeped in natural beauty, boasting spectacular river canyons, mountains, gorges and forests. Although the gastronomy of Castilla la Mancha is similar to that of Extremadura, the region is famous both for its saffron which is used to add a unique flavor and color to many Spanish rice dishes, and for its Manchego cheese, produced from sheep’s milk.

To the east of Castilla la Mancha and beneath Catalonia on Spain’s Mediterranean east coast is Valencia: the birthplace of the famous paella. The ubiquity of this dish is owed to the fact that Valencia is Spain’s chief rice growing region, although the area is equally well known for its citrus fruits, exporting oranges, lemons, satsumas and clementines worldwide. It’s worth noting that paella is not exclusively a fish dish; variants including chicken or meat are equally common.

Occupying the majority of southern Spain and its south coast, the region of Andalucía is responsible for providing many of Spain’s iconic aspects such as bullfighting, Spanish guitar, flamenco dancing and tapas. This far south, with the coast of Africa just a hop away over the water,  constant sunshine and high temperatures are virtually guaranteed and the resorts of the Costa Almeria are among the most popular in the country. But away from the packed beaches Andalucía offers a compact cross-section of all that is best about the rest of Spain; beautiful countryside, charming villages, National Parks, historic areas and mountain ranges. Proximity to the sea once again ensures a cuisine bursting with seafood flavors, but Andalucía is also a major growing region for olives. Serrano ham originates here and soups –including gazpacho, casseroles, cheeses and variations on the simple but delicious Spanish omelets are all staples of the Andalucian menu.

Amy is a guest blogger from Easyjet who provide flights to Malaga and flights to Madrid as well as other destinations in Spain for your own gastronomic tour!