Ordering food can be tricky when traveling in a foreign country. Even after years living in Spain, I still need to refer to my SpanishDict iPhone app to help me surf through the items on a restaurant’s menu. Here´s a Quick and Dirty Spanish Survival Food Guide: How to Order in Spain! – a collection of the basic words any traveler in Spain will need, culled from my own experience.

First, how and when to eat like a local. Spaniards typically just have a quick coffee for breakfast (desayuno). Around 11:00am, they take break (almuerzo) for another coffee and a sandwich. They wait until 2:00pm to have a heavier lunch (comida), usually consisting of two dishes (what we might consider an appetizer and a main dish), dessert and coffee. Most restaurants have a daily menu (menú del día) and it´s more cost-worthy. Because lunch is heavy, it´s time for a nap (siesta). Most of the stores are closed until 5:00pm except larger establishments like El Corte Inglés (the Spanish Bloomingdales). Dinner (cena) for the typical Spaniard is quite late, starting around 10:00pm.

The most basic way to express what you want is: ¨I want…¨ (¨Yo quiero…¨)

If you would like to be more formal, you say: ¨I would like…¨ (¨Me gustaría tomar…¨ ) ¨Please.¨ (Por favor.)

Bread (Pan – typically French bread)

• Tostada: French or white sandwich bread
• Pan Integral: wheat bread
• Side options: mermelada (jam), salsa de tomate (tomato like-jam), jamón (ham), aceite de oliva (olive oil)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggs: (Huevos) The ¨h¨ is silent. Some favorite Spanish egg dishes:

• Huevos Fritos: Sunny-side up eggs, usually comes with French fries
• Huevos Revueltos: Scrambled eggs
• Huevos Rotos: a plate of potatoes with fried eggs and ham
• Tortilla Francesa: plain omelet
• Tortilla de Patata con Cebolla or sin Cebolla: Spanish type quiché without the crust, with or without onions.

Sandwiches (Bocadillos)

• Bocadillo: Different types of sandwiches on French bread
• Sandwich: Typical American sandwich on white bread.

(It´s almost impossible to find wheat bread (integral) in restaurants.

Salads: (Ensaladas)

• Ensalada Mixta: Iceberg or other lettuce, boiled eggs, carrots, corn, kalamata olives, tuna
• Ensalada Griega: A Greek salad, with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese and kalamata olives
• Ensalada Rusa: Potatoes with tuna, boiled eggs, peas and olives mixed with mayonnaise.

*Oil and vinegar: aceite de oliva y vinagre. It is rare for restaurants to have other types of dressings.

Soups (Sopas)

• Caldo: a soup broth that varies with meat, chicken, seafood and/or vegetables.
• Gazpacho: a chilled tomato soup with cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, garlic and stale bread. This dish is historically from Andalucía.
• Sopa de Ajo: soup with lots of garlic, bread, eggs and/or ham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meat (Carne):

• Albóndigas: Meatballs
• Cerdo: Pork
• Chorizo: Spicy Sausage
• Cordero: Lamb
• Filete: Steak
• Jámon: Ham, thinly sliced and similar to prosciutto
• Lomo: Pork Loin
• Pollo: Chicken
• Solomillo: top sirloin, Porterhouse steak
• Ternera: Veal

Fish (Pescados)

• Bacalao: Cod
• Bonito: Tuna
• Emperador: Swordfish
• Merluza: Hake
• Rape: Monkfish
• Salmón: Salmon

 Seafood (Marisco)

• Calamares/Sepia: Squid or Sepia
• Gambas al ajillo: Prawns/Shrimp with a special garlic sauce
• Langosta: Lobster
• Mejillones: Mussels
• Pulpo: Octupus

Potatoes (Patatas)

• Patatas Bravas: Boiled or fried potatoes with a special sauce
• Patatas Fritas: French Fries

Rice & Beans (Arroz y legumbres)

• Fabada: Bean stew with white beans, sausage, black pudding, bacon and shoulder of pork. Asturias is well-known for this dish.
• Garbonzos con Espinacas: chickpeas with spinach, onions, garlic; may contain sausage or black pudding
• Paella: Popular Spanish rice dish with either meat or seafood, peppers, green beans, artichokes, onions and garlic. Valencia is known for its´seafood paella.

At the end of the meal, to ask for the bill say, ¨La cuenta, por favor.¨ (The check, please). It is not customary to tip in Spain, but it´s okay to leave a few coins. To thank your waiter/waitress (camarero/camarera), say, ¨Gracias!¨

The next time you travel to Spain, ordering will be a breeze with a copy of the The Quick and Dirty Spanish Survival Food Guide: How to Order in Spain!

Gracias y Buena suerte! Thanks and good luck… on your next trip to Spain!

— Lori Needleman