Tools · Discover
Spanish Food Glossary
Searchable Spanish food terms — sofrito, socarrat, pintxos, and more — linked to SpainEats dishes and ingredients.
Sofrito
Slow-cooked aromatic base
so-FREE-toh
Onion, garlic, and often tomato cooked gently in olive oil until sweet and jammy. The flavour foundation of many Spanish stews and rice dishes.
How it is used: Start stews, pisto, and many rice dishes with sofrito before adding main ingredients.
Socarrat
Toasted rice crust
so-kah-RAHT
The prized caramelised layer of rice that forms on the bottom of a well-made paella when liquid is absorbed and heat finishes the crust.
How it is used: Do not stir paella once the stock is in; listen for crackle and smell toasting rice near the end.
Pimentón
Spanish paprika
pee-men-TOHN
Ground dried peppers, famously smoked in La Vera (pimentón de la Vera). Comes dulce (sweet), agridulce, or picante.
How it is used: Season pulpo, stews, chorizo-style dishes, and finish many Galician and Extremaduran plates.
Garrofó
Large flat white bean used in Valencian paella
gah-ro-FO
A traditional bean in Paella Valenciana. Soft, buttery, and part of the authentic vegetable set with ferradura (flat green beans).
How it is used: Add with other Valencian paella vegetables; do not swap for random canned beans without adjusting liquid.
Jamón ibérico
Iberian cured ham
hah-MOHN ee-BEH-ree-ko
Cured ham from Iberian pigs, ranging from acorn-fed (bellota) to feed-based categories. Eaten thinly sliced, often at room temperature.
How it is used: Tasting plates, croquetas filling, finishing soups like salmorejo.
Tapas
Small plates / bar snacks
TAH-pahs
Small portions meant for sharing with drinks. Culture and etiquette vary by region — not one fixed free-tapa rule.
How it is used: Order rounds, share, and pace the meal. See regional tapas guides for local habits.
Pintxos
Basque bar bites (often skewered)
PEEN-chos
Northern Spanish bar snacks, often assembled on bread and held with a stick (pintxo). Closely tied to Basque bar hopping.
How it is used: Grab from the bar counter or order from the kitchen; keep track of sticks/plates for the bill where that system applies.
Escalivada
Catalan smoky roasted vegetables
es-kah-lee-VAH-dah
Eggplant, peppers, and often onion roasted until soft and smoky, dressed with oil.
How it is used: Serve as a tapa, side, or topping for bread and fish.
Gazpacho
Andalusian cold tomato soup
gahz-PAH-cho
Cold blended vegetable soup based on tomato, pepper, cucumber, garlic, bread, vinegar, and olive oil.
How it is used: Summer lunch or tapa; distinct from thicker salmorejo.
Salmorejo
Córdoba-style thick cold tomato soup
sal-mo-REH-ho
Thicker than gazpacho, bread-heavy, often topped with egg and jamón.
How it is used: Serve cold in bowls as a starter in hot weather.
Ajoblanco
Cold almond-garlic soup
ah-ho-BLAHN-ko
Pale Andalusian cold soup of almonds, garlic, bread, oil, and vinegar; often with grapes or melon.
How it is used: Summer starter; another cold-soup cousin of gazpacho.
Paella
Valencian dry rice dish (and the pan)
pah-EH-yah
Named for the wide shallow pan. In Valencia it is a dry rice dish with specific traditional versions — not a generic seafood casserole.
How it is used: Cook uncovered, distribute ingredients evenly, and aim for even rice and socarrat.
Fideuà
Valencian noodle paella
fee-deh-WAH
Same pan logic as paella but with short noodles (fideos) instead of rice, often seafood-based.
How it is used: Toast noodles, add stock, finish without stirring.
Fabada
Asturian bean stew
fah-BAH-dah
Slow stew of large white beans (fabes) with chorizo, morcilla, and pork.
How it is used: Winter comfort food with sidra (cider) nearby.
Pulpo á feira
Fair-style Galician octopus
POOL-po ah FAY-rah
Octopus with potatoes, olive oil, and pimentón — the classic Galician octopus plate also called pulpo a la gallega.
How it is used: Serve on wooden plates at festivals and restaurants across Galicia.
Tortilla española
Spanish potato omelette
tor-TEE-yah es-pah-NYO-lah
Thick omelette of eggs and potatoes, sometimes onion. Served hot or cold as tapa or meal.
How it is used: Nationwide staple; onion is a friendly debate, not a crime.
Croqueta
Béchamel croquette
kro-KEH-tah
Fried bite of thick béchamel, often with jamón, chicken, or salt cod.
How it is used: Bar classic; serve hot and crisp.
Albóndigas
Spanish meatballs
al-BOHN-dee-gahs
Meatballs in sauce, from home cooking to tapas menus.
How it is used: Serve with bread for the sauce.
Romesco
Catalan pepper-nut sauce
ro-MES-ko
Sauce of roasted peppers/tomatoes, nuts, garlic, and oil — classic with calçots and grilled foods.
How it is used: Dip, spoon over grilled vegetables or fish.
Alioli / Allioli
Garlic emulsion
ah-lee-OH-lee
Traditional garlic and oil emulsion; many modern versions include egg. Served with rice, fish, and fries.
How it is used: Dollop beside fideuà, grilled meats, or potatoes.
Sobremesa
Lingering at the table after the meal
so-breh-MEH-sah
The social stretch after eating when conversation continues. Central to Spanish meal culture.
How it is used: Plan time after lunch or dinner; the meal is not only the food.
Vermut
Vermouth hour / aperitif
ber-MOOT
Aperitif culture — vermouth with ice, olive, and orange, often with tapas before lunch.
How it is used: Weekend midday ritual in many cities.
Sidra
Asturian / Basque cider
SEE-drah
Natural cider culture of northern Spain, poured from height to aerate (escanciar).
How it is used: Pair with fabada, cheese, and northern dishes.
Sherry / Jerez
Fortified wine from Jerez
SHEH-ree / heh-RETH
Range from dry fino/manzanilla to richer oloroso and sweet styles. Core Andalusian drink culture.
How it is used: Aperitif with olives and fried seafood; cooking and vinegar production.
Bocadillo
Spanish sandwich on a baguette-style roll
bo-kah-DEE-yo
Everyday sandwich — tortilla, jamón, calamari, etc. — on crusty bread.
How it is used: Quick lunch or travel food.
Ración
Sharing plate (larger than a tapa)
rah-THYON / rah-SYON
A larger portion meant for the table to share, bigger than a single tapa.
How it is used: Order raciones when dining as a group.
Montadito
Small open-faced topped bread
mon-tah-DEE-toh
Bite-sized bread with toppings — common in Andalusian and bar culture.
How it is used: Typical tapa format.
Caldo
Broth / soup
KAL-doh
Broth-based soups such as caldo gallego; also the stock used in rice cookery.
How it is used: Sip as a first course or use as cooking liquid.
Guiso
Stew / braise
GEE-so
Slow-cooked stew category covering everything from fabada to cocido-style pots.
How it is used: Weeknight or Sunday cooking depending on complexity.
Azafrán
Saffron
ah-thah-FRAHN / ah-sah-FRAHN
Stigmas of Crocus sativus — colour, aroma, and expense. Bloom in warm liquid before adding to rice.
How it is used: Paella and festive rice dishes.
Related hubs: Food culture · Dishes · Regions