10 Amazing facts about Spanish food and cuisine

Spanish food is one of the best cuisines around the world. Discover 10 of the most amazing and curious facts about the Spanish cuisine and gastronomy. Top 10 food facts of Spain:  

  • Spain with a 44 % of market share is by far the most important producer of olive oil in the world. This is more than twice the Italian production and four times Greek production! 

  • Spain is the number one in terms of area covered by vineyards. Around 15.5 % of the world vineyards are in Spain!

  • Around 75 % of the world saffron production is in Spain! Saffron is one of the essential ingredients of the paella dish!

  • The wine Sherry comes from a city of southern Spain called Jerez, a corruption of the Persian name for the city (Sheriz).

  • Tortillas in Spain are omelettes! Spanish omelette is commonly known as Spanish tortilla.

Top 10 amazing facts about food in Spain and Spanish gastronomy

  • Spain is the 5th exporter of wine to the U.S.A.  (after Italy, Australia, France and Chile).

  • Most famous wines in Spain are red ones, but the majority of the vineyards are of white grapes! 

  • Tomatoes, potatoes, cacao, tobacco were imported to Europe by Spaniards. See Spanish food influences and history.

  • Tapas are not a typical dishes or food, tapas are more a way to eat them. The word 'tapa' means cover and Tapas originally were slices of cheese or something else used to cover a drink in order to keep flies and mosquitos away!

  • Spain is the second country in numbers of bars per inhabitant, just after Cyprus.