Exciting foods in Gijon, Spain

After we're done with appetizers, it's time to check out something more substantial. There's a traditional stew eaten as a main dish across the country, it is particularly popular in Gijon and made in many varieties. The recipe for cocido is rather simple, even the name of the dish is translated as "something boiled". You just take pork, beef, chicken, mutton, embutidos, as well as vegetables like cabbage, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Before serving, you add a little magic making cocido special - some eggs or cheese, and region-specific components.

As de Picas is a wonderful cocido place.

Now we have starter dishes and main courses under our belt, so let's talk about side dishes. Breaded and deep-fried dumplings are quite a common sight in Spain, and their name is croquettes. Thick béchamel or brown sauce and mashed potatoes usually serve as the binders, while the filling usually consists of something like finely chopped meat, seafood, cheese, rice, pasta, mushrooms, and various vegetables. Сroquettes may be made in different shapes and have become quite popular as a type of fast food over the years.

La Pondala has great croquettes among other things.

Speaking of side dishes, it's impossible not to mention the world-famous dry-cured ham produced in Spain. Jamon has become a signature food for a reason, even the tapas that started our list often use it as a component. Jamon is very pervasive in Spanish cuisine, even the aesthetics of it being served have very Spanish panache - in slices either manually carved from a leg on a "jamonero" stand using a sharp thin slicing knife. There are two main commercial labels for jamón, based on the pig breed, so the dish even has a pedigree depending on the service.

La Taberna Zíngara has great jamon-based food.

Speaking of world-famous Spanish food, let's talk about something more popular than even jamon. Paella takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire. The traditional paella of the Valencia region consists of round grain rice, green beans, peas, rabbit, chicken, sometimes duck and lima or butter bean cooked in olive oil and chicken broth. Of course, non-Valencian variations of paella also exist, which is why it's fun to look them up.

El Restallu has good paella along with interesting options for accompanying dishes.

Here's something that makes the list more curious. There are actually different types of pork sausage called chorizo, and the one we're going to be talking about is not the Portuguese one, but the Spanish one originating from the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish chorizo is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika, and salt. Hundreds of regional varieties of Spanish chorizo, both smoked and unsmoked, may contain herbs and other ingredients depending on the chef's taste.

Tierra Astur Poniente serves decent chorizo.

Stepping aside from things natively Spanish, let's talk about a popular meal that's foreign in origin for the region. Laing is quite beloved in Gijon. It's a Filipino dish of shredded or whole taro leaves with meat or seafood cooked in thick coconut milk spiced with labuyo chili, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, and shrimp paste. The taro leaves to be used for laing must be prepared correctly, as they contain amounts of calcium oxalate crystals that can cause irritation. An exotic addition to the local food roster, laying really stands out.

At Serendipia, you can find great laing.

It's probably ironic that the next one on our list shares its name with a Filipino dish but differs from it. Yet neither is menudo Spanish. It's Mexican, returning back to the cradle of Spanish-speaking civilization across the ocean. Menudo is a soup made with a cow's stomach in broth with a red chilli pepper base and seasoning consisting of hominy, lime, onions, and oregano. It's a very social dish, used for official occasions and family events. therefore, making a good restaurant menudo is a challenge to a non-household chef.

Bistro 21 is a great choice for menudo.

Now here's something very local to contact foreign influences. Fabada is not as well known as other types of Spanish stew, but it is very common in the autonomous community of the Principality of Asturias to which Gijon belongs. Traditional fabada was invented as a winter-time meal as it is very nutritious and helps to get through a day of harsh weather. The stew is made with large white beans from Spain called "fabes", they are soaked overnight before use. Add a shoulder of pork or bacon, chorizo, olive oil, sweet paprika, garlic, and salt. Pretty heavy stuff as you can see.

Casa Segundo offers great fabada.

Still, after talking about Spanish cuisine and imported dishes, we should probably end on a bit of irony, as another Latin kind of food found its way back to Europe and became wildly popular in Spain. It's tacos, to no one's surprise. Everyone loves tacos. They are fast, cheap, delicious, and as exotic as they are common. A universal kind of food. A taco is a small hand-sized corn or wheat tortilla topped with a filling of beef, pork, chicken, seafood, beans, vegetables, and cheese.

Taquería Azteca comes to mind when talking about local tacos.

As you can see, Gijon is a city of dignity. It's a real pleasure to explore all it has to offer, including cuisine. Have some classy fun doing just that.