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Spanish food glossary
Menu and recipe words you will meet across Spain — sofrito, socarrat, salmorejo, pintxos, fabes — with plain definitions and links into full guides.
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How to use it
Search or scan for a term you saw on a menu board or in a recipe. Short definitions keep you moving; Spain Eats dish pages carry authenticity notes, mistakes, and regional context. Pair with ingredients when the word is a pantry item (pimentón, bomba, ajo).
Spanish food vocabulary is regional. The same English word “tortilla” or “empanada” can mean different plates — the glossary points you to the Spanish meaning used on this site.
Menu words that confuse visitors
Tortilla, empanada, and bocadillo mean Spanish things first on this site. Sofrito is the flavor base, not a garnish. Socarrat is the toasted rice prize. Salmorejo is not thick gazpacho with a new name — it is its own Córdoba craft. Use glossary entries as doorways into full articles.
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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
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