This year, Spain will enjoy increased popularity among tourists. Exotic holidays with an admixture of extraordinary entertainment, attractive souvenirs and gifts for relatives who stayed at home – all this promises to make your vacation charming and temperamental, like Spanish dances!
edible goods
It is hard to resist and not try a lot of traditional Spanish dishes, the recipes of which have been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries. But if you cannot bring ready meals home, then it will not be difficult to purchase local delicacies in order to “savor” them at home with your family.
It just so happened that tourists are actively interested and buying up a local delicacy called jamon. It is an ordinary pork ham, which is cooked using a special raw-cured technology. Some merchants will be happy to share the recipe for this delicious dish. So, the traditional way of cooking ham consists of several stages. First, the meat is soaked in saline for three weeks. After that, the ham in limbo is left for several months in a cool and dark place. But the main secret of the rich taste of the ham is the use of pig meat, which is fed according to a special menu.
There are several types of jamon, which differ in cooking time and taste. So, most often you can find the following types of meat delicacy on the shelves of Spanish markets: curado (it will take 7-9 months to cook), bodega (prepared for a couple of months longer), and also reserva (this product can be brought to a ready state for a year and a half! ).
Anyone can buy a Spanish delicacy in any grocery store or market. But be prepared for serious financial expenses, because the cost of a ham is considerable (due to weight, because a pork leg is not divided into pieces by sellers). So it's easier to buy a delicacy for a large company.
Tip: to bring the jamon home safe and sound, we advise you to give preference to vacuum-packed products, which will ensure a longer shelf life of a delicious purchase.
Hard varieties of Spanish cheese will be no less tasty. It is noteworthy that each region of this European country is famous for its unique varieties of these dairy products. But invariably for several decades now, the “palm tree” in terms of popularity and taste has been kept by the cheese product from sheep's milk “Manchego”.
Olive groves also grow throughout the country. Since the climatic and geographical conditions for growing olives here are more than favorable, we can safely say that Spanish olive oil is in no way inferior in quality to Italian and Greek ones. Therefore, you can consider one or two bottles (or maybe even more) of this wonderful oil as a souvenir.
It should also be understood that different varieties of olives grow in Spain, which make it possible to extract different varieties of oil. The Arbequina variety is considered the most common, from the soft berries of which producers obtain a delicate oil with a pleasant mild taste.
Advice. When buying oil, pay attention not only to the area of production, but also to the method of preparation of the olive product. So, cold-pressed first-pressed oil is rightfully considered the best, and we recommend that you opt for it. But if you are an experienced consumer, you can consider other well-known varieties of oil. Well, you should not make such purchases in the first days of your vacation. After all, you can buy a few bottles of olive oil in the DutyFree zone when boarding a plane.
Spanish wine production
Spain is another country with a rich winemaking tradition. Its entire territory is dotted with vineyards, and the best varieties of wine, of course, become a worthy lot at European auctions. That is why we recommend that you take advantage of this unique opportunity and purchase a bottle – another first-class varietal drink made from grapes. Such a gift will not only be able to decorate any festive table, but will also take its rightful place in any private collection.
As for the choice of the type of wine itself, it is sometimes very difficult to solve this issue. We advise you to take a closer look at the Sherry drink, which is produced from white grape varieties and which is distinguished by its unique fortified taste. Andalusia is considered the birthplace of this drink. The world famous brandy is also produced there.
Today, the cost of these drinks is estimated at tens of euros. So, for “Torres” with an exposure of up to ten years, they will ask for 12-15 euros, and for a similarly aged “Gran Duque” you will have to pay at least 25-30 euros per bottle. And do not think that in hypermarkets the price of drinks is too high.
By the way, if you are passing through Jerez, do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying Pedro Himenes grapes, which are distinguished by their rich and unique taste!
There is also champagne in Spain. Most often, the choice of tourists stops at a bottle of sparkling drink “Kava”. We recommend trying this drink in Barcelona. Well, do not forget about another type of alcohol – Sangria, which is bottled in beautiful bottles of various sizes, and is also sold in cardboard bags familiar to many of our compatriots.
Goodies and spices
Have you ever tried a Spanish sweet called “turron”? Willing to bet no! But its analogue – halva – everyone knows. The Spaniards make several varieties of this sweet, which differ in composition and hardness. So, the hardest turron from Alicante can be a real test for your tooth enamel. It is made from whole almonds, poured with a special sweet syrup and wrapped in rice paper.
Feel sorry for your teeth? Then we advise you to buy another kind of turron, which is more like crumbly halva, but has its own taste characteristics.
Do not pass by the pastry towns of Spain. After all, here you can try the best varieties of homemade pastries, among which I would like to highlight the Ensaimada bun. It is made with various fillings and is able to satisfy the needs of any gourmet. So, confectioneries sell buns with apricot, pumpkin, chocolate and cream fillings, fruit fillings in the form of slices or a homogeneous mass. But the buns with “angel hair”, which are made from candied internal threads of a pumpkin, should cause a special delight for the buyer.
Such a purchase is difficult not only to bring to Russia, but also to keep intact to the hotel room. The unique aroma and sweet taste will not leave anyone indifferent.
It is no secret to anyone that each country is unique in its spices. In Spain, saffron is the most popular spice. It is worth noting that saffron is not only a traditional Spanish spice, but also one of the rarest and most expensive on our planet. This is due to the fact that the spice has a mass of trace elements and substances that have a positive effect on skin color, liver and cleanse the blood of harmful substances.
Souvenir products
Not a single tourist voyage is complete without the purchase of souvenirs. Who does not want to replenish their collection of souvenirs with new samples from Spain. And the local assortment of souvenirs is really impressive. On the shelves you can see not only traditional magnets and figurines, but also carved figures of bulls, which seem to be about to rush into battle with a matador, flamenco dancers and many others. If you are a longtime fan of flamenco dancing, we recommend adding castanets to your collection of souvenirs.
Merchants are ready to offer a good selection of fans. If earlier this element of the toilet was inherent only to Spanish and European women, then recently a jump in demand for fans among Russian beauties has been noticed. In Spain, you can buy fans of various shapes, made of paper and fabric, plastic and a special kind of wood. Of course, the cost of the goods directly depends on the material that was used to make the fan, as well as on whether it was handmade. It is clear that the manual labor of local craftsmen is highly valued. But such a gift will perfectly complement the image of a noble lady in the current weather conditions.
If you want to buy something to update your home interior, then we advise you to take a walk along the market rows, where you can find a rich selection of blankets, carpets, lace (you should especially pay attention to products from Galicia), as well as colored glassware. There is a good selection of vine-woven baskets, other products and furniture items. But it is worth considering your capabilities and how easy it is to deliver all these purchases to Russia.
If you find yourself in Granada, pay attention to the caskets of local craftsmen. And in Valencia you can buy almost the best porcelain in the whole territory of Spain, products made from it. In other regions of the country there is also something to see and what to buy. It all depends on your personal preferences and wallet size.
Do not pass by goods made of genuine leather. A bag, wallet or stylish leather shoes from Spain will be a great addition to any male or female look. And you should not save on such purchases, because the quality of Spanish leather goods is known far beyond its borders and they are fabulously popular. And yes, the prices are good. After all, for a pair of excellent shoes you will have to pay only 30-35 euros!
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Weapon
As a souvenir for a real man from Spain, we advise you to bring a weapon. Numerous daggers and blades can be inlaid with silver and gold, topped with precious and semi-precious stones. Of course, the cost of such a work of art (especially when it comes to handmade work) is significant. And the risks that may arise when crossing the Spanish or Russian border should also be taken into account. But if you are confident in your abilities, then such a purchase will be an excellent addition to any private collection or office decoration.
As you can see, no one will return from Spain empty-handed!